Some music doesn’t just travel, it remembers; carrying footprints in its rhythm, histories in its phrasing, and entire migrations tucked between a call and a response. Long before it was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage, Son Cubano had already been doing the work, bridging continents, shaping identities, and moving bodies without ever asking permission.
Originating in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century as a blend of African and Spanish elements, Son has become a living history of Cuban identity. “I believe it has always been evolving and pushing the boundaries of change, even while preserving its parameters,” Jose Elias, better known as Cortadito, tells PureHoney. “We’ve seen it happen through the years with Salsa and Timba, and throughout the world with Congolese Rhumba and Haitian Compas.”
Son Del Mundo, hosted by Cortadito, is a sweeping celebration of “El Día del Son Cubano,” honoring not just a genre, but the global conversation it sparked, bringing together a lineup including Grammy-nominated powerhouse Aymee Nuviola, legendary singer Roberto Torres, and rising sonero Ronkalunga, alongside tributes that trace the music’s diasporic echoes through Congolese rumba and Haitian Compas.
UNESCO’s recognition doesn’t fossilize the genre; it affirms what artists and audiences have always known: Son lives through participation, through performance, through the constant act of being reimagined. “We connect with our audiences by making our shows interactive, multi-generational dance parties,” says Cortadito. “It has lived through communities for more than a hundred years and it’s a very relatable form of traditional folk and country music, and it has been embraced worldwide.”
But Son Del Mundo doesn’t stop at recognition, it expands the frame with tributes to figures like Le Grand Kallé and Franco Luambo, and honors reinterpretation, underscoring how the genre didn’t just stay in Cuba, it moved, adapted, and became part of a wider rhythmic language heard across the Atlantic.
This celebration makes one thing clear, as Cortadito recognizes the valuable perspective in sound and style each generation brings to the genre, this isn’t just about honoring where the music comes from, but where it continues to go.
Son del Mundo, Día del Son Cubano takes place at 7pm Friday, May 8 at the Miami Beach Bandshell in Miami Beach. miamibeachbandshell.com ~ Abel Folgar
