Vocal quartets in Cuba emerged thanks to the impetus given by the emergence of television in the country in the 1950s. Radio also contributed to this process. Quartets were used on television programs. The 1960s saw their greatest popularity and widespread popularity, making it common to find this type of musical group on stages throughout the island.

All Cuban quartets possessed distinct timbres and a very distinctive signature. They also displayed high-quality vocal tuning and blending. They boasted a vast repertoire with excellent arrangements. When the first discographies were released, it can be said that songs, ballads, and boleros predominated in their repertoires. Later, in the second album, the influence of pop music can be seen, although they still used distinctly Cuban rhythms. In other words, a fusion of the two emerged, while always preserving the essence of Cuban music.

In the 1970s, the presence of vocal quartets began to weaken on the musical scene, and therefore in Cuban music. But this extinction gradually began, as some still remained and held sway for several years.

There were many vocal quartets that existed at that time in Cuba, among them the following stood out: “Los Modernistas,” “Los Meme,” “Los Bucaneros,” “Los Zafiros,” “Los Del Rey,” and “Voces Latinas.”

Los Modernistas was a quartet that emerged in the 1960s. Their first performance took place on the Cuban television program “Show de Shows.” They achieved great popularity within Cuban music during this period. During their years of existence, their members included major figures in Cuban music such as Miguel de la Uz, Lourdes Torres, and Yolanda Brito. They were the first to perform works by the prominent Cuban performer and composer Silvio Rodríguez.

The Meme Solís Quartet, or Los Meme, is a prominent Cuban vocal group founded in 1960 by José Manuel Solís Fernández, popularly known as Meme Solís. It comprised prominent Cuban voices and achieved great success in the 1960s, so much so that in 1961 it was declared the best mixed quartet in Cuba by entertainment columnists. During the 1960s, it was the most popular vocal group in the country, hence its existence has left a profound mark on the history of Cuban music.

Los Zafiros, a quartet comprised of four young mixed-race musicians. The quartet’s first musical director was Néstor Milí, followed by Manuel Galván. The latter gave the quartet its first hits. Among their most popular songs are “La Caminadora” and “Mi Oración,” which were widely played on the radio and record players of the time. Los Zafiros disbanded in 1970. They are musical idols and a legend in Cuban music.

The quartet Los Brito included Julio Brito, Alfredo Brito, and Mercy Díaz, among others. Their debut was on the Cuban television program Música y Estrellas. They performed children’s songs such as El gatico Ferrufin. Many of the songs in their repertoire were written by Alfredo Brito and his brother Julio Brito. They are considered pioneers of this fusion of Cuban and foreign music.