Leedy2,
I like your consistent message that people should know how to play basic rhythms well and am a great supporter of clean rhythm, tumbao con cadencia y afinque sin bulla. In this post, however, I think you are oversimplifying and devaluing a huge contribution of the Cubans to the modern repertoire of rhythms. Of course you are right that there is nothing new in Afrocuban and "latin" rhythms that wasn't played before in Africa, Cuba, Brazil centuries ago. But there are new applications, forms, feelings, sounds of rhythms, and there really are "creators" who develop and popularize new rhythms and become known for them (eg, Jorrin Cha Cha Cha, Pello el Afrokan Mozambique, Changuito/Driggs/Formell/Pedroso Songo).
Songo is the example you chose. Adding the snare and kick drum to son, changui, and the other forms of Cuban popular music of the 60s was not a simple act like you are saying. To say songo is just changui plus rock and roll (go go) is an oversimplification. Of course rock and roll influenced Cuban music of the 60s and later, but there were other more important influences. You do not mention the heavy influence of bata music on this transformation. A key concept of the bata, of the rhythm of several percussion instruments being played and heard as one voice, is very different from the rock and roll you are crediting for the creation of songo. The theory that the "go" came from "go go", ie Van Van, has never been proven and I have my doubts.
Changuito, Joel Driggs (conguero with early Van Van in the 70s), Pupy Pedroso, Juan Formell, and others created a new style, songo, that in my opinion is brilliant, and formed an important part of the foundation of Cuban popular music of the last 40 years. Playing songo requires such a deep understanding of Afrocuban folkloric music that few musicians outside of Cuba have succeeded in learning to play it well, although many have tried.
I don't know what songo you have been listening to, but listen to Tu Tranquilo by los Van Van with Changuito on drums and Joel Driggs on congas (only one conga player here). Joel is playing the 3 parts, tumbador, tres dos, and quinto, based loosely on guaguanco, with some of the tastiest licks I have heard in Cuban music. There is no overdubbing, he is playing all the parts at one time. This is the best clip I could find online. Although the compilation CD came out in 1995 (and may still be available), the vinyl LP came out in the 70s in Cuba.
http://www.yes.fm/musica/Los-Van-Van/Co ... n--Vol--VIListen to Guarare by Los Van Van (starts at 5:03 in the longer song Llegue llegue / Guarare de Pastora)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zov3a7bTWWU&NR=1Changuito has a rhythm going on the bateria unlike anything I had ever heard before that song came out in 1974. Ray Barretto did Guarare a year later in 1975 but the NYC version did not approach the rhythmic beauty and complexity of the Van Van version, although it made a lot more money.
Read the very nice discussion of Los Van Van, Songo, and the roots of Timba on Timba.com with great linked examples of the musical concepts he is discussing (Kevintimba, great site!).
http://www.timba.com/encyclopedia_pages ... os-van-vanJorge
Edit: fixed Guarare link, clarifications