cover
Outdoors in Cuba under bright midday sun, Enrique Jorrín stands smiling while playing his violin. Excited children sit around him, wide-eyed and clapping their hands.
Many, many years ago, in a land full of music called Cuba, people loved to dance with joy. One day, a very talented man named Enrique Jorrín, who played the violin, had an idea: “I want to create a new kind of music—happy and easy to dance to!”
Outdoors in Cuba during warm afternoon sunlight, Enrique Jorrín grins while playing a congas and calling “cha-cha-chá.” Three children stand close, giggling and shuffling their feet in time with the new beat.
So, he mixed different rhythms like the danzón and the mambo, and that's how a fun new music was born that went: Cha-cha-chá! Cha-cha-chá!
On a sunlit Cuban street, Enrique Jorrín plays a congas, smiling as a kid and a grandmother with silver hair twirls beside him. More families dance in the background, pastel buildings glowing under bright midday light.
Music filled the streets, and soon everyone came out to dance. Enrique said, “Just move your feet—cha-cha-chá!” Families twirled and smiled in the sunlight. Even grandmothers and grandfathers joined in. It was so easy to dance that even kids could do it! Laughter mixed with the joyful music. The whole neighborhood sparkled with happiness. And since the most famous sound it made was “cha-cha-chá,” that’s the name they gave it.
Outdoors at dusk, Enrique Jorrín stands without any instrument, smiling broadly while children from many places dance the cha-cha-chá together in a lively circle around him. In the background there is a band of cuban playing the cha-cha-chá with typical isntruments like the congas, bongos, timbales, cowbell, güiro, and maracas.
The cha-cha-chá started to travel far from Cuba. In every new place, children loved its easy steps. Enrique beamed, “Our music brings joy everywhere!” Kids in different lands danced together. Since then, cha-cha-chá has been danced all around the world, and every time it plays, your body just wants to move!