The Sierra Maestra is located in the eastern region of Cuba and displays the highest mountains in the island. It constitutes one of the most unspoiled and preserved environmental systems in the country and is also a historical region for its mountains sheltered the guerrilla who led to the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.
The Sierra Maestra group was founded during the second half of the 1970s with the purpose of printing a new label on the remarkable Cuban traditional music of the 1920s and 1930s when the son "also originated in that eastern region in Cuba- was in full swing. The group was joined by talented musicians and its format included the tres, guitar, trumpet, bongo, güiro, maracas, clave and voice.
As University students during the 1970s, the group rediscovered the Cuban traditional music at a time when other genres prevailed in the musical landscape of the island, thus rescuing an excellent repertoire of sones, boleros and guarachas.
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In 1978, Sierra Maestra represented Cuba at the World Festival of Youth and Students held that same year in Havana. Since then, the successes of this group mushroomed. In 1981, the group made its first recording entitled "Sierra Maestra llegó con el guanajo relleno" which became a silver record due to the high level in sales achieved and the overwhelming popularity of this group. That same year, the group made its first international tour to Nicaragua.
The following year, the group recorded its second LP "Y son así" and performed on different stages to promote the Cuban traditional music with a very modern sound putting young Cubans and youngsters from many other latitudes to dance. In 1983, the group received the Benny Moré Award in dancing popular music and participated at the 4th Song Festival held in Helsinki, Finland. Likewise, Sierra Maestra conquered the artistic centers in Sweden, France and Spain. That same year, the song entitled "A los rumberos de Belén" became the sound track of "The Milagro Beanfield War" film by Robert Redford.
Due to the indisputable quality of the group, the son, the guaracha and the rumba performed by Sierra Maestra managed to penetrate Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. The group has recorded more than ten phonograms and its work is included in a number of compilations containing the most significant themes of Cuban traditional music.
Sierra Maestra was the main character of the documentary film entitled "Salsa", with script by Jean-Claude Carriére and direction by Joyce Buñuel. This documentary film was a great success in France when it was premiered in the year 2000 and distributed by the Universal Studios.
Sierra Maestra, made up by nine matchless and talented musicians, has had the good fortune of including the falsetto voice of José Antonio "Maceo" Rodríguez and the musical direction of Juan de Marcos González and is now considered one of the best Cuban son groups of all times.
