The Roots of Cuban Salsa (Timba): Son, Rumba, and the Orishas
Today we are going to talk about the origins of salsa, the beautiful mix of Caribbean and African roots. And yes, we are talking about the dance, not about your favorite dip for the delicious tortilla.
Short History
The origins of salsa date back to the early 1900s in Eastern Cuba (Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo). The two main musical styles that had significant influence were cuban son and rumba. Using diverse musical and rhythmic patterns, they created a music that we would later call as salsa.
With the transatlantic slave trade, the Nigerian people of Yorubaland also brought over their religion to the shores of South America and the Caribbean, including Cuba. This religion has different rituals and dance practices, in which they connect to the spirits and the gods of Yoruba religion - the Orishas.
Son Cubano
Often referenced as the “father of salsa”, Son Cubano is based on the rhythmic pattern that we call clave, with the primacy of the tres (spanish guitar), and some other instruments like the bass. The clave, also known as the key pattern, plays a quintessential role in salsa.
When you want to dance son, keep in mind that you need to dance on contratiempo, which means that you need to start dancing on 2, instead of 1, like in salsa.
Generally, the story behind dancing son is to show your love towards your dance partner, and share that with the world once you conquer her. Unlike in salsa, where the thematic revolves around seduction and having fun.
Think of this - You danced the whole night on a salsa social, you fell in love, and the next morning when you wake up together, you want to show the world how in love you are, make the girl feel like a princess, and you dance son after the morning coffee.
One of the most influential group of musicians that helped in rediscovering traditional son artists that have fallen on the wayside, and revitalizing the interest into traditional son were called Buena Vista Social Club.
The release of their album, film, and follow-up solo albums, they have introduced cuban son to the younger generations that have never heard of son before. It has also introduced foreign audiences to an important part of Cuban music history.
Rumba
Since we mentioned that they call cuban son the “father of salsa”, - meet rumba - the “mother of salsa”. Rumba is also a synonym for the word “party”. It was performed by the poor workers in solares (courtyards), where they would chant while dancing following the energetic drum beats.
Rumba consists of a few core instruments: the clave, and three different pitched conga drums (tumbadora, tres dos, and quinto). These instruments follow the vocalists, as they tell a story through each song.
There are 3 traditional styles of rumba:
Guaguancó
Columbia
Yambu
Guaguancó is the most popular form of rumba, performed by a couple, where the man tries to inject his “seed” through energetic fast body movements known as “vacunao” (vaccination). The woman tries to defend herself, in a playful way to keep the man interested.
At first sight, it looks like a rooster trying to mate with the chicken. At least that’s what most people experience when they try to describe rumba dancing for the first time.
Columbia is fast, powerful, acrobatic style, which was performed only by men. Although, in recent years, women also started to perform this type of rumba.
Imagine if two guys would start fighting over a girl. Now, that would not be a traditional fist-fight in Cuba, it would rather be a face-off in columbia, where they would compete, show off their might and dance skills in order to get the girl. It’s like an old school breakdancing/hip-hop battle in some form.
Yambu is the slowest of the three styles in terms of tempo, it doesn’t have a vacunao, and that’s why it is usually performed by the older population. This doesn’t mean that this is rumba only for old people!
Think of it as taking a slow steady walk in the park with your loved one instead of taking a ride on a rollercoaster in the amusement park, which would be Guaguancó in this comparison.
Orishas dance
If you listen cuban salsa for a while, you will probably notice some phrases that are repeated like “Eleggua”, “Yemaya”, “Oggun”, “Obatala”, etc. These are names of the Orishas, the gods and spirits of Yoruba religion.
It is said that they have previously existed in the spirit world, and then incarnated as human beings in the physical world.
The Yoruba religion was fused together with Catholicism to create a syncretized religion known as Santeria.
The followers of Santeria communicate with the Orishas through music and dance. Sometimes this involves different rituals, like animal sacrifice.
Some rhythms are generic and played for many songs and deities, like the versatile and fast rhythm “Chachalokafun”, or the slower “Ñongo”. Its basic dance steps are the same for every Orisha, but the upper body’s movements and the emotional character vary a lot, according to the deity represented.
How do these dances reflect in cuban salsa?
What you will notice in cuban salsa is the rhythmic pattern that was taken from the rumba clave, the stance of the dancers that persists in son, and figures.
Oftentimes, there are salsa songs that mention one of the Orishas, and the instruments change their patterns so you can dance and represent one of the deities for a period of the song.
In the modern evolution of cuban salsa, there is also a common rhythmic pattern that makes cuban salsa unique is the “tumbao”. This is a specific pattern that is performed on the conga drums.
-Thus came the name “Timba”.
Timba represents a synthesis of many folkloric (like rumba and santeria) and popular sources like jazz, rock, funk.
Timba is a fast tempo, energetic salsa with a strong afro-cuban influence. Songs will often follow a traditional rumba structure – start slow, then break into a core salsa rhythm. At its most basic, timba is more flexible and innovative than salsa, and includes a more diverse range of styles.
Cuban dancers have a lot of fun dancing to timba. They pull back from a close embrace and launch into rhythmic shoulder movements depending on the dynamic of the music.
So why not join them?
Conclusion
The unfortunate events of the slave trade were brutal, but with mixture of different cultures coming to the shores of America, it also created something beautiful.
Salsa is a fruit that was born out of the afro-cuban heritage, and was influenced by other styles like rumba and son. It carries an emotional weight so pure, that when you see someone dancing, you simply fall in love with that energy, and you want to try it. It just makes your body burst into a subtle dance to the conga drums, even if you don’t know any of the steps.
It has been connecting people for many years now, and it is here to stay.
Expanding your dance repertoire through different styles is a great way to improve yourself and impress your dance partners. Maybe you will get a chance to dance son the night after a salsa social, try your luck in landing or defending the vacunao in rumba, or even embracing the sacred energy of the orishas through dancing.
Which dance style would you like to try, or which one do you like to mix into salsa the most?