The "rumba influence" came in the 16th century with slaves imported from Africa. The native Rumba folk dance is essentially a sex pantomime danced extremely fast with exaggerated hip movements, the man's sensually aggressive attitude countered by a defensive one on the part of the woman.

As recently as the second world war, the "Son," a modified, slower and more refined version of the native Rumba, was a popular dance of the middle classes in Cuba, and the still slower "Danzon" was preferred by the wealthy. Very small steps are taken, with the women producing a very subtle tilting of the hips, alternately bending and straightening the knees.