Chan Chan (song)
Encyclopedia
Son (music)
The 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...
composition by Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n bandleader Compay Segundo
Compay Segundo
Compay Segundo was a Cuban trova guitarist, singer and composer.-Biography:...
, revolving around two central characters, 'Juanita' and 'Chan Chan'. The song was one of Compay's last compositions and was written in 1987. "Chan Chan" had already been recorded by the composer himself various times, but worldwide success came with a version with Compay and other Cuban artists Eliades Ochoa
Eliades Ochoa
Eliades Ochoa is a Cuban guitarist and singer from Loma de la Avispa, Songo La Maya in the east of the country near Santiago de Cuba....
and Ibrahim Ferrer
Ibrahim Ferrer
Ibrahim Ferrer was a popular Afro-Cuban singer and musician in Cuba. He performed with many musical groups including the Conjunto Sorpresa, Orquesta Chepin-Choven and Afro-Cuban All Stars...
as the first song on the album Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club (album)
- Music :"Chan Chan", the first song on the album, is a Cuban song composition by Compay Segundo, revolving around two central characters, Juanita and Chan Chan. The song was one of Segundo's last compositions and was written in 1987, already having been recorded by Segundo himself various...
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Comments
Compay Segundo textual cite:The most complete explanation says:
'The song relates the story of a man and a woman (Chan Chan and Juanica) who are building a house, and go to the beach to get some sand.
Chan Chan collects the sand and puts it on the 'jibe'. Juanica shakes it, and to do so she shakes herself, making Chan Chan aroused. [...] The origin of this tale is a farmer song learnt by Compay Segundo when he was twelve years old.'
There is a repeated motif throughout the song:
De Alto Cedro voy para Marcané Llego a Cueto voy para Mayarí |
From Alto Cedro I go towards Marcané I get to Cueto, head for Mayarí |
Alto Cedro, Marcané, Cueto
Cueto, Cuba
-Demographics:In 2004, the municipality of Cueto had a population of 34,503. With a total area of , it has a population density of ....
and Mayarí
Mayarí
Mayarí is a municipality and city in the Holguín Province of Cuba.The origins of the city date back to 1757, when the first farms were established on the actual location. On January 19, 1879 the city became the seat of the municipality....
, are four towns near each other in Holguín Province
Holguín Province
Holguín is one of the provinces of Cuba, the third most populous after Ciudad de la Habana and Santiago de Cuba. It lies in the northeast of the country. Its major cities include Holguín , Banes, Antilla, Mayarí, and Moa....
, on the east side of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
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