Cuba- MSC 104

-Afro-Cuban religion

-also called Regla de Ocha

-From the Yorubas, slaves in Nigeria, and the Lokumi of Cuba

-syncretism between Catholicism and African religions

-some texts still in West African languages

-worship of Orishas

-three hourglass shaped drums called batá drums

-associated with specific colors, myths, herbs, dances, and songs

-each has their own characteristic set of rhythms

-physical and emotional strength of the rituals is present

-ex. Changó: fire, war, lightning, thunder, colors are red and white

-ex. Yemaya: mother who rules the sea, colors are blue and white

-distinct Cuban creation

-originated in urban Havana and Matanzas during the late 19th century

-dancer(s) accompanied by congas, sticks, singer and chorus

-canto and montuno sections

-Guaguancó is the most famous

-Yambú is slower and sometimes played with wooden boxes

-Columbia is an acrobatic solo form

-a rhythmic pattern used for temporal organization (a reference) in Afro-Cuban music

-five stroke pattern, divided as 3-2 or 2-3

-present in a variety of Cuban genres (rumba, congo, salsa, etc.)

-Rumba clave is 2-3, Son clave is 3-2

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-a ten line form used by Don Vicente Spinel

-has a rhyme scheme and eight syllables per line

-ABBAA CDDC

-characterized by use of decimas, tonada, hemiola and plucked chordophones, possibly idiophones

-originated from low income family immigration and rural farmer displacement

-creolization of danceable music from Spain

-poetry is important in its origins

a repeating musical period (harmonic progression)

alternation of duple- and triple- accent groups of equal length, and their juxtaposition

getting the last line of the decima from an audience member

-formerly a dance of the peasants

-courtship dance, male (pigeon) imitates the courtship of the dove (female)

-he offers his hat to the woman, who places it on his or her head

-male dance is acrobatic: maybe on his knees or jumping on a table

-songs of the country people that speak of the happy life of rural people

-a romanticized version of real life as seen by urban songwriters

-”Guantanamera” by Joseito Fernandez is most famous example

-accompanied by an ensemble of strings like guitar or lute

-simple chordal progression of I-IV-V

-taken from English and French dances

-became a couples dance

-one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and

-becomes the “Habanera” in Europe

-returning “A” section (ABACA etc…)

-stylized, “walking” couples dance

-sophisticated instrumentation: horns, possibly piano, bass, guiro, timbales

-one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and (cinquillo)

one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and (in Danzon)

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-originated in the early 19th century in eastern rural communities populated by slaves

-combines the structure and elements of Spanish songs with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu origin

-a predecessor or son montuno

-marímbula, bongos, tres, güiro, and singer(s)

-clave rhythm is not specifically present, but may be implied

-almost the perfect balance of African and Spanish elements

-originated in eastern part by black and mulatto musicians during the struggle to abolish slavery

-at first, Spanish elements were predominant

-arrived in Havana around WWI, possibly brought by forces liberating the island from slavery

-acquires rumba elements: clave rhythm, montuno section

-claves, bongos, maracas, tres, plucked bass

-highly syncopated rhythm following the clave

-two part formal structure (largo and montuno)

-anticipated bass

-decimas (octosyllabic lines) about love and romance

very slow tempo, song portion

final verse, faster, call and response

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bass omits the down beat (syncopation), popular feature of Afro Cuban music

-singing and playing the guitar

-identified with the Cuban Revolution

-started with a concert given by Pablo Milanés, Silvio Rodríguez and Noel Nicola on February 18, 1968

-Pablo Milanés and Silvio Rodríguez are the most notable artists

-1906-1940

-composer of creolized Cuban themes

-played violin in the Orquesta Sinfonia de La Habana in his youth

-studied law and music

-fascinated with Afro-Cuban folklore

-founded the Caibarien Concert society in 1932

-murdered at 34 by a young gambler he was about to sentence to prison

-works: Tres Danzas Cubanas, Bembe, Obertura Cubana

-1900-1939

-composer and violinist

-came from a musical family

-studied at Madrid Conservatory

-concertmaster of multiple orchestras

-founded the Havana String Quartet

-the Pan-American Association of Composers featured his music at the inaugural 1929 performance in NY

-works: Overture on Cuban themes, La Rebambaramba, Rítmicas, Motivos de Son

-1893-1950

-cuban pianist and leading composer of the day

-composed music for stage shows and films along with some famous Cuban dance music

-founded a jazz band a night club

-works: Tabaco verde, Las perlas de tu boca