Cuban Music

• Son de la Má Teodora: A 16th century Cuban song by Teodora, Ginés, a freed slave. Blacks from the very beginning were integral to Cuban music. This song remains popular today.

• El cielo y sus estrellas: A religious work by Esteban Salas y Castro, the first Cuban composer whose compositions have survived. José might have heard this at Mass, or sung it in the choir at the colegio.

• El barquito chiquito: the Spanish children’s song sung by Magdalena and Marianela on the trip to Havana.

• Ya viena la vieja: A Spanish Christmas carol, or Villancico, sung by Gonzalo.

• Bendigamos: A Sephardic prayer in Ladino. Simple, but excuisite.l

• Babalú: Desi Arnaz’s song about Babalu Ayé, the orisha in Santería syncretized with Saint Lazarus. Agustín’s cabildo has a shrine to Babalú Ayé, and the song captures the sinister vibe José feels there. Also, my Spanish teacher, Mrs. Puyans, grew up down the street from the Arnaz family, so I felt compelled to include this in honor of her.

• Spanish Ladies: I had to include a song that would have been enjoyed by the British sailors who appear at the end, and this popular 18th century song seemed ideal.

• Haïti cherie: We cannot forget San Domingue. This song is a méringue, a blend of the 18th century contredanse and Afro-Caribbean elements, and the lyrics are in Haitian Creole. . Regarded as the informal national anthem of Haiti, although its composition in the early 20th century makes the time period wrong.

• Solas Market: Jamaica must not be neglected, either. This is a Jamaican folk song. I went for a version with more traditional instrumentation. It talks about a market, which in José’s time was an important outlet for slaves to sell produce from their personal plots and earn cash of their own.

• Décima: A décima, a song with 10 line stanzas. A popular form of music among ordinary people in José’s day.