3 3 ct 8 Brief Overview of Cuban Music By Curtis Lanoue In order to appreciate the rhythms addressed in my upcoming book, it is important to have a basic understanding of their musical, social, and ethnic history, Cuban music is a mixture of three dit tarcnt culiscoos-sunepean;7— ‘African, and Native American. The music of the indigenovs peoples of Cuba has all but disappeared, although some of their instruments have been incorporated into Cuban music. By far, the two largest contributors to Cuban music are Eur and Africa. Cuben music can be broken down into two large groups of rhythms: popular (i.e. secular) and folkloric. Inside of these two groups, there are many more subgroups. The following explains how these rhythms are related and have evolved The Cuban con ic probably the most equal blend of the European and African cultures. Born in the Sierra Maestra mountains of eastern Cuba in the late 19¢h century, the early son used the Spanish guitar, Cuban tres (similar to a guitar), and the African influenced bongo. Around 1915, the son made its way to Havana with soldiers from Oriente province and it has Since been the most important rhythmic basis for Cuban popular. The son became popular in New York city in the 1940is and has been played by Puerto Rican musicians such as Tito nte and Ray Barreto for years. @) “tee form of the son combines the iclosedi forms of european music with the “vpeni form of African music. In other words, the first part of a son was, for instance, a 32 bar verse. This verse was then followed by the imontunoi section | which consisted of an improvised call and response form between the lead vocalist and backing chorus. This section would go on until the singer had no nore to say. This was the African influenced improvised, or lopen,i section. The sonis most basic instrumentation is the trio mentioned ahove. as the son made its way west to Havana, a bass instrument was added along with two singers who played small percussion instruments like the quiro or maracas. Thi: established the sextet style of son. In the 1920is, @ trumpet was added to thi sextet to form a septet. This style of son, based on a sextet or septet, is t classic sound of groups such as the Septeto Nacional de Ignacio Pideiro and the Septeto Habaner In the 1930is, musicians such as Arsenio Rodriguez began experimenting with the addition of one, then two, then three trumpets. This lead to the conjunto sound, which vsed three to four trumpets. With this trumpet section, arrangers began writing interludes and riffs for the brass section. ‘This became an important characteristic of the style that can be heard today in the mambos and nodas of contemporary salsa. Arsenio is also recognized as the first bandleader to add the conga to the perevseion section of son as well as being the pioneer of the son montuno. ‘he Son montuno was merely a change in the form of the son. Instead of having the ed verse followed by the open improvisation, Arsenio merely began with the pePewee Feated in the late 1950is by PErez Prado and was popula 1 only occasionally in some arrangements The afro is an interesting rhythm which was popular in the 1950is for either singing religious chents or lullabies. The rhythm is taken from « hat toque for the deity Og'n. Afro could very well be classified under religion rhythms. The remaining rhythms are all folkloric and can be divided into religious and secular subaroups. The rhythms containing—the—highest-ArricanTBtentroisce those associated with Afro-Cuban religion. Of these, the Lucu! religion of cob (a.k.a. La Regla de Ocha or Santeria) is the most well known. Lucum! has it basis in