The Cuban Tres: The Instrument That Forged the Soul of Son

In the mountains of Baracoa, where the Caribbean kisses the foothills of eastern Cuba, an instrument was born that would forever change Latin American music. The Cuban tres, with its six steel strings vibrating in three pairs, became the beating heart of son cubano and, by extension, all modern Afro-Caribbean music.

From Baracoa to the World: Birth of a Legend

The first documented mention of the Cuban tres appears at the Santiago de Cuba carnival in 1892, when a musician named Nené Manfugás came down from the Baracoa countryside with “a rustic instrument with three double strings and a wooden box.” This troubadour of Haitian descent, known for his bohemian lifestyle and adventurous spirit, brought the mountain sound to the city streets.

The instrument emerged as an ingenious adaptation of Spanish colonial guitars. Afro-Cuban dockworkers, with few resources but abundant creativity, built tres from codfish boxes and improvised strings. What began as music of the fields and docks became the soul of a nation.

Anatomy of a Unique Sound

The Cuban tres is distinguished by several technical characteristics that define its unmistakable sound:

• Three pairs of strings (courses) traditionally tuned to G-G, C-C, E-E
• Steel strings producing its characteristic bright, percussive timbre
• Smaller body than the guitar, with a more compact resonating chamber
• Picking technique that alternates between melody and rhythm (montuno)

As the Havana Music School explains, the tres is “a percussive string instrument” where each note strikes like a drum. This melodic-rhythmic duality makes it the perfect instrument for son, capable of carrying the main melody while maintaining the ensemble’s pulse.

The Great Masters of the Tres

Following Nené Manfugás, a lineage of legendary treseros elevated the instrument to new heights:

• Carlos Godínez of the Sexteto Habanero, who brought the tres to the first son recordings
• Arsenio Rodríguez, the “marvelous blind man” who revolutionized Cuban music
• Isaac Oviedo, a virtuoso who expanded the instrument’s technical possibilities
• Eliseo Silveira, guardian of the purest traditions of changüí from Guantánamo

But no one has taken the tres as far as Francisco “Pancho” Amat, today considered the world’s greatest tres player.

Pancho Amat: Architect of the Modern Tres

Born in Güira de Melena in 1950, Pancho Amat came to the tres by chance. “The school principal called my father for a meeting,” he recalls in a recent interview. “He thought it was for a punishment, but the principal said ‘the boy likes music.’ Shortly after, my father traded a bag of charcoal for a guitar. That guitar was missing a couple of strings, and that’s how the tres came into my hands.”

Amat revolutionized the instrument by applying jazz theory and technique without losing the Cuban essence. He founded the group Manguaré in 1971, part of the Nueva Trova movement, and later collaborated with Adalberto Álvarez. His philosophy is clear: “For an artist, the way to be international is to become more national every day.”

“The tres is a very democratic instrument: all treseros share a common language, but each one imprints their personality, their history, and their environment in the sound.” — Pancho Amat

Estrellas de Buena Vista y Más: The Legacy Lives On

In January 2026, Pancho Amat toured Spain with Estrellas de Buena Vista y Más, a formation keeping alive the spirit of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club. The group includes original members like vocalist Carlos Calunga, percussionist Ángel Terry, and saxophonist Javier Zalba.

“After the disc that won the Grammy, the musicians continued their individual careers,” Amat explains. “Our task is to give sonic unity to all this material while respecting each one’s style.”

The European tour concerts have been a resounding success. As the Galician press reported after their Vigo show: “La Candela ignited to the rhythm of Cuban son… transporting attendees to the streets and clubs of Havana.”

The Tres in the 21st Century

Thanks to phenomena like Buena Vista Social Club, the Cuban tres experienced a global renaissance in the late 20th century. Rock guitarists who played Beatles began learning the instrument, fascinated by its sonic possibilities.

Today, the tres remains essential in:

• Traditional son and its regional variants
• Changüí from Guantánamo
• Timba and contemporary Cuban salsa
• Fusions with jazz, rock, and electronic music

As Pancho Amat says: “The key is to take from everything. Give the instrument contemporaneity, elevate it culturally, but with wisdom.”

One Instrument, One Nation

The Cuban tres is more than a musical instrument: it’s a symbol of national identity, officially recognized among Cuba’s national symbols. Its six steel strings carry the weight of more than a century of history, from the fields of Baracoa to the stages of Europe.

As Pancho Amat and new generations of treseros continue carrying its sound around the world, the tres demonstrates that the most authentic traditions are also the most universal. As the master said: “We are the living museum of Cuban music.”

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Want to learn more about the roots of Cuban music? Read about changüí from Guantánamo, the tradition that gave birth to Cuban son.