Primo Cubano band to perform at Hawthorne House

Enjoy Maine-made Cuban music as presented by the popular Maine-based group, Primo Cubano, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 in Raymond. This musical event will be held at Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Boyhood Home, 40 Hawthorne Road in Raymond, Maine.

Maine-based band Primo Cubano will perform a concert of
traditional Cuban dance music at the Hawthorne House, 
40 Hawthorne Road in Raymond at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1.
Tickets are available online at www.hawthorneassoc.com
COURTESY PHOTO

Primo Cubano, which means Cuban cousins in Spanish, plays traditional Cuban dance music dating back to the turn of the 20th century. The “Son” style of music is the most popular style to come out of Cuba and is the primary contributor to the blend of Latin styles today known as Salsa. It was first a music of the country people of Cuba and eventually migrated to Havana, where it was urbanized and began to draw a wider audience.

Cuban music is a collection of many cultures including Spanish, European, African, and from the indigenous people of Cuba such as the Arawak, Taíno, and the Ciboney. These unique influences helped to create various musical styles such as Son, Bolero, Danzón and Cha Cha Chá.

Danzón music originated in 1879 and became popular in Cuban dance halls. The style combines classical rondo form, an orchestra-like instrumentation known as Orquesta Típica, and the cinquillo rhythm to add an African element. Cha Cha Chá musical attributes feature simple melodies with an easy-to-remember chorus, simple and repetitive harmonic progressions, and repeated rhythm section parts.

Son music developed in eastern Cuba during the late 1800s and arrived in Havana in the early part of the 20th century as a sextet featuring voice, tres, bass, maracas, clave, and the bongo. Son groups traveled to New York City in the 1920s to perform and record and in the 1940s and 1950s, the smaller Son groups grew into Banda Gigantes (Big Bands) and Conjuntos, which eventually helped influence Salsa and Latin Jazz in America and beyond.

The Primo Cubano band has been practicing and performing traditional Cuban music since 2009 in Maine. Their music is well-received wherever they play and earlier this year, they performed in Cuba at the 40th Annual 2025 Havana Jazz Festival. The experience performing at that prestigious event has inspired the group to keep learning and practicing this music they love and to share it with salsa dancers and those who appreciate Cuban dance music in New England, including at the Hawthorne House.

Admission to the Primo Cubano concert is $25. Reservations and payment are required prior to the event.

Space is limited. Tickets are non-refundable.

To order your tickets, please go to www.hawthorneassoc.com events page, scroll down and follow the links to Primo Cubano Concert.

You may also send a check to Hawthorne Community Association, P.O. Box 185, South Casco, ME 04077.

For questions about the concert, call Rebecca Tracy at 207-329-0537 or by sending an email to [email protected] <