Seen as scandalous[edit]

Similar to other dances in the Caribbean and Latin America, the danzn was initially regarded
as scandalous, especially when it began to be danced by all classes of society. The slower
rhythm of the danzn led to couples dancing closer, with sinuous movements of the hips and a
lower centre of gravity. The author of a survey of prostitution in Havana devoted a whole
chapter to the iniquities of dancing, and the danzn in particular.[14] Articles in newspapers and
periodicals took up the theme:
"Because I love my country, it hurts me to see danzn at gatherings of decent
people."[15]
"We recommend banning the danza and danzn because they are vestiges of Africa
and should be replaced by essentially European dances such as the quadrille and
rigadoon."[16]
Apparently, the danzn, which later became an insipid dance for older couples, was at
first danced with "obscene movements" of the hips by young couples in close
embrace, with bodies touching, and by couples who might come from different races...
"First we had the danza, then came the danzn... next it will be the rumba, and finally
we'll all end up dancing igo!"[17]
So, behind the concern about music and dance were concerns about sexual
licence, and about miscegenation, the mixing of races. As with other similar cases,
the criticism was to no avail. The danzn became hugely popular, and was the
dominant popular music in Cuba until the advent of the son in the 1920s. At length
the Cuban government made Falde the official inventor of the danzn but not
until 1960, by which time the danzn had become a relic, and its 'child',
the chachach, had taken over.[18]

Influence of son[edit]
In 1910, some 30 years after Falde's early days, Jos Urf added a montuno as a
final part of his El Bombn de Barretto.[1] This was a swinging section, consisting of
a repeated musical phrase, which introduced something of the son into the danzn
(a tactic which was to recur again). Because of the popularity of son in the 1920s
and 1930s, Aniceto Daz in Rompiendo la rutina in 1929 added a vocal part,
thereby creating a new genre called the danzonete.

Orquesta Romeu
with singer Fernando Collazo, end-1920s

Later development led to more syncopation, which eventually led to the danzn-
ch, nuevo ritmo, cha-cha-ch, pachanga and mambo. From the 1940s to the
1960s danzn and its derivatives were highly popular in Cuba, with several truly
fine charangas playing most days of the week. Orquesta Aragn kept up an
exceptionally high standard for many years, but the danzn itself gradually
dropped out, and is now a relic dance.
Danzn has never ceased to influence Cuban musicians, and it is reflected in
many popular Cuban music genres, in Cuban Latin jazz, salsa, songo and timba,
the latter building upon the charanga orchestration. Groups like Los Van
Van and Orquesta Revdeveloped from charangas. Their make-up and
orchestration (by Juan Formell) has b