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simply cha-cha). “Lady” by Styx incorporates elements of Cuban bolero music. Cuban dance styles have likewise made their mark interna- tionally. If you’ve been to a wedding reception and seen a conga line snaking around the room, you’ve witnessed a dance that came straight out of Cuba. The sultry moves of salsa dancing owe much to Cuban dance styles like the mambo and cha-cha- cha. None of this is to suggest that the influences run in one direction only. Contributions from other countries and cul- tures have been absorbed into, and have helped shape, the music and dance forms popular in Cuba. That process of cul- tural exchange continues today. A Brief History of Spanish Cuba In 1492, during his first voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus laid claim to Cuba on behalf of the king and queen of Spain. The island would remain a Spanish possession for four centuries. For much of that time, Cuba’s main importance to Spain lay in its strategic location. Havana, the island’s capital, served as the staging ground for Spain’s “treasure fleets.” Each year, ships laden with gold, silver, pearls, emeralds, and other prized goods from Spain’s New World colonies gathered in Havana’s harbor for the voyage back to Spain. By traveling in large con- voys, the ships would be less vulnerable to piracy. Havana prospered by catering to the needs of ships and their crews. Though Spanish colonists settled elsewhere on the island, Havana was far and away the largest population center.

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