With the guitar and their feelings as their only weapon, trovadores represented an attitude towards life and a way of singing to man, their surroundings and their feelings.

The guitar, brought by the Spanish to the Island, made possible the formation of a native music that did not acquire its real authenticity until the last decades of the 19th century. At that time, boleros, polos, seguidillas and tiranas, were sung in the humid nights as serenades. The well-known Cuban taste for fun even in hard times was added to the habit of adapting humorous texts to dancing music. As the 19th century passed by, the Cuban elements found in the popular songs became more evident and patriotic feelings were added. In the 80’s, in the eastern region, singers appear with songs combining the double condition of composer and singer with the guitar as the accompanying instrument. These singers used images of high poetic sensitivity. They were later described as trovadores.

The traditional trova With a romantic and passionate attitude towards life, Sindo Garay, one of the most praised trovadores, wrote in his tune "La Alondra": "… like the ancient, wandering trovadores/ I search in this world someone to love". Santiago de Cuba is the of origin of this new trovador atmosphere rooted in the customs of the lovers’ serenades and the use of the accompanying guitar. As certain rhythms that were born in Cuba were added, these songs turned to be more national. The theme of love for a woman prevails and in some cases, this characteristic takes similar features when linking the female adoration to the patriotic feeling highlighted by references to the Cuban nature and landscape. Since this trovador atmosphere extends through the last years of the Spanish colonialism and the first Republican stage, the harsh criticism against this new period of the history of the country is added to the songs. Pepe Sánchez, forerunner and master of this movement, stood out among the sons of this way of saying. His compositions were superseded with dignity by the following generation of musicians such as Sindo Garay, author of melodies of high lyricism. Among these we find "Perla Marina" (Sea Pearl) or "La Tarde" (The Afternon). Other members of this group were Manuel Corona, Eusebio Delfín and Maria Teresa Vera. Miguel Matamoros, the great Demiurgo who gave Cuba one of its musical hymns, "El Son de la loma", adopted the trova style of interpreting the dancing rhythms. His "Lágrimas negras" (Black Tears) was made popular by Matamoros Trio, receives today not only the applause of its admirers but the praise of other interpreters in new scenarios. In the 40’s, a new way of interpreting the songs emerges. This group specifically performing in the capital was baptized by them as "filing" (it does not refer to the English word "feeling" thus the misspelling of the word is on purpose -Trans). With the faithful guitar in their hands, better elaboration of the melodies, dissonant tunes in the harmony, better timing of improvisation than in the genre of son, the tendency to recite some verses, and a more unhurried and intimate air, this movement was settled through its exponents in the Cuban music. To this movement belong musicians such as Marta Valdés, José A. Méndez and César Portillo de la Luz.

The new trova In the 60’s and as a consequence of this group of musicians that founded a national style for singing and understanding the human passion and feelings, a musical bridge starts formed by well-known authors as Pablo Milanés, Teresita Fernández and Juan Formell (director of the prestigious Van Van Orchestra), brought about a new way of saying which will be named the Movement of the New Song. In the 60’s Marta Valdés emerged as an outstanding composer in the Cuban musical panorama, interested in going beyond "filin" limits, without disregarding the musical and poetic quality of the lyrics. Teresita Fernández also emerged as a singer and a lyric writer. When the Revolution triumphed in 1959, an adolescent of 16 years of age, Pablo Milanés, interpreted rancheras and boleros, influenced by "filin”. He joined several vocal groups as Cuarteto del Rey and Los Bucaneros. Silvio Rodríguez was being developed at the same time as Milanés. His first songs are the result of his interest for the rock, bolero and calypso. The taste for poetry and a study of his contemporaneous singers are reflected on his songs. Vicente Feliú and Noel Nicola also joined this first group. In 1969, the term "Nueva Trova" (New Trova) was not still formed, though they were known as the trovadores of a younger third generation. The Grupo de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC (Film Institute’ Group of Sound Experimentation) emerged under the direction of Leo Brower around which Silvio, Pablo and Noel Nicola and other creators were grouped. With the support of Casa de las Américas the movement was finally consolidated. According to Silvio, Nueva Trova is not the political song, but the result of a tradition of trovadores that is found in Cuba and that because of the circumstances chose the Revolution as one of its themes, but also were well-linked to the song in its general spectrum. The infatuation that captivated Silvio, Pablo, Noel have been accompanied through the passing of the years by young trovadores. Carlos Varela, David Torrens, Gema and Pavel, Amaury Gutiérrez and many others also make up a long list.