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caballo

  • Spanish term for horse.
  • In Afro-Latin music it is used to describe a rhythmic accompaniment that resembles in feel to the trotting of a horse.

    • cabildo

  • Cabildos, mutual aid societies, gather some Black people in Cuba since the 17th century. They mix social, cultural and religious functions. These societies contributed to keeping the African traditions alive.
    In Cuba, they are the origin of the     comparsas playing in the streets, similar to the best-known Brazilian samba schools.
    Some cabildos became secret societies, similar to Black freemasonry, like the     abakua brotherhood, still powerful nowadays.
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    cadena

  • A contradanza figure.
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    cajón(es)

  • Resonant wooden crates of various sizes (originally, to box and transport cod), used to play in the yambú of. They are still used today by folkloric ensembles.

    • campana

  • Also called the Bongo Bell, or cencerro, the large handheld bell is played by the bongocero during the montuno section of an arrangement in dance ensembles and mounted and played by the palito(s) player.

    The strong and rustic bell makes several different tones, according to the place where it is struck, and gives a characteristic sound.
    With time, it conquered the title of percussion, was modernized - but just a little, and it keeps its original share -, and is now manufactured with the care reserved for musical instruments. It is also promoted, and it is now often fixed to the     timbales, of which it is one of accessories.

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    campesinos

  • Peasant people. Sometimes referred to as Guajiros.

    • canción

  • Spanish songstyle focusing primarily on the lyrics/melody and a simple guitar accompaniment, it became one of the fundamental components in the development of the son style.

    • carabalí

  • Originating people from Calabar area, in the south of Nigeria. A Cuban proverb says: "Que no tiene de Congo tiene de Carabalí" (if somebody does not have Congo blood, so he has Carabali blood).

    • caracoles

  • These shells, named cauris in Africa, are used for divination rituals practiced in santería.

    • cariaco

  • Old Afro-Cuban dance.
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    carnival

  • The Christian pre-Lent celebration usually lasting from three days to a week.

    • cáscara

  • The Spanish word for shell, also referred to as pailas.
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    caringa

  • Afro-Cuban folk dance, often named zapateo.

    • cedazo

  • One of the contradanza figures.

    • cencerro

  • Another term for the large cowbell (campana).

    • chacha bell

  • The small bell mounted on the timbales and used for the chachachá and similar styles.

    • cha cha cha

  • A dance and musical style emanating from the Nuevo style. As a dance, "Chacha" became popular in the 1950' and 60's and is descended from mambo.

    • chambelona

  • Popular singing, in Cuba, practised in the early 20th century.

    • chanchamele

  • Afro-Spanish dance of the 17th century.

    • changui

  • This old variant of the son, born near Guantanamo (Cuba), bring back to life thanks of Elio Revé during the 60ties: the changui found here a new youth, and Elio Revé won an international dimension and the "king of changüi" title.

    • Changuito (Jose Luis Quintana)

  • Percussionist for Orquesta Aragon, inventor of the Cuban song styles merensongo and songo and the Afro-Cuban feel called timba songo layé.

    • charanga

  • Sometimes named charanga francesa, this type of band appeared at the beginning of 20th century. Originally, the charanga is devoted primarily to the danzones, until the appearance
    of the cha cha chá in 1951, of which it becomes the all-found vector.
    At the beginning, a charanga was made of a flute, a violin, a piano, a double bass, a timbal criollo and a     guïro; nowadays, the formation evolved , and is characterized by the presence of violin(s).

    • charanga francesa

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    chekeré

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    cierre

  • A rhythmic break, either an arranged ