Son de la Loma

several times now i have alluded to Cuba's rich musical culture.

well, the other day i was looking through YouTube and found this Japanese karaoke video (subtitled in both Japanese and Spanish) of a classic Cuban song, "Son de la Loma" ("They come from the mountains") by the Trio Matamoros.

The Trio Matamoros was formed in 1925 as a trio by Miguel Matamoros, but the group grew and included, at times, up to eight members. From 1945 to 1947, Benny More, one of the true greats of Cuban music, sang with the band until he left to pursue his tremendously successful solo career.

Miguel Matamorors wrote some of Cuba's classic "son" tunes, including Son de la Loma, Lagrimas Negras, El que Siembra su Maiz, El Paralitico, La Mujer de Antonio, and Las Maracas de Cuba. He not only contritubed to Cuba's musical language, but phrases from his songs became part of the popular vernacular.

i'd thought i'd share the video for Son de la Loma, despite its poor quality, to give you a taste of classic Cuban music.

Son de la Loma

the guys on screen are not the ones playing the music. they're just playing along. watch the trumpet solo; it gives them away.

Son de la Loma was adopted, somewhat unofficially, by Castro's Rebel Army in the late 1950's. The song's title ("they come from the mountains") fit in nicely with Castro's stronghold in the Sierra Maestra mountains, close to Cuba's second largest city, Santiago de Cuba.

eventually, Batista's regime caught on, and the song was banned from radio play. strangely enough, they still allowed it to be played live (or so i understand from my parents, who were in their early 20's at the time). here's some interesting video of Fidel Castro's triumphant entrance into Havana, back when he was truly a Cuban hero, before he sold himself out for power and betrayed the people. many in that crowd would soon be chanting "to the wall! to the wall" acquiesing when asked by Fidel whether "enemies of the revolution" should be executed by firing squad, commonly done in front of a thick wall.

anyway, the the title of "Son de la loma" is a bit of a pun. "Son" is a style of music which the Matamoros excelled at. thus, "Son de la loma" can mean "Son (or musical style) of the mountain." "Son" also means "they come from," so the title can also be translated as "They come from the mountains."

That sort of wordplay is one of the hallmarks of great Cuban music.

finally, the speaker is a young woman talking to her mother and expressing interest in the "handsome" singers coming down from the mountains (the wild country) to sing in the valleys (the civilized land). as such, the song contains quite a lot of sexual tension, with a very forward (for Cuban standards) desire by the young woman to get to know the singers and their songs, which she wants to learn so well.


Son de la loma

Mamá yo quiero saber
De dónde son los cantantes
Los encuentro muy galantes
Y los quiero conocer
Con sus trovas fascinantes
Que me las quiero aprender

De dónde serán
Serán de la Habana
Serán de Santiago
Tierra soberana

Son de la loma
Y cantan en el llano
Ya verás, lo verás

Mamá ellos son de la loma
Mamá ellos cantan en el llano
Mamá ellos son de la loma
Mamá ellos cantan en el llano

They Come from the Mountains

Mother I want to know
where the singers come from
I find them very handsome
and I want to get to know them
with their fascinating songs
which I want to learn so well

Where are they from?
Are they from Havana?
Are they from Santiago,
that sovereign land?

They come from the mountains
and they sing in the valley
You will see, you shall see

Mother they come from the mountains
Mother they sing in the valley
Mother they come from the mountains
Mother they sing in the valley