ifficult of all three rumbas, with a very fast tempo.The instruments used in the rumba each play a key part and are essential in constructing the unique sound of the rumba. The claves, a pair of wooden sticks struck against one another, begin the rumba. They help keep the rhythm and often accelerate the pulse and vary the patterns of the rumba. They also set the tempo and the mood of the rumba. The Conga drums, also essential, are barrel shaped and have varying pitches. The most important conga is the quinto, or lead drum. Its function is to improvise. The Cata is a bamboo or wooden tube played with sticks. It gets its name from the sound that it makes. The Madruga is an iron shaker that helps keep a steady basic pulse. The Cajones are wooden packing cases that are beat on like drums. They originated from when laws were passed banning the use of real drums due to the colonists fear of slave insurrections.The colonists believed that drums attracted crowds and provoked rebellion. Enslaved Africans substituted these boxes to satisfy their need to make music. Later generations retained that tradition. Most rumba songs, the singer comments on life, love, politics, brotherhood, and religious and nonsense situations. It is almost like a dialogue between the soloist and the chorus, and is very improvisational. In order to form a complete rumba, there must be twelve people participating. That includes three singers, three drummers, one claves, 1 madruga, one cata, two dancers, and one cajon. The son, also a popular music and dance genre, is the most predominant musical force in Cuban song and dance. It originates in the Orient province of Cuba, and is a mixture of African and Spanish influence. It is very similar to the rumba, as the claves and drums are key to making a steady rhythm. What makes it different is the Cuban tres, or guitar with a triple set of double string that make a very unique sound. The sound it makes indicates the Spanish ...
