Traditional Trova is a distinctly Cuban musical genre that emerged in the last third of the 19th century. It originated in the eastern part of our archipelago, in the province of Santiago de Cuba. Trova is deeply embedded in 20th-century Cuban music.

Traditional Cuban trova has its roots and is the genuine heir of a universal tradition. It dates back to the 11th century in medieval southern France, when the first troubadours (known at the time as “encontradores”) appeared. They were poets and musicians at the same time; they also sometimes played string instruments; they were also singers, and some could even be found who performed all of the aforementioned activities.

It is a musical genre that emerged as a result of the fusion of popular music with elements of professional music. It was created by bohemian musicians who performed their songs accompanied by their guitars.

Trova shows special attention to the beauty and clarity of the lyrics, a characteristic of romantic songs. It is performed primarily on the guitar, although other string instruments are also used, which, along with the performer’s voice, provide support for the timbre and harmonic components. Traditional Trova drew from various Cuban musical genres such as boleros, canciones, guarachas, and habaneras.

José Sánchez (Pepe), a master of troubadours, is considered the father of Cuban troubadour song and one of the main cultivators of this genre. We can affirm that the most relevant cultivators of the genre emerged in the 20th century of Cuban music, among them Sindo Garay, Rosendo Ruiz, Alberto Villalón, Manuel Corona, and Patricio Ballagas.

During the second and third decades of the 20th century, Trova entered a period of relative stagnation, coinciding with the emergence of new rhythms and genres in Cuban popular music. Other singer-songwriters established a new style based on colloquial, intimate poetry and harmonic solutions close to the blues and impressionism. This movement in Cuban song is known as Feeling. This was followed in the 1970s by the so-called Nueva Trova Movement, a movement that gave rise to the troubadour style, which became known to younger generations as la vieja Trova, also known as antigua or tradicional.

Traditional Trova has remained present in Cuban music to this day through the work of musicians such as Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, Ibrahim Ferrer, and Juan de Marcos González, as well as the well-known Buena Vista Social Club phenomenon.