Prior to Christopher Columbus's arrival in Cuba in 1492, the island was populated by native Caribbean peoples, mostly Taino Arawak Indians. In 1511, Diego Velázquez arrived with 300 men and began the brutal process of colonizing the island. Before long, the Indians had been decimated, and the Spanish began to bring in African slaves to perform the heavy lifting of colony building.

By the 18th century, Cuba had become a major slave-trading center, and Africans continued to arrive on the island until into the 1880s, some years after the trade was finally officially abolished in Cuba. An unsuccessful slave rebellion in 1826 and other violent episodes that followed provide evidence of the harsh power struggle between Hispanics and Africans in Cuba, but this masks another important reality. The two cultures actually merged more profoundly here than in perhaps any other part of the New World.

To begin with, in most Spanish colonies, authorities allowed ethnic Africans--Yoruba, Congo, and Dahomey peoples--to live together, a contrast to the procedure in other colonies, especially the U.S., where people who shared an African language were usually separated. Cuba also allowed Africans to become free, and to form cabildos or councils aimed at keeping their African cultures alive. Even as African religion, language and music were preserved in Cuba, Spanish and African blood were steadily mixing and a large mulato population emerging. Cubans finally won independence from Spain in 1902, with the mostly African-descended Mambi Army leading the charge. Cuba's plantation owners joined the Mambi once the outcome became clear, and last-minute help from American forces sealed the fate of Spain. Cuba was now a nation, divided in many ways, but on its way to becoming a distinct people, merging African, European, and to a lesser extent, Chinese ancestries.

There were then attempts to "whiten" the population by isolating blacks and brining in more Spanish immigrants, but these efforts failed. Racism has remained an issue in Cuba, even as the island's diverse populations continue to intermingle.

A series of autocratic and variously repressive governments paved the way for the late-50's socialist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in 1959. Lacking the pristine beaches of other Caribbean islands, Cuban had long relied on gambling and prostitution to attract foreign tourists. Castro's immediate predecessor, Fulgencio Batista--who returned to Cuba for a second turn at the helm after having retired to Florida some years earlier--took the gaming industry to new heights by allowing the U.S. Mafia to run the show with enormous profits going both to them and to himself. The corruption and excess of this period helped to foment profound resentment on the part of ordinary people, who ultimately swept Castro and his rebel army to power.

Once victorious, Castro has done everything necessary to stay in control of all possible aspects of life in Cuba. His dedication to communism has meant decades of embargo from trade and commerce with the U.S., but isolation has also made it easier for him to hold onto power, forever inveighing against what he portrays as a corrupting, powerful neighbor to the north.

The collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90s hit the frail Cuban economy hard, bringing on what the government has called the "special period." Speculation that the Castro regime is on its last legs persists. But the man remains firmly in charge and in excellent health at 74.

Music in Cuba

Both in their entertainment and in their religious practice, Africans working on Cuban sugar plantations preserved and developed a rich array of percussion and vocal music. From the sacred bata drumming associated with Yoruba Santeria religion, to the complex, layered rhythms of recreational rumba, the African end of the Afro-Cuban music equation was in full flower during the 19th century.

Meanwhile, in Matanzas, folksy European dance idioms had evolved into a serene ballroom dance music that Cubans called danzon. The synthesis that ignited the Afro-Cuban musical revolution, and led to today's salsa and timba music, began early in the 20th century in the eastern city Santiago where a music called son combined the melodic string genres played by Europeans with the lively percussion rhythms played by Africans. Though considered shocking and lewd at first, son was soon adapted in Havana and styles like habanero and charanga, which features flute and violin, quickly emerged. Ever since, Havana has been one of the most important and influential musical cities in the African diaspora. Note to readers: There is obviously much more to the story of Cuban music! Watch this space for a greatly expanded discussion in the near future.

Contributed by: Banning Eyre