Cuban Music Culture
There are various different categories that Cuban music can be placed into, and each of them has its own roots and cultural significance.
•Son: This is the music that has been heavily influenced by African beats (and it is also the national folk music of Cuba), and it sounds very similar to Salsa music. The rhythm and the percussion sounds African, whereas the instrument that is plucked is similar to a Spanish guitar. The different types of Son music are Son-Montuno, Afro-Son and Guajira-Son.
•Rumba: The Rumba is a drumbeat based dance specific music that is synonymous with the African culture. This led to the rise of Bolero music in Cuba, which is simply a slower and romantic version of the Rumba.
•Danzón: A clear European influence can be seen in this style of music which incorporates the use of dancing, and eventually led to the birth of the Cha-Cha-Cha. Danzón first appeared in the 19th century, and it also led to Zapateo music which is heard in the Eastern part of Cuba.
•VariationsThe other types of Cuban music that are prevalent are Mozambique (a carnival kind of music), Yoruba (more focused on religious practices), Cuban jazz (Cuban rhythm along with American jazz), Conga (similar to Mozambique), Timba (new age fusion of hip-hop, rap and Salsa) and Changüí (which was an earlier version of Son).
Facts About Cuban Music and Dance
The study of Cuban music is something that will take years to complete, but here are some interesting facts about Cuba and some information about Cuban music that any interested party should know.
•The countries that have influenced Cuban music are Spain, France, America, China and Puerto Rico.
•The African impact on Cuban music has been felt because of the presence of several African slaves who passed through Cuba in the past. The ancestry of many current residents can also be traced back to those times.
•Cabildos are social gatherings that are organized primarily by the African population where different music groups are invited to come and play their music.
•The most famous Cuban singer was Beny Moré and other important music artists include the likes of Celia Cruz, Chucho Valdez, Tito Puente and Gloria Estephán. Read the rest of this entry »