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Cuban music finds its roots in Europe and Africa. The two most influential strains of Cuban Popular Music can be roughly categorised into two groups: Son and Danzón. Cuban Salsa was the first and original form of Salsa dancing.
Habanaloko organises 'My Salsa Secrets' workshops in all of the following dance styles to allow you to have a deeper understanding of a specific area of Cuban or Latin dance. To find out when the next workshops take place visit the Shop. |
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| Cuban Son |
The Son Cubano is arguably the most influential musical style to come out of Cuba. It originated in Eastern Cuba, and laid the foundations of the international genre called Salsa. It is a music that incorporates Spanish and African influences. This can be seen in its instrumentation, rhyme scheme, and its call and response form. Early Son was a vocal music accompanied by tres, guitar and maracas. This was followed by a sextet instrumentation using tres, vocals, guitar, bass or marimbula, bongó, maracas, clave - providing the heartbeat of this syncopated music. By the 1920's this instrumentation was augmented with the addition of a trumpet thus creating the standard septeto style. The Son Montuno further incorporated a 3 trumpet horn section, a piano, and a conga drum, or tumbadora, as it is called in Cuba.
Cuban Son |
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| Cha Cha Cha |
The Cha Cha Cha was originally created by Enrique Jorrin who was one of the greatest Cuban musicians. The cha cha cha was created in a small restaurant in Old Havana called La Mina, which today, remains as one of the most popular restaurants in the city with live bands playing every night.
Cha cha Cha |
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| Reggaeton |
Reggaeton is a modification of Raggamuffin that, in turn, developed from Reggae and Hip Hop. Reggaeton distinguishes itself through its provocative and full of protest Spanish lyrics and exhibits the impact of further Latino styles, like Bomba and Salsa. Reggaeton is a relatively new music style that became increasingly popular in the 90's.
Habanaloko has got Reggaeton as part of the 'My Salsa Secrets' workshop programme as Reggaeton will help you in getting the timing of any Latin music right. It is also a fantastic way to work on your body movement and position which will greatly benefit you when dancing Salsa. The workshops are a full of energy and a lot of fun! |
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| Youth as the Target Audience of Reggaeton |
| Just like North American Hip Hop, Reggaeton is also directed primarily at young people. Young people of Puerto Rico were inspired to this sound by Panamanian Rap to which they also added the rhythms of Bomba and Salsa. So, Reggaeton is closely related to the urban youth movement Underground. In Spanish, you can identify not only Reggaeton, but also a dance style closely related to it and known as Perreo. Perreo comes from a Spanish word 'dog' and refers to the lewd way of dancing resembling sexual positions. |
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| Expansion of Reggaeton |
Reggaeton gained recognition and popularity first in Panama and then mostly in Puerto Rico. This musical direction expanded very rapidly, though, into other Latin American countries, such as Dominican Republic, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua and Cuba. In recent years this music style emerged in the USA, mostly in the cities with large Latino population, like New York or Miami.
Nowadays, Reggaeton is well known in most of the Spanish speaking countries and is now capturing Europe. Spanish music industry puts in special efforts into intensive Reggaeton promotion, although Reggaeton is characterised by flamenco elements there. |
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| The Most Popular Singers |
* Tego Calderón
* Don Omar
* Daddy Yankee
* Gente de Zona (Cuba)
* Habana Retro (Cuba)
* El Micha
* El Chacal (Cuba)
* Los Salvajes |
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| The constantly growing popularity of Reggaeton assures the development of many more artists, discos and dance schools that will make it possible to participate in and enjoy this avant-garde, contrarian urban musical direction. |
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| Rumba |
In Cuban music Rumba is a generic term covering a variety of musical rhythms and associated dances. The Rumba has its influences in the music brought to Cuba by Spanish colonisers as well as Africans brought to Cuba as slaves.
Rumba developed in the Cuban provinces of Havana and Matanzas in the late 19th century. As an energetic Afro-Cuban dance Rumba was often suppressed and restricted because it was viewed as dangerous and lewd. Afro-Cuban Rumba is entirely different than Ballroom Rumba, or the African style of pop music called Rumba.
Rumba developed in rural Cuba, and is still danced in Havana, Mantanzas and other Cuban cities as well as rural areas, especially those with a significant or predominant African community, although now it is infused with influences from Jazz and Hip hop.
A Cuban Rumba song often begins with the soloist singing meaningless syllables, which is called 'diana(s)'. He then may proceed to improvise lyrics stating the reason for holding the present Rumba ('decimar'; span.: to make ten-line stanzas), or instead tunes into a more or less fixed song such as: "Ave Maria Morena" (Yambú, Anónimo), "Llora Como Lloré" (Guaguancó, S. Ramirez), "Cuba Linda, Cuba Hermosa" (Guaguancó, R.Deza), "China de Oro (Laye Laye)" (Columbia), "Malanga (Murió)" (Columbia)". Cuban Rumba can be broken down into three types: Yambú (the oldest and slowest style), Columbia, and Guaguancó |
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| Rumba Yambú |
| Yambú is the oldest and slowest known style of Rumba, sometimes called the Old People's Rumba. It uses the slowest beat of the three Rumba styles and incorporates movements feigning frailty. It can be danced alone (especially by women) or by men and women together. Although male dancers may flirt with female dancers during the dance, they do not use the vacunao of Rumba Guaguancó. |
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| Rumba Guaguancó |
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| Rumba Guaguancó is faster than yambú, with more complex rhythms, and involves overtly flirtatious movements between a man and a woman in the roles of 'Rooster' and 'Hen'. The woman both entices and 'protects herself' from the man, who tries to catch the woman off-guard with a vacunao -- tagging her with the flip of a handkerchief or by throwing his arm, leg or pelvis in her direction in an act of symbolic sexual contact. To defend herself, she may cover with her hand, or use her skirt to protect her pelvis and whip the sexual energy away from her body. Guaguancó most likely inherited the idea of the 'vacunao' from yuca or macuta dances, which were both brought to Cuba by Bantú ethnic groups. |
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| Musical Form of Rumba Guaguancó |
The Rumba Guaguancó consists of two main sections. The first, the canto, features the lead vocalist, who performs an extended text that is sometimes partially improvised. Underneath the vocal three interlocking rhythmic parts are played: one or two drummers playing on differently tuned congas perform an ostinato (recurring pattern), while another musician taps a pattern on the side of one drum with two hard sticks, called palitos. Another, usually the lead singer, plays a standardized clave part.[1] This section usually lasts a few minutes, until the lead vocalist signals for the other singers to repeat a short refrain, in call and response. This signals the beginning of the second section, the montuno which features the dancers, as they engage in their 'rooster and hen' antics, and also the band, with extended instrumental solos.
Rumba Columbia (not Colombia) is a fast and energetic Rumba, with a 6/8 feel, which is often accompanied by a 6/8 (Spanish 'seis por ocho') beat struck on a hoe or a bell. It is assumed that the Columbia originated in hamlets in the interior of Cuba rather than the suburbs of the larger cities from where other types of Cuban Rumba stem.
Solo, traditionally male, dancers provoke the drummers, especially the player of the smallest drum (Quinto, here also soloist drum), to play complex rhythms that they imitate through their creative and sometimes acrobatic movements. Men may also compete with other men to display their agility, strength, confidence and even sense of humor.
All of these aforementioned aspects of Rumba Columbia are derived from a colonial Cuban martial art/dance called El Juego de Maní which is similar in origin and execution to Brazilian Capoeira. Columbia incorporates many movements derived from Congo dances as well as Spanish flamenco, and more recently dancers have incorporated breakdancing and hip hop moves. Women are also beginning to dance Columbia, too.
Cuban Rumba Columbia has its origins in the drum patterns and chants of religious Cuban Abakuá traditions. Fact is that the 'cáscara' or 'palito' rhythm of Columbia, either beaten with two sticks on a piece of bamboo or on the rim of the congas, is the same as the one played in Abakuá chants, which is played with two small plaited rattles ('erikundi') filled with beans or similar objects. The drum patterns of the lowest conga drum is essentially the same in both Columbia and Abakuá as well. Rumba guaguanco |
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| Rueda de Casino |
| Cuban Salsa is also known as 'Casino Salsa' and it is danced in a large circle of couples called 'Rueda' ('wheel' in Spanish). This is characterised by couples all dancing the same move together in the Rueda with a 'caller' telling everyone the next move. Guys face clockwise and ladies face anti-clockwise and the guys move on to the next partner as a part of the dance. Once you learn the moves this way it's then possible to dance them one-to-one. Most Habanaloko Salsa classes are following this form of Rueda to teach the new moves. Rueda de casino |
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| Development of Rueda de Casino |
In the 1960s Salsa Rueda (Rueda de Casino) was developed in Havana, Cuba by the young people of Casino Deportivo in the area of Cerro in Havana.
Several other musicians of that time started to experiment with one of Cuba traditional dances, Contradanza, which is danced in a group format and created a combination which the group would demonstrate in family parties in Havana.
Most famous of these family parties are 'La Quinceaneras' that mark the 15th birthday of a young Latinas and Latinos. Much like a mix between the Bat Mitzvah and a Sweet Sixteenth celebration this can be a very big event with families saving up long before the birthday in order to make this the most lavish celebration ever.
These celebrations are hugely popular in Cuba and they can involve live bands, limousines, flowers, catered food, and lots of gifts.
At the time of development Juan Formell (music leader of Los Van Van) who is one of the Cuba's most famous and greatest musician brought the Cuban music to another level after leaving Elio Reve y su Charangon and the rhythm played by his band was different to what people were used to hearing and it inspired the development of Rueda. |
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| Rueda de Casino Now |
The names of the moves are mostly in Spanish, some in English (or Spanglish; e.g. 'un fly'). Some names are known in slightly different versions, easily recognisable by Spanish speaking dancers but may be confusing to the rest.
Although the names of most calls are presently the same across the board, the different towns in Cuba use their own calls. This was due to the fact that when the pioneers of Rueda de Casino started, they wanted to keep others from participating in their Rueda. Nowadays many local variations of the calls can be found. They can change from town to town or even from teacher to teacher. |
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| Bachata |
Bachata is a popular guitar music from the Dominican Republic. Now overwhelmingly successful among Latinos in the United States Bachata took shape over a period of about forty years in the bars and brothels of Santo Domingo, not gaining acceptance in its native land until about ten years ago.
Young groups like Aventura have a similar relationship to original Bachata as Rock&Rollers do to the Blues which has languished in the shadow of its more commercially viable descendant.
In fact the parallel between Bachata and the Blues is marked. Although Bachata developed out of, and bachateros play, a variety of different rhythms, notably including Merengue, the music which is specifically called Bachata is a variant of the Bolero. The Bolero in Latin culture has traditionally been a romantic music, dealing with themes like deception and lost love. The bachatero, like the bluesman, sings about pain and trouble; one difference, though, is that while the bluesman hops on a southbound freight and keeps moving, the bachatero gets as far as the neighborhood bar and looks for solace in a bottle of rum in a dark corner!
The genre has passed through several phases since José Manuel Calderón recorded what is generally recognised as the first Bachata single (Borracho de amor and Que será de mi (Condena)) in 1961. Indeed, long before Calderón, guitar music was the music of choice in the places of ill repute which became home to Bachata.
The guitar and guitar music like Bolero and Son were also the staples of the campo, the countryside, and with the death of dictator Rafael Trujillo in 1961 a number of musicians left the campo to record in the capital. The dictator's family had virtually monopolized the music industry in the country, and when he was killed entrepreneurs began recording the first generation of bachateros. At this point the music was not yet referred to as Bachata, but rather as "Bolero Campesino". The word Bachata originally denoted an informal party where guitar music was generally played-only later did it come to signify the music itself, and then in a denigrating manner. |
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| Merengue |
Merengue is a type of music and dance from the Dominican Republic. It is popular in the Dominican Republic and all over Latin America. Its name is Spanish, taken from the Spanish name of the meringue, a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It is unclear as to why this name became the name of the music. Perhaps, it can trace its meaning from the movement on the dance floor that could remind one of an egg beater in action.
This style of music was created by Ñico Lora, a Dominican of Spanish descent, in the 1920s. In the Dominican Republic it was promoted by Rafael Trujillo, the dictator from the 1930s through the early 1960s, and became the country's national music and dance style, while in the United States it was popularised by Angel Viloria and his band Conjunto Típico Cibaeño. It was during the Trujillo era that the popular Merengue song, Compadre Pedro Juan, by Luis Alberti, became an international hit. Internationally known Merengue singers and groups include Miriam Cruz & Las Chicas Del Can, Joseito Mateo, the aforementioned Angel Viloria, El Ciego de Nagua, Juan Luis Guerra, Los Hermanos Rosario, Wilfrido Vargas, Sergio Vargas, Johnny Ventura, Bonny Cepeda, Kinito Mendez, Ravel, Jossie Esteban y la Patrulla 15, Pochy y su Cocoband, Fernando Villalona, Cuco Valoy, The Freddie Kenton Orquestra, Ramon Orlando, Sandy Reyes, Rasputin, Peter Cruz, Alex Bueno, Aramis Camilo, Jochy Hernandez, El Zafiro, Dioni Fernandez, The New York Band, Anibal Bravo, Los Toros Band, Conjunto Quisqueya, Olga Tañón, Gisselle, and Grupomanía.
Other artists popular in the Dominican Republic as of 2006 include Omega y su Mambo Violento, Julian, Cherito, El Jeffrey, Toño Rosario, Aguakate, and Amarfis. Milly Quezada is known as the Queen of Merengue. The popularity of Merengue is growing fast in Venezuela. Venezuelan merengueros include Roberto Antonio, Miguel Moly, Natusha, Los Melodicos. The merengue produced in New York has become very popular among the lovers of this rhythm |
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