Rumba
I have always enjoyed music and dance and have been interested in its history. As a result of this class, I have a much greater appreciation for the sound, rhthym, dance, spirit and cultural significance of the Rumba. Now, when I think of Rumba, I hear the beat of the drums and my feet begin to move to the echo of the clave in my head.The musical tradition of Rumba dates back to Bantu tribes in Africa. Words like "Tumba," " Macumba," and "Tambo" are African words that have been used to describe dances similar dances to Rumba that imitated barnyard animal movements. Carried to Cuba in the 1800s by African slaves, the musical style of today's Rumba evolved out of the slums of Cuba after slavery was abolished in 1886. The word, "rumba" derives from the Spanish verb, rumbiar which means "to dance." In her book, Rumba, Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba, Yvonne Daniel tells us that Cuban musicologists who have studied music and dance agree that the precise meaning of rumba is difficult to determine....but points to those words of African origin that mean a collective party, un
The male dances in an attempt to approach and seduce the female. In the last or "choral section," all the other participants in the Rumba sing in a improvised call and response pattern with the lead vocalists. The quinto, or high drum, is in a constant interwoven tension with the performer, almost like a contest to see who can go faster and be more complex. To get around these regulations, the performers (called rumberos) used empty wooden crates, upside down drawers, and the side's of wardrobes as drums, and two spoons held together or frying pans to keep the beat. The Yambu also known as the Rumba de tiempo Espagna is the most simple and slowest dance. Guaguanco is made up of three sections that tell a story or describe an event. (17) Other scholars think that the Rumba has its roots in Spain. The character of the original instrumentation contributes to the flavor and charm of the current rumba style. Since Rumba originated from the barrios of Cuba, there were no elaborate congo drums or wooden claves. It is the least popular today and is performed by either older dancers who are comfortable with the more relaxed tempo or professional performers who are preserving the tradition. The Rumba starts with the beating of wooden sticks called claves. The females teases her partner and then turns away when he responds. The claves set the mood and the tempo and signal the style of Rumba for the dancers. The drums are conga drums called tumbadoras (low), segundos (middle) and the high drum called quinto.
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Yvonne Daniel,
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Acceptance Essays
