Versatility in the Spanish speaking Caribbean

 Bienviendo! This week we travel to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. The Spanish speaking islands, that were covered, consisted of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. All of these islands have great African influences infused within their musical styles. There are three prominent styles of music and dance directly descended from Puerto Rico's, African ancestors. Those styles are bomba, plena and banquine. Bomba is one of the most significant forms of folk music on the island. Call and response is a fundamental part of bomba. Musical performances begin with a soloist called the laina, singing a phrase to which a group of singers responds. This chorus is supported by musicians that provide different rhythmic patterns with percussion instruments. The bomba is also a dance form which not only features the use of percussion instruments but maracas and cuá.  It is worth noting that  two or more drums of two different diameters called barriles de bomba  are used to play bomba music. The larger drum is called a buleador and is responsible for keeping a steady beat by playing a foundational rhythm. The high-pitched drum is called a subidor and is responsible for improvising the large drum. Below is a picture showcasing a woman dancing to bomba music music while two men beat the bomba drums.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

The following video is a clear depiction of the communication between a bomba dancer and the drummers. The video also goes in-depth into the history of Bomba in Puerto Rico and it's importance in the Afro-Latino population in Puerto Rico. It is important to note the synchronization of the dancer's steps and the beat being played. Additional layers are added to the music in the form of the maracas and the cuá.


Video provided by KQED Arts via YouTube

Merengue is also a popular form of song and dance that belongs to the the Dominican Republic. Merengue is based on a repeating five-beat rhythmic pattern called a quintillo. The instruments commonly used are an accordion, a tambora, which is a two sided drum, and a güira, which is also known as a metal scraper. Elvis Crespo is a famous Puerto Rican artist whose musical genre is merengue. He has won many awards and shares responsibility in bringing merengue to a global audience. Below is a photo of Elvis Crespo. 


Photo courtesy of Cosmopolitan.com

One of Elvis Crespo's most famous merengue songs is Suavemente, which means smoothly. In the song you can hear horns, drums, and the guira, that's providing the scraping sound.
See the video below.
Video provided Sonic Music Entertainment via YouTube



Cuba also has a very vibrant musical scene.Son Cubano which translates to "the Cuban sound". The term describes a popular music genre that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba. The musical style has influences from both European and African instruments. Son Cubano uses a variety of instruments within the genre. Some examples are piano, guitar, maracas and guiro, to name a few. One artist known for the Son Cubano genre was Benny Moré. Moré was a Cuban singer, bandleader and song writer. Moré also sang other genres such as guarachas, cha cha cha, mambo, son montuno, and boleros. Below is a photo of Benny Moré.


Photo courtesy of Today in-24.com

The following video shows a group of men singing, a conjunto, Son de la Loma, a Son Cubano song. They are seen playing some of the instruments previously mentioned. There is a guitar, a double bass, maracas, and drums. The percussionists play bell patterns on claves while other instrumentalists reference the rhythm in their playing. The video quality is a bit old but it is useful.



Video Courtesy of YouTube

I hope that you enjoyed this week's journey through the Spanish speaking Caribbean. Hasta  luego!

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