A Musical Analysis of the Cuban Rumba

Crook, Larry

doi:10.2307/780245

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…26 Note that we consider a change in accentuation (as in measure 68’s fourth beat) to be a rhythmic variant; the reason is that shifts in dynamics often co-occur with small shifts in timing, even if the notated rhythm appears unchanged. These substitutions illustrate what Crook (1982, p. 101) calls the “dialectic between fixed structure and freedom [that] lies at the core of the [quinto’s] improvisational process”.…”

Section: Individual Patternsmentioning

confidence: 77%

Quantitative analysis of temporal structure in Cuban guaguancó drumming

2018

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We examine the temporal properties of cyclical drumming patterns in an expert performance of Afro-Cuban rumba recorded in Santiago de Cuba. Quantitative analysis of over 9,000 percussion onsets collected from custom sensors placed on various instruments reveals different types and degrees of rhythmic variation across repetitions of each of five characteristic guaguancó patterns (clave, cascara, quinto, segundo, and tumba). We assess each instrument’s variability using principal component analysis and multidimensional scaling, complementing our quantitative exploration with insights from music theory. Through these methods, we uncover details of timing that are insufficiently conveyed with standard music notation in order to shed light on the role of improvised variation in solo and accompaniment ensemble roles.

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Section: Individual Patternsmentioning

confidence: 77%

Quantitative analysis of temporal structure in Cuban guaguancó drumming

2018

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“…However, a thorough musical analysis of the style has yet to be undertaken. (Averill 1999, Crook 1982, Friedman 1978. Of course, most contemporary rumberosparticularly younger generations-no longer rely solely on the rhythmic vocabulary of past generations.…”

Section: Distinguishing the Meanings Of Guarapachangueomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, a juxtaposition exists between the contemporary style of rumba and so-called traditional rumba, that is, the older, standardized formulas of past generations. In the case of traditional guaguancó, the rhythmic formulas of the tres-dos and tumbador are comparatively fixed; drummers play embellishments but generally return quickly to the basic formula (Example 2) (Crook 1982, Friedman 1978). 18 These rhythmic formulas were standardized in the mid-late 20 th century in part due to the reach and influence of commercial recordings.…”

Section: Theoretical Framingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Deciphering Guarapachangueo: Formulas and Formulaic Variation in Contemporary Rumba Percussion

Frías

2023

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This article serves to further the conceptual and musical analysis of guarapachangueo, a key influence in the contemporary style of the percussion in Havana-style rumba. I follow Turino’s (2009) lead in distinguishing between improvisation and formulaic performance in analyzing the rhythmic vocabulary of guarapachangueo as a set of related formulas and variations. In doing so, I expand upon and refine some of the characteristics of guarapachangeuo described by Bodenheimer (2015), particularly the common and yet nebulous idea that the style entails increased improvisation in the lower register of the percussion. As an active performer of the style who specializes in the lower register percussion, I will draw upon my experiences and those of fellow rumberos, as well as commercial recordings and online videos of rumba in highlighting the structural formulas used in rumba’s contemporary rhythmic vocabulary. I argue that rather than increased improvisation, guarapachangueo comprises an aesthetic approach to playing rumba in which unique formulas are employed, representing a break with the standardized formulas of traditional rumba from the second half of the 20th century. These formulas produce a heightened sense of tension and release in which increased space and the interactive exchange of percussive phrases are central. Internalized by drummers, these formulas and variations become part of the performer’s musical habitus and are drawn upon—often unconsciously—by the musicians in the form of musical decisions that “say something” in the flow of a rumba performance.

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“…Discussions of most of the individual genres concerned may be found in several Cuban publications (e.g., Carpentier 1946, Leon 1972, and Urfe 1982) and a few English-language ones (e.g., Borbolla 1980, Singer and Friedman 1977, Roberts 1972, Crook 1982. While the reader is urged to consult these sources for more detailed information, the relevant genres are briefly outlined here:…”

Section: Cuban Dance Musicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marxism, nationalism and popular music in revolutionary Cuba

Manuel¹

1987

Pop. Mus.

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Among the ever-growing body of publications on popular music, all but a small minority have tended to deal exclusively with the capitalist world. The relative neglect of the workings of popular music in socialist countries has led to an unfortunate lacuna in descriptive studies and, perhaps more importantly, a potential bias in theoretical studies. Popular cultures in socialist states may share many features with their counterparts in the capitalist world, but they are also likely to differ in several important aspects, including, for example, the role of the market, of the bureaucracy, of state cultural policy, the limits on commercialism and the entire ideological climate fostered by socialism. Consequently, many of the theoretical generalisations about popular music, based on studies of the capitalist world, must be revised or qualified when socialist countries are considered.

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A Musical Analysis of the Cuban Rumba

Cited by 9 publications

References 1 publication

Quantitative analysis of temporal structure in Cuban guaguancó drumming

Quantitative analysis of temporal structure in Cuban guaguancó drumming

Deciphering Guarapachangueo: Formulas and Formulaic Variation in Contemporary Rumba Percussion

Marxism, nationalism and popular music in revolutionary Cuba

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