Knowra Music of Cuba Music of Cuba Music of Cuba comprises musical traditions and styles developed on the island, shaped especially by African and Spanish influences and expressed in genres including son, rumba, and danzón.
Clave (rhythm) : A repeating rhythmic pattern that organizes many Afro-Cuban musical performances. Its timeline patterns anchor ensembles across several Cuban genres.
Tumbao : A recurring bass or percussion pattern that creates a characteristic groove in Afro-Cuban music. Its repeating bass patterns propel Cuban dance ensembles.
Danzón : A Cuban couple dance and musical genre that developed in the nineteenth century. It became Cuba’s national dance and influenced later styles.
Afro-Cuban culture : The cultures and practices formed in Cuba through the experiences of people of African descent. African diasporic traditions are foundational to many Cuban musical forms.
Tres (instrument) : A Cuban plucked string instrument with three pairs of strings, commonly used in son. Its interlocking melodic figures help define traditional son ensembles.
Montuno : A repeated musical passage, often featuring call-and-response, used in Cuban and other Latin music. Its cycles of chorus and improvisation build energy in son and salsa performances.
Rumba : An Afro-Cuban secular music and dance tradition centered on singing, percussion, and movement. Its community-based forms preserve powerful African-derived performance practices.
Spanish colonization of Cuba : The period of Spanish rule over Cuba, beginning in the sixteenth century and ending in 1898. Colonial society brought Spanish languages, instruments, and song traditions to the island.
Afro-Cuban percussion : Percussion practices in Cuba shaped by African musical traditions and local performance contexts. Drums and layered rhythms carry African-derived structures throughout Cuban music.
Call and response : A musical exchange in which one voice or group answers another. This structure links soloists, choruses, and percussion in Cuban performance.
Show all 20