With the advent of the filin movement, it became common for artists to improvise extended sessions of boleros and sones, which became known as descargas.

In addition, by the early 1950s, jazz was already an important influence on Cuban musicians, and in 1952 Norman Granz recorded pianist Bebo Valdés in an improvised jam session in Havana, based more on Afro-Cuban jazz in the vein of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, than son cubano.

However, the rise of the descarga genre came in 1956 with Panart's initiative to record jam sessions directed by pianist Julio Gutiérrez.

At the time, Las Maravillas were no longer an active band, only recording under Cachao's direction, and they would give their final concert shortly after in 1958.

[5] The album was recorded at Panart Studios in Havana for five hours starting at 4 AM after all the musicians had finished their regular nightclub performances.

The original Cuban issue and its American counterpart were released with different pictures on the cover from the same photo shoot.

[13] The musicianship on the album is universally praised, with reviewers considering the lineup as "Havana's top musicians",[14] "Cuba's best",[15] and "the best soloists and rhythm section of the time.

[16] According to José Claussell, the album marked "the beginning of a dramatic change in the ideas and practices concerning Afro-Caribbean percussion, especially the conga drum".