Heavy metal in Cuba: beyond son and bolero

Abstract

Due to its geographical position as the "Key to the Americas", Cuba received much of the musical influence coming from the Old Continent, and today it is internationally recognized for its great contributions to music. For starters, genres such as bolero and son, which are usually grouped in the great set of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, enjoy an important popularity around the globe, and works such as Buena Vista Social Club are a recognition of the contributions made from the largest of the Antilles. But then, what can be said about a genre like Heavy Metal in Cuba? What are the possibilities that it could have emerged in a country with a strong cultural tradition added to the restrictions of the regime imposed in 1959? As we will see below, Cuba also stands out within the extreme genres of music, and all from its own idiosyncrasy.