Rhythm, dance and song of Cuban origin; derived from the Danzon under the influence of the Son. Enrique Jorrin, Cha Cha Cha creator, said that at the end of 1940, he made some Danzones in which the musicians made short choruses. The public liked it and that stimulated Jorrin to continue creating. At that time all the interpreters sang at once and in that he discovered that besides covering up the voice quality, the lyrics were much more potent and clearly heard.

In 1948, the Cha Cha Cha was born with melodies to dance and well balanced.

It was taken to Mexico where it became well known and later on it extended around Latin America and even around the United States.

It is a festive dance and its songs are roguish. Probably the most popular one, the first Cha Cha Cha, is the one dedicated to that girl in the centric corner of Prado and Neptuno, and all men had to look at her (La Engañadora, 1951). The beautiful lady, a real life character, was so voluptuous due to the pillows she used to put under her cloths… “Foolish women that try to cheat us”; the chorus says in the instrumental silence.

The name Cha Cha Cha suggests the three steps that have to e danced to follow the melody. It is normally played by a charanga that contains flute, violins and percussion, or by a typical orchestra.

The most important groups that have played this rhythm are Aragon Orchestra, America Orchestra and the one of Enrique Jorrin, main composer of this genre. As important authors we have Pedro Junco, Enriquillo Cerón, Isabelita Serpa, Ruddy Calzado, Jorge Zamora, Felix Reyna, Chucho Martinez Gil, Richard Egües y Frank Perez, among others.

Once, the composer Leo Brower expressed that “Pop music was nothing more than Cha Cha Cha with battery, clearing up his opinion about the influence of this Cuban genre on other universal rhythms.