the tradition religion of the Yoruba people of presunt day Niscria, Rhythms used in Lucum} ceremonies can be divided into four types based on the instruments used. The most common music is performed on the set of tnves bar drums and is considered one of the most complicated stylee of drumming in the world. The largest bat drum, the iy-, is the leader and has iconversationas with the middle drum, the itdtele, wnile the smallest drum, o: okiinkelo, pi: an ostinato pattern. This tradition hes been kept almost intact in Cubs BembE is another drumming style which is considered slightly less sanctified. Although the deities are still invoked, it is not as sacred of a ceremony and regular conga drums are often used. The toque de guire is a ceremony using shEqueres, conga druns, and a hoe blade known ao a cuataca. The shEqueres play rhythms with the importance being assigned from the largest shEquere to the smallest, much like the bat- druns. The congas play ositaato : end are free to play variations. The guataca plays a clave type siys ed by Roberto Fe clarity. Abaku- is a secret male society established mainly in Havana and the Dahomey region of Africa. Of all the folkloric rhythms, the rumba genre is Probably the most wellvd CHANQuITO sears ose et sd —o—£_¢ © at == caer . i 7. aTRANSITION EXERCISE THIS EXERCISE 16 INTENDED TH HEP YoU. GO BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROOVES AS jf 4) WERE ACTUALLY PAYG A LATIN NWELIENCED TUNE WHAT. pdt RHOPINS 100 ARE TOPICAL 10eas BS WHAT YOO UKE WITH nem, HICH IWCLIOES NOT USING THEM! A FW 1S imfoR TART 1A) ALL oF Oe PLAYIOG. T HOPE THIS Wie HELP -Yoo. ® ™mS FIRST QE, JS OFTEN U5E0 AS fe nreo ELEN BH ne Timeaccen, CARRE ARE AO ALSO A WAY OF Gone FROM mAmBo BELL TO CASCARA- Ts A VERT “TASTY Lick, MOT TH BE OVER- PLAYED. THERE ARE TWO common PiCk- ——— Tato -tick Oo (Pick oPTH'S WEXT FILL 18 Commonty usb0 TD G0 FROM cASCARA (VERSE) TO mAMBE BEL (Le cHoevs) 84 THE TimBaLEeO. 1T 1S CAWLED "ABANILO"- wHtICH MEANS “PAO” 1 ENGLISH: THERE ARE many WANS OF PLAYING ABADICO. T PRESEN BUG TAO COMImon WAYS , IW FORWARD(3 2) AO REVERSE (2.3) CLAVE. NOTICE How THE ABANICO FITS WITH THE CLAVE THE Roll USED ON BEAT “4” 15 OE- PENDENT on THE TEMPO of THE TUNE A VER TH? ICAL WAT OF ExEcOTING THE Rote 15 BY “DRAGGING” DHE EBT STICK AND ANISHING woITA THE ACCENT on) BEAT S|” with TRE RIGHT THES ImmedIATEL] TO THE BEL Parreen. NONNCE Had THE BELL PATTERN STARTS IW 3-2 cave. ( ABANICO i i fine (aren hp i By SS a - kx ¥ ox * x a2 Pe tintinen)™ if my ied mers = > 5 = : = ———SQSSEeEEEE_ ERwer Hére's 4 SimPte “APRUICATIOA) of ABADICO ———S— AT — THIS 15 THE EXERCKE Tm HELP YOS DEVELOP A Fiowd BeTWwEED) pq BY Now Yod AY KNOW SEVERAL VANS. OF PLAGE CASCARA Cie. TPAC 4 Oe A CASCARA- LORD CED PATTERN C GRONE IDEAS) AIO ALSO of PLATING BELL PATTERNS , USE WHAT 4oU UKE |THE ONLY RESTRICTION BEE THAT IT FEELS Goad. IMAGIDE A Room Fule OF HOT DADCERS. codLD THEN Genove wit YOUR POCKETTARE “as MAKS THe pace? a SEP AGL Li ng tWironu 36 INTRO rut | Timbales HIDRUM. ° TOK LO DRUM = SNA RL ABANICO. Laweco] 4 ia Timbales 2x x p Set ‘CRASH CYMBAL Swart INTRO FILL (Play time) Mambo Bell 3.0. Aa) =f 2 = ~~ izf PACRACK. INC. SAN DIEGO. CAll Changuito Melodic Independe nce Exercise In order to ich one being three measures lon Bape terns, is: As you can see, each three measure phrase begins with a pattern. Also, keeping the “solo” hand on one surface gives you 1 better opportunity to learn the intricacies of the exercise ae 2 v7) J Jj: ps» e SSS == == =ee paz TiMBAL WOEPEUDENcE a PAC RACK INC SAN DIEGO. ca= = = I i = _ ro ro SE a a Ares [FS 5 tALMETA Pe QUENA GORDON GOODWIN (ASCAP? > p