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JaMariauna Washington
Spanish , Period 4
15 April 2014
Cumbia
The cumbia dance comes from the Colombias Caribbean coastal
region and Panama. It came from the Native colombian and Panamanian
slaves who were brought from africa and the Spanish during colonial times.
The Cumbia began as a courtship danced witin the African population. It was
later mixed with Amerinadian step and European and African instruments
with musical characteristics. (Wikipedia) Today the Cumbia is very popular in
the Andean region and the Southern Cone ( Southeast Brazil,Argentina, Chile,
Paraquay, and Uruguay), which is the southernmost areas of South America.
The Cumbia is more popular than the salsa in some places.
The Cumbias basic footwork and beat came from Guinean cumbe but
its also found in Yoruba music and other musical traditions through West
Africa. The Cumbia , at first, was only played with drums and cave by the
slaves who came into Spains ports. Colombian slaves were encouraged by
the sounds of New Worl instruements from Kogui and Kuna tribes, who lived
in between Sierra Nevada de Snata Marta and Montes de Maria, which were
mountains. Cumbia is often played in modern African celebrations
(wikipedia).
The History of the Cumbia goes as far back as 1890. It is mentioned in
many historical references, travel journals, and newspapers of Panama

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during the 19th century. The oldest, graspful material we have about the
Cumbia is a journal from the family of Don Ramon Vallarino Obarrio, when
slaves were dancing in his living room. The Cumbia story had been passed
from generation to generation until Dona Rita Vallarino Obarrio published it
in his Sketch of Panama Colonial Life in the 30th century.
Here is what he wrote :
In the evenings, Creole families would gather to recite poetry and
perform music typical of spain and other parts of Europe. Other nights, they
would bring their slaves to play their traditional drums and dances. Among
the favorite African dances was El Punto. It consisted of intrinsic and
abdominal movements and an African woman dancing alone. Another dance
was the Cumbia. For this one, the couples advanced to the center of the
room, both men and women, and gradually formed a circle of couples. The
dance step of the man was a kind of leap backwards as the woman slid
forward carrying a lighted candle in her hand holding a colored
handkerchief. (Wikipedia)
A large circular dance that was similar to the modern cumbia was expressed
by travelers sight seeing Panama during the 19th century. Theodore Johnson
described it as a dance with drums, singing, and a guitar whe he slept over
night at Gorgona in 1851.
the passage reads:

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The last night we tarried at gorgona, a grand fandango came off, and hearing
the merry beating of the drums we joined the crowd. In front of one of the
houses were seated two of the men, strumming a monotonous cadence on
drums made of the cocoa-tree, half of the size of a common pail, held
between their knees, and another with the small Spanish Guitar, which
furnishes the universal music on these occasions. The revellers form a
ring, in the midst of which as many as choose enter into the dance. This
consists generally of a lazy, slow shuffle, until excited by aguardiente, and
emboldened as nigth progresses, the women dance furiously up to their
favorites among the men, who are then obliged to follow suit, all joining in
a kind of nasal squeal o chant. There is nothing graceful in their mode of
dancing, but on the contrary heir motions are often indecent and disgusting.
(Wikipedia)
The rhythm structure is described as 2/4, in which comes from both
African and New World Native influences can be seen through the Cumbia. In
Colombia it is 2/4 and 2/2 and 2/2, In Panama it is 2/4 , 4/4, and 6/8, and in
Mexico it is 2/2.
So as you can see, the Cumbia is used in many different countries in
many different ways. Brianna and I picked the dance because it is interesting
and seemed like it would be a really fun technique to learn. We enjoyed the
dance and enjoyed each other as partners.

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Bibliography
Although most of it was paraphrase, I did quote the passage of the
Sketch of Panama Colonial life.
"Cumbia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Apr.
2014.