THE cha-cha, one of the most diffused rhythms in Cuba, recently celebrated 50 years of existence. It was precisely on March 9, 1953 that the 78 vinyl La engañadora (Deceiving Woman) was recorded, (number 1536 Panart), which created the cha-cha boom.

The disc was released on March 26 of that year and by June it was played continuously on every radio station and juke boxes and the records had to be changed constantly due to excessive use. Young people learned this new dance like never before. Television programs featured dancers who taught the new choreography: "one-two, cha-cha."

The experiment began at the Silver Star and Prado and Neptuno social clubs. Couples enjoyed singing and clapping as they danced to popular songs. Prado and Neptuno (Amores de Verano), was one of the places where the long La Engañada was conceived of: "To Prado and Neptuno/would come a girl / who all of the men/had to look at/She was curvy/well-shaped/in short, terrific."

"That song gave me fame within cha-cha," Enrique Jorrín told me, "My mother didn't like the composition but the musicians of the group America convinced her of the success it would have, so it was recorded and everyone knows the rest of the story."

The cha-cha explosion is one of the most resonant events in the history of Cuban music. It's enough to say that the rhythm brought popularity to charanga-type groups, rescued their voices, filled the dance clubs; it began to get hot and eventually invaded aristocratic society. Princes and queens danced the cha-cha and it progressively spread to the American, European and Asian continents. It's the best known Cuban rhythm in China. The true history of the cha-cha, respecting its technique and contribution, is still to be told.

One fact not very well-known among us is that there exists a composition titled Amarren al loco (Tie up the crazy guy) by Rosendo Ruíz (adapted by René Touzet), which initially had a tremendous influence on 1960's rock and roll. I learned about this from rock musician and producer Ned Sublette, in New York.

In her daring film And God Created Woman, Brigitte Bardot danced the cha-cha. In the revived West side story, the main piece, María is a cha-cha. The Mambo King Pérez Prado recorded cha-cha, Machito and his Afro-Cubans, Edmundo Ross, Japanese Yakimura and Bruce Lee won cha-cha contests and even the Martians danced it: "The Martians have arrived/ they arrived dancing cha cha ricachá/ricachá, ricachá, ricachá/ the Martian name for cha-cha/" (Rosendo Ruíz Quevedo).

Throughout these 50 years, the world has not stopped hearing such hits as La engañadora; El Bodeguero (The bodega man) by Richard Egües; Rico vacilón (Fun shindig) by Rosendo Ruíz; Esperanza (Hope) by Ramón Cabrera; Jorge Zamora's Los Tiñosos (The mean ones), La basura (Trash), and Sr. Juez (Mr. Judge); Rosendo Rossell's Calculadora; No te bañes en el malecón (Don't bathe in the Malecón) by Miguel Jorrín; Guasabeando el rock and roll (Imitating rock and roll) by Senén Suárez); Tienen sabor (They have flavor) by Ignacio Piñeiro and Rolando Valdés, and Enrique Jorrín's El tunel, El alardoso (The tunnel, the showy one).

What did the cha-cha boom consist of? Jorrín explained that it is a very attractive rhythm that sticks. "Simple melodies with minimal syncopes. I combined simple figures, such as black, white and quavers in a 2/4 tempo. I suppress the five-beat, converting the basic rhythm of the genre into a non-syncoped model played by the guayo, the cencerro and the tumbadora."

One half-century after the world triumph of the cha-cha, we should once again take a look at this joyous and popular rhythm and also the other musical traditions which, years ago served as a wall of contention against all crazes. Cuban musicians have sufficient wealth of rhythm and melody not be dazzled by the style of new sounds. Much more so now that traditions and rustic styles are being reborn.

Taken from Granma International 15/04/03