▁Early ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁viol in ▁in ▁Cuba ▁▁ ▁We ▁can ▁find ▁a ▁representation ▁of ▁the ▁bow ed ▁strings ▁family ▁in ▁Cuba ' s ▁history ▁since ▁a ▁very ▁early ▁stage , ▁because ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century ▁a ▁music ian ▁from ▁the ▁Ville ▁of ▁Tr in idad , ▁named ▁Juan ▁Ort iz , ▁is ▁mentioned ▁by ▁the ▁chron ic ler ▁Bern al ▁Dí az ▁del ▁Cast illo ▁as ▁a ▁“ gre at ▁perform er ▁of ▁“ vi h uela ” ▁and ▁“ vi ola ” ▁( vi ol ). ▁The ▁Renaissance ▁viol ▁is ▁the ▁direct ▁ancest or ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁Italian ▁viol ins , ▁which ▁began ▁to ▁become ▁popular ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁documentation ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁about ▁the ▁util ization ▁of ▁the ▁viol in ▁in ▁the ▁musical ▁activity ▁of ▁the ▁Island . ▁Ale jo ▁Car pent ier ▁mentions ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁“ La ▁M ús ica ▁en ▁Cuba ” ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁family ▁composed ▁by ▁mus icians ▁that ▁established ▁their ▁residence ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Santiago ▁de ▁Cuba , ▁about ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁family , ▁viol in ist ▁Leon ardo ▁González ▁A bre u ▁( 1 7 0 6 ), ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁Can ary ▁Islands , ▁Spain , ▁and ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁a ▁local ▁har p ist ▁named ▁Bernard a ▁Rodríguez ▁Ro jas , ▁along ▁which ▁he ▁raised ▁an ▁entire ▁family ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁music ▁activity ▁for