Study Guide
Popular Cuban Music
Prepared to complement
performance by
The Omar
Sosa Quartet
February 24 and
25, 2005
Latino Arts, Inc.
1028 S. Ninth Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
USA
Phone:
414-384-3100
Website:
www.latinoartsinc.org
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Cuban music was born at
the crossroads between old
Europe, Africa and the New
World. The multitude of
musical genres that make up
Cuban music are a part of
Cubans' daily lives.
The massive arrival of
African slaves who were
brought to harvest (zafra) in
the sugar plantations, in the
16th century would change
Cuban music forever. Cuban
music would be born from
the progressive encounter of
slave traditions brought from
Africa and those of the white
populations from Europe.
French and Italian tunes,
Spanish romances,
quadrillles, tangos,
flamencos would mix with
African and Amerindian
music.
Properly speaking, real
Cuban music did not appear
until the early part of the
20th century with the
contradanza cubana and its
derivative the danzón,
choreographed dances
whose roots are in French
ballroom dances. It's in this
environment that son
(pronounced "sonne")
music was born, the first
Cuban musical creation.
Today, popular Cuban
music and dance styles
include salsa, son,
rumba, mambo,
guanguanco, bolero,
timba, songo and chacha-cha. The instruments
used include the claves,
maraca, guiro, thumb
piano, and cowbell, as
well as various drums,
including bongos and
congas. Some Europeanstyle instruments may also
be used. In Cuban music
a special rhythm played
on the claves set the
tempo and maintains it.
Omar Sosa’s music combines AfroCuban forms with jazz, hip-hop,
classical, and world beat.
PAGE 2 OF 4
Styles of Cuban Music
CUBA IN BRIEF
Cuban music and dance come in
a broad range of styles, but most
of them are derived from the son.
Here’s a brief explanation of the
some of the terms that are used
in Cuban music.
SON: Developed back in 1700s in
eastern rural areas of Cuba, son
is a distinctly Afro-Cuban musical
style because it uses an African
rhythm, Spanish poetic style in
the lyrics, and the use of plucked
instruments (including guitars).
National Flag
Capital: Havana
Total Area: 42,803.29 sq
mi. (slightly smaller than
Pennsylvania)
Population: 11,141,997
(July 2000 est.)
Language: Spanish
Industries: sugar,
petroleum, food, tobacco,
textiles, chemicals, paper
and wood products, metals
(particularly nickel),
cement, fertilizers,
consumer goods,
agricultural machinery
Agriculture: sugarcane,
tobacco, citrus, coffee,
rice, potatoes, beans,
livestock
SALSA: Salsa music is
considered to be a group of Latin
rhythmic styles that contain the
clave beat.
RUMBA: The rumba music and
dance style is also derived from
African music and is played on
conga drums, claves, and guiro.
MAMBO: Appearing in the 1930s
and 1940s, Mambo also uses
African rhythms and is very
popular internationally.
GUANGUANCO: Formed at the
beginning of the 20th century, this
style directly sings/dances sexual
possession. It is always danced
as male-female pair in a circle.
BOLERO: The Bolero appeared
in the Oriente region in 1810s and
has been considered as the most
typical romantic music of Latin
America. Rooted in Spanish
three-counted dance, originally
bolore was sung by trovadores
(minstrels) accompanied with
guitar. Cuban innovations toward
the end of the 19th Century
included adding black musical
elements such as syncopation,
and changing its beat to 2 times.
CHA-CHA-CHA: This is a slower
version of the mambo and
appeared in the early 1950s.
DANZON: The most popular
national dance of Cuba, Danzon
originated from British and French
ballroom dance. Appearing in the
end of the 19th century, the
Danzon is a clear example of
black and white musical mixture
that defines the history of Cuban
music.
MUSICA GUAJIRA OR MUSICA
CAMPESINA (peasant music):
Played in rural areas of western
and central Cuba, this is the
Cuban version of “country music”.
Lyrics of these songs center on
life in the country, love, and some
humorous topics, especially when
dancing is involved. Guitar and
some strings instruments
accompany these songs that
share some characteristics with
North American Country music
and Blues songs. This rural style
is not derived from African styles,
but is influenced by the Spanish
style.
PAGE 3 OF 4
Instruments used in Cuban Music
BATA: A somewhat hourglass shaped Nigerian wooden drum that is
strapped around your legs and then played on your lap. It is frequently
used in Cuban music as well as many religious ceremonies.
BONGO: A pair of small connected drums of different sizes that are
tuned high in pitch and held between your legs to play.
CAMPANA: Also known as a cowbell, this term is used for the hand
bell played by the bongo player.
