This center coordinates the hiring of the different musicians of the territory, just like the outside, for their performances in activities of the municipality.
There are different musical groups in Isla de la Juventud, but the most notorious by its traditions are:
Mongo Rives and La Tumba Criolla
Isle of Youth might have some hidden pirate treasures, but has many in sight and between nature, biological wealth and its landscapes stands out in particular Sucu Sucu, the rhythm that recognizes as a pioneer a legendary woman named Bruna Castillo. It began to be created by the year 1840 in La Tumbita farm, very close to what would later be Santa Fe, second town in importance in the today Isle of Youth.
First known as rumba, rumbita, cotunto and others, until the 20’s that adopt Sucu Sucu as name, based on the grating of the bandurria and the dragging of the feet on the wooden floorboards of the bohíos and conucos where the celebrations were made. According to the researcher Roberto Rodríguez Chamizo tells us, with Bruna the rhythm is born, which continues through his descendants and is consolidated and enlarged as if it were a family heritage, with his great-grandson, the famous Ramon "Mongo" Mongo was born on 9 February 1929, at the farm La Tumbita; Son of Margarita Amador and Mariano Rives whom they called "El Boris” and was also a musician, who along with his brothers played Sucu Suco, learned from Bruna, his grandmother.
Mongo is the biggest exponent of the rhythm created by Bruna, debutind with his quintet in 1945 under the name of “Mongo Rivers and La Tumbita Criolla”. From that day, with his task of spreading culture all over the island and warm the hearts of whoever listened, has continuously consolidating the rhythm, now famous nationally and internationally.
In 2002 the production company BIS Music. He had the honor of recording his first album in studio, capturing for the story, the sound of Sucu Suco in its most legitimate expression.
Today with the Creole Lute of Mongo, Accordion, marmbule, machete, bongo, guitar and three, in addition to the minor percussion (Maraca, keys, etc.) common in the different expressions of Complejo del Son, where this rhythm is marked in a very special way. Between the most known number that made Cubans and foreigners dance are “Yo quiero Bailar con María Elena”, “Dame el rabito del lechón”, “Linda Pinerita”, “Catalina, mi vecina”, “Se quedó sin ropa el Chivo” and “Santa Fe, pueblo querido”.
Sonny Boys Band
This group from years ago has been working with Anglo-Caribbean music, but without forgetting the Cuban music. His director, born on the Island, his father born in the Cayman Islands and Jamaican mother; Arnold Dixon, known as Sonny Boys carries in the blood the traditional rhythms of those nations. Many parties of Caimaneros and Jamaicans were made in his house, and he participated in them since little boy. He has been creating and participating for 60 years in different Anglo-Caribbean musical groups. In its beginnings, for the love of its roots, its orchestras cultivated calypso, the round dance and other sorts of the English-speaking Caribbean because American tourism predominated in the first decades of century XX.
The traditional rhythms have continued to be enriched, merging with the native ones and marking the hallmark of local identity. It consists of 11 members, where they mix 2 keyboards, 2 trumpets, a loud sax, 3 singers, a drummer and a tumbadora. They have participated in multiple performances throughout the country and abroad, where they always try to play Anglo-Caribbean music.
The value of culture and Cuban music is excellent and special in Isle of Youth.