Afro Latin Music

AFRICA
MUSIC OF
MUSIC OF
CUBA
MUSIC OF
CUBA
Cuba is in the continent of
South America. For 4 decades,
it has closed its doors to the
world under the leadership of
Fidel castro. Even if their
progess halted, the beauty in it
is that the country was able to
preserve most of its traditions,
making you travel back in time
when vintage is considered
modern.
Cuban music is very rich and is the
most commonly known expression of
Cuban culture. The central form of
this music is Son, which has been the
basis of many other musical styles
like mambo, cha-cha-chá, and salsa
music. Other traditional Cuban
instruments are of African origin like
the Bongos.
Bongo drums, also called
bongos, pair of small single-
headed Afro-Cuban drums.
Played with the hands and
fingers, the drums are yoked
together to help the performer
execute lively rhythmic
dialogues. They were created
about 1900 in Cuba for Latin
American dance bands.
Hoop - It holds and stretches the skin for
proper tuning.
Head - It is where you place the skin
(made of animal skin or synthetic fiber) to
produce sounds by striking it with your
fingers.
Tension rod - It pulls the hoop to tighten

the skin.
Lug - It adjusts
the tension rods
by turning the
nut and bolt.
Shell - Made of wood,

this is the body of the
Bongo drum.
Hembra - Large drum
Macho - Small drum

OPEN TECHNIQUE (O)
Fingers tap the head
EDGE TECHNIQUE (E)

MUTED EDGE TECHNIQUE (M)
Tip of the fingers tap
Tip of the fingers tap the rim of the head
the rim of the head
While the thumb of the other hand is
rested at the center of the same head
The most important rhythm of the bongo is the

"martillo" (hammer). It consists of eight distinct
strokes and like the "tumbao" is a one-bar
pattern which is repeated. The sound of
"Martillo" could be phonetically interpreted as
"dicky-docky-dicky-ducky". The Martillo is
effective for all rhythms from slow boleros to
fast rumbas. Its function is like the ryde cymbal
in jazz drumming or the tumbao of the congas.
Martillo and Tumbao can be played together SLAP / FINGER-THUMB TECHNIQUE (F) (T)
without disrupting the stability of the rhythm.
The head is being slapped by either finger or thumb.
AFRICA
MUSIC OF
Performing music and making African musical instruments is an integral part of most
communities and it varies not only from country to country but from village to village.
There are common features though and much like the other forms of African art, most
traditional African music is more than just aesthetic expression.
African music is a total art form closely linked to dance, gesture and dramatization. It
permeates African life and has a function, a role to play in society; songs are used for
religious ceremonies and rituals, to teach and give guidance, to tell stories, to mark the
stages of life and death and to provide political guidance or express discontent.
It also serves to entertain and is used in ceremonial festivals and masquerades to
work up fervor from the spectators and participants alike. Singing, dancing and
playing African musical instruments ensure a dynamic event transpires.
The impact of the music is tantamount; the beauty of it, like African sculpture, is
secondary to the primary function. Performances may be long and often involve the
participation of the audience and much of it is associated with a particular dance.
Singing is as basic a function as talking for most African people; mothers sing
to their babies on their backs as they walk, work and dance, building an
inherent sense of rhythm.
There are a great variety of sounds produced but generally singing is loud and
resonant but it can also be shrill and piercing or it can include ululating, clicks
and grunts. It can also be extremely melodious, using acapella and creating
deeply harmonious songs.
If anyone has heard the ground
hornbill calling to his mates in
the African bush in the early
mornings then you will know
the sound of Africa and it is
echoed in their fantastic
evocative notes.
If anyone has watched an
African woman hoeing in the
field with a baby strapped tight
to her back and the thud of her
hoe is harmonised with the
song she is singing while she
toils, then this too is the
resonance of Africa and is
intrinsically lodged in their
genetic memory.
The djembe is one of West Africa's best known instruments. This goblet-shaped drum is
traditionally carved from a single piece of African hardwood and topped with an animal skin as a
drumhead. In western understanding, the drum belongs to the membranophone class of
instruments in the percussion family.Traditionally, only those born into the djembe family would
be allowed (or interested) to play the djembe. Castes have last names that have survived to this
day and if your last name (your family name) is one of those families born into the djembe, it is
your instrument and possibly your job to play the drum for the village.
The djeli caste still exists today, and is responsible for the traditional music. The djeli sing and
perform during rituals, baptisms, weddings and sometimes funerals, and are trusted with the
music of their ancestors.
Africans say that the drum contains three
spirits. The belief is that the djembe drum
contains the spirit of the tree from which it
was made, the spirit of the animal whose skin
is played, and the spirit of the carver or the
one who cut the tree and the people who
assemble the drum. We would add that
possibly the most important is the spirit of the
ancestors. The oldest djembe known today
has the names of generations of djembe
masters from many countries and villages.
During a performance, the djembe may begin

the ritual, followed by the singer and the other
instruments. However, the music can also
begin in a different fashion. The djembe player
can change the beat of the drums in order to
change the song, and the singer and
instrumental players use the rhythm to
recognize what they should be playing and
adding to the whole. Meanwhile, the guests at
the ceremony dance to the rhythm in a circle
or incircled by a vast gathering of people. Solo
dancers may leave the circle to dance for the
djembe players or simply move up as allowed
to dance for the djembe soloist of the moment.

Afro Latin Music

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How does Cuban music originate and what are some of its main forms?

What are some traditional Cuban musical instruments and their origins?

AFRICA

Tension rod - It pulls the hoop to tighten

Shell - Made of wood,

Hembra - Large drum

Macho - Small drum

EDGE TECHNIQUE (E)

The most important rhythm of the bongo is the

During a performance, the djembe may begin

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