Characteristic Features
La Sonora Matancera is characterized by its melodic, yet propulsive, use of two trumpets. Quite often these were played in such tight unison that other than the solos taken by the first trumpet one could not differentiate between the two. Furthermore, contrabass, piano, timbalitos, bongós, cencerro (also known as campana), and tumbadora are prominently featured.
La Sonora was also distinguished by its backup singers, or coro. It usually consisted of Rogelio Martínez and Carlos Manuel "Caíto" Díaz Alonso, whose falsetto delivery came from a traditional singing style of the earliest soneros (called in Cuba voz de vieja).
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