In honor of the birthdays of two extraordinary musicians, Miguel Matamoros and Miguelito Cuní, symbols of the genre in Cuba and beyond, May 8 was recently declared Cuban Son Day.

"Son, of Cuban origin, is a cultural expression with a marked social function, a music-dance genre recognized by communities, groups and individuals as direct bearers of an intangible heritage rooted in traditional popular culture, as part of community spaces that transcend the music itself, and is thus deserving of its declaration as Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2012, in recognition of a fundamental genre of cultural value that transcends time and space," according to the Official Gazette of the Republic, published October 2.

Regarding the declaration, Alexis Triana, director of Communication at the Ministry of Culture, stated, "We will not stop until we see it on the (Unesco) Intangible Heritage of Humanity list."

“Son identifies us. It is a genre of great influence in Cuban and Latin American music. Thus other styles have turned to its essence and assimilated it, making it present in their sonorities. This declaration reaffirms the roots of our identity and heritage,” tweeted Indira Fajardo, president of the Cuban Music Institute, on the occasion.