Nengon was the precursor to both Son and Changüi. It evolved into Son in Santiago de Cuba and Changüi (when it fused with Kiriba) in Guantanamo province.
Nengon was traditionally played with a Tingotalango or Tumbandera. Basically the Tingotalango is made from a tree which has a rope tied...
Guaguancó is the most important of the rumba styles. Consequently it is also the favorite among both musicians and dancers. It is an improvisational style both in the dance and the music (on the quinto or high drum), but there is a basic underlying pattern that exists for them both. It is played at...
By Jon Griffin
The term Afrocuban-Music includes music of ritual, festive-religious as well as secular events. These are directly tied to the musical cultures of Africa. These African musical traditions were all included in one form or another when Cuban music was in its development. Four major...
Por Olavo Alén Rodríguez y Jon Griffin© 2007 Jon Griffin
Instrumento musical de origen cubano que se clasifica como idiófono de percusión directa. Se compone por dos palos independientes de madera, de forma cilíndrica. Para su ejecución se percute con uno de ellos sobre el otro.
La fuente de...
Por Olavo Alén Rodríguez © 2009 Jon Griffin
Este instrumento musical cubano nace en el contexto del complejo de géneros musicales pertenecientes al son, en las zonas montañosas del extremo oriental de Cuba. Consiste de dos tambores de pequeños y diferentes tamaños, unidos por una correa o una pieza...
By Olavo Alén Rodríguez © 2009 Jon Griffin
This Cuban musical instrument was born in the context of the complex musical styles that pertain to the Son, in the mountainous regions of the eastern extreme of the country. It consists of two small drums, of different sizes, held together by a strap or a...
Changüi was born in Guantanamo Province, Cuba (specifically the Baracoa area) from of the style called Nengon. There are some conflicting answers you will receive when you ask the question, "What is Changüi"? The answer from an ethnomusicology point if view is simple, but like...
Por Olavo Alén Rodríguez © 2007 Jon Griffin
NG La Banda
In 1993, the Cuban musician José Luis Cortés travelled with his group NG La Banda through a tour of Japan. At that time this important musician tried to achieve a different sound from what was already established in the Salsa movement...
Por Olavo Alen Rodriguez y Jon Griffin
© 2008
Los tambores batá son los instrumentos sagrados de la Santería cubana. Son tres tambores con forma de reloj de arena, de diferentes tamaños y funciones musicales. Su principal función religiosa es la de establecer una vía de comunicación entre...
By Jon Griffin
The Marimbula belongs to sansa family of idiophones that originated from the Bantu cultures of sub-Saharan Africa. The sansa instruments create sound by plucking or striking the metal fingers. Sansas also include the Kalimba or African thumb piano. Unlike the Kalimba, the Marímbula...
Por Olavo Alén Rodríguez © 2007 Jon Griffin
NG La Banda
En 1993, el músico cubano José Luis Cortés realizó con su grupo NG La Banda una gira por Japón. Por esa época este importante músico trataba de lograr un sonido diferente al que se imponía en el movimiento salsero de entonces,...
By Jon Griffin
Casino Rueda (Rueda de Casino) is a group dance and features two or more couples who exchange partners based on someone calling the turns. Rueda means wheel in Spanish and Casino is the term in Cuba for what we call in the US, “Salsa”.
There are several core steps that are danced the...
Por Olavo Alén Rodríguez© 2007 Jon Griffin
Durante el siglo XIX aparecen en Cuba diferentes formas de presentarse la canción, todas ellas con marcados elementos que le otorgaban un sello nacional. Entre ellas se destacaron las canciones líricas cubanas, las habaneras, los boleros y en un lugar muy...
By Olavo Alén Rodríguez© 2007 Jon Griffin
During the 19th century different forms for presenting songs appeared in Cuba, all of which were marked with elements that offered national pride. Among them the Cuban lyrical songs were emphasized: habaneras, boleros and, in a very special place, the...
Santería
By Olavo Alén Rodríguez © 2008-2009 Jon Griffin
The Yoruba slaves, brought to Cuba during the latter end of the 18th century, recreated many forms of life, traditions and customs in this part of the New World just as they had been observed previously on the African continent. One of the...
By Jon Griffin
Here are some more examples of patterns and parts the Cuban tres would play.
Son & Son Montuno
Son and Son Montuno are basically the same thing. The main difference is that the Son does not have two distinct sections. Like most modern music, there are many exceptions and...
Por Jose Antonio Rodriguez © 1999 Jon Griffin
La nueva trova, fenomeno estetico nacido en la segunda mitad de la decada del 60 en la mayor de las islas del caribe, es la cantinuacion de movimientos trovadorezcos anteriores como la llamada Trova Tradicional y el Feeling. Para hablar de este ultimo...
By Jon Griffin and Olavo Alen Rodriguez
The claves are a musical instrument of Cuban origin and are classified as a member of percussion family. The instrument is comprised of two separate wooden sticks that are cylindrical in shape. To play the instrument simply strike one stick against the other...
Kiriba is a style of Son from a different area of Cuba. It mostly originated in the Baracoa area, which is also where the Changüi was created. In fact where the fusion of Kiriba and Nengon takes place is where Changüi is invented. And where Nengon evolved, it evolved into Son.
Like Neng...
By Jon Griffin
Punto Guajiro (also called Punto Cubano) is the country music from the Western and Central provinces of Cuba. This style began to become popular around the end of the 18th century, mainly as a social event. Remember that in the east there were changuis, in Havana and Matanzas there...
By Olavo Alen Rodriguez and Jon Griffin
The batá drums are the sacred instruments of Cuban Santería. They are made up of three hourglass-shaped drums of different sizes that perform specific musical functions. Their main religious function is that of establishing a medium between the...
By Jon Griffin
The Laud is a 12 string instrument originally from the Arabic ood, although it is much changed since than and bears little resemblance today.
Son is a generic term for the musical family of country music originating in Oriente de Cuba (Eastern Cuba), as well as a style within the family itself.
Traditionally, Son was played with an ensemble similar to a Changüi, but the Contra Bass replaced the Marimbula and the Guayo was replaced by the...
Santería
By Olavo Alén Rodríguez © 2008-2009 Jon Griffin
Los esclavos de origen étnico yoruba, traídos a Cuba sobre todo después de finales del siglo XVIII, recrearon en esta parte del Nuevo Mundo muchas de sus formas de vida, tradiciones y costumbres, tal y como se habían concebido anteriormente...
By Jon Griffin
The first thing to understand about the Cuban tres is that it is a rhythm instrument. Even though it looks like a guitar, the actual playing of it is rhythmic with melodic lines. Chords are seldom “strummed”, and in many styles the Cuban tres strengthens the melody line a 3rd...
