Their trade-marks included high-class instrumentalists playing in tight ensemble style, and rhythmical innovations which kept their sound up to date.
Over the years they progressed from their start as a danzoneria to play a wider variety of styles, danzón, then cha-cha-cha, then onda-cha,[2] pachanga and son fusions.
Originally, the orchestra consisted of eight musicians: Orestes Aragon (double bass), Filiberto Depestre (first violin), Hilario René González (second violin) Rufino Roque (piano), Efraín Loyola (flute), Orestes Varona (timbales), Noelio Morejon (güiro) & Pablo Romay (vocals).
The line-up now was Pepe Olmo and Rafael Lay (vocals), Lay, Filiberto Depestre and Celso Valdés (violins), Pepe Palma (piano), Jose Beltran (d. bass), Panchito Arbolaez (güiro), Orestes Varona (timbales) and Guido Sarria (conga).
In 1958, Pedro Depestre replaced his father Filiberto on violin and in January 1959, Rafael Bacallao was added as a singer.
Also in 1959, the Orquesta Aragon issued the first of eight LPs with their new line up on the Discuba label (RCA Victor subsidiary).