son
what it is
Son or son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin. Son is the predecessor of music styles such as salsa and timba.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make son a playlist
turn these 20 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is son?
Son or son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin. Son is the predecessor of music styles such as salsa and timba.
What are good son albums to start with?
Try Guantanamera by La Sonora Matancera, Son Of Skip James by Dion, Lo Mejor De Monguito / Vol. 1 by Monguito, and Cantares del Subdesarrollo by Rubén Blades.
Who are some women making son?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/son/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making son, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20