Bata Drums
CLAVE: A pair of wooden or plastic sticks used to play the clave
rhythm by striking them together. The clave rhythm is one of four twobar rhythms serving as the foundation to Afro-Cuban music today.
CONGA: Also called Tumbadoras, the barrel-shaped, single headed,
hollowed drums with cowhide or plastic heads are now made of wood
and fiberglass. The Conga is also a Cuban dance rhythm that is
traditionally danced during carnival times
Claves
CUICA DRUM: A friction drum with a dowel stick attached to the
center of the drum. The dowel is rubbed lightly with a damp cloth
creating the unique sound of the instrument creating a monkey or
barking type of sound effects as well as playing the rhythms of the
Samba.
GÜIRO: A plastic, fiberglass, or natural Calabash gourd with ridges
carved into the front. It is played by scraping a stick along its ridged
surface. The Udu Guiro produces a sound similar to a small African
udu which is a clay flask of various sizes
Guiro
MARACAS: Maracas are hand held and played in pairs by shaking
them vigorously to produce a sound. Original maracas were gourds
with loose olive seeds rattling inside while the maracas used today are
made of either plastic or wood and filled with plastic beads or bearings.
TIMBALES: A pair of tunable, brass metal drums on a stand that have
become a trademark for Cuban and Latin American bands..
TRES: A small Cuban guitar consisting of three double strings and
played with a pick. When played, it produces a metallic timbre and this
romantic sound is a signature of the Son and Changui style of Cuban
music
The Cuban Tres
Class Project
Make Your Own Maracas!
(Best for Grades K-8, Ages 4-14)
PAGE 4 OF 4
(REQUIRES ADULT SUPERVISION)
6. Take the halves apart (the petroleum jelly will
prevent the paper from sticking to the orange) and
leave them to dry thoroughly.
7. Next, in the center of one of the halves, cut a small
hole the same diameter as the dowel.
8. Glue or tape the 2 halves together.
9. Pour a handful of the peas, coffee beans or
popcorn kernels into the small hole that you cut
earlier.
10. Glue the dowel in the hole and tape it to make sure
it is secure.
11. Paint the maraca, let dry and shake ... then make
another for a pair.
Method Two Materials:
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Musical Instruments that you bang, scrape or
shape are called percussion instruments. Some
examples of percussion instruments are drums, rainsticks, xylophones and maracas.
Maracas were originally made from the dried shells
of gourds with beads or beans inside that rattled
around and made lots of shuck-a-shuck-a noises.
You can make maracas using simple materials from
around the home. What follows are two methods ...
the first requires a little more time, while the second
method is simple enough for the younger grades to
tackle in an afternoon art-making session.
Method One Materials
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1 large orange
3/4 inch dowel (7"-10" long)
Newspapers ripped into small pieces and strips
Tissue paper ripped into strips
Wallpaper paste & white glue & water
Containers for the wallpaper paste
Dried peas, coffee beans, popcorn kernels
Petroleum jelly
An x-acto blade (and adult supervision)
Paint, paintbrushes and water
Method One Directions:
1. Put a thin coat of petroleum jelly on the orange
2. Cover the orange with six or so layers of
newspaper dipped in the paper mache paste
(see directions at the end of the lesson)
3. For the final coat, put tissue paper dipped in
paste over the orange.
4. Let dry
5. Once dry, draw a line around the paper
covered orange and cut with an x-acto blade.
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2 plastic cups or yogurt containers --- the same
size --- clean and dry
1/2 cup of coffee beans or dried peas or macaroni,
rice or beads.
Glue (hot glue will work well but requires adult
supervision)
Masking tape.
Paint (acrylic is the best for this type of material but
you can also use poster paint or tempera with glue
added to it to make it stick to the plastic.)
Fabric (optional)
Method Two Directions:
1. Put the beans or peas into one of the cups or
containers
2. Hot glue the 2 containers together.
3. Wrap masking tape around the rims for support.
4. Paint the shaker with bright colors and glue on
fabric pieces too if you wish.
Paper Maché Paste
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First mix up a batch of paper maché mix. Do this by
mixing powdered wallpaper paste and water to the
consistency of thick cream. (Instructions can be
found on the wallpaper paste package).
You can also use a mixture of flour and water but
the wallpaper paste is inexpensive enough and it
seems to work a little nicer
Add a touch of glue to make the paste nice and
sticky.
Tear newspaper or newsprint into small
manageable pieces.
Cover whatever you are working on with about 4 or
5 layers of newspaper or newsprint pieces dipped
in the wallpaper paste.
Let dry between layers.