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In 1526, a Royal Decree allowed slaves to buy their freedom, resulting in increased interaction and ethnic mixing among Cubans and Africans. All aspects of both cultures began to blend, especially among working class Cubans and Africans. Music became a common bond between the two groups Dance is just as important and music in Afro-Cuban Culture. The music is made to be danced to, and most of the popular Cuban dances that exist today are of African decent. The most popular are the rumba, danzon, and son. Especially among the working class poor, dancing and music was simply a way to blow off steam and have a good time. The rumba is a dance and music genre that originated in Cuba in the mid 1800s. It has often been compared with North American blues, as it was a vehicle of protest and expression among the working class poor of places of Cuban and African decent. The rumba is a combination of percussion and vocal ensemble, and was often a community event where many were encouraged to participate. There are three kinds of rumba, all having a similar rhythm but varying tempos. The Yambu, a couples dance, has a moderate tempo and is danced side-by- side. It is commonly enjoyed by older people due to its slower tempo. A more modern version is the Guaguanco, also a couples dance, with a faster tempo. It contains a gesture called the vacunao (literally vaccination), in which the male dancer moves is pelvis towards the female. Couples dance very provocatively but often do not even touch. Last is the Columbia, danced a single male. It is the most difficult 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 influence in the son. Popular themes in son lyrics are love and romance. Son songs are often written by men about women and their faithlessness, beauty, passion, and ungratefulness. They are often very sexual but also chauvinistic. Cuban men are often labeled of being chauvinists. Last is the danzon, with more Spanish origin that African. It consists of an orquesta made up of cornets, saxophones, clarinets and percussion. The horns make the danzon easily distinguishable from the rumba and son. In the middle of the danzon there is a percussion break, in which everyone begins to dance. It is a more respectable, less provocative dance with a much slower tempo. It was danced by the more upper class Cubans as opposed to the son and rumba, which were working-class dances. These three music groups and dances were key in blending the African and Cuban cultures. Many aspects of both cultures have mixed to make not just Afro-Cuban culture, but Cuban Culture. As many Cubans are light skinned, it is easy to forget how slave trade helped to mix the two together. Bibliography: Word Count: 869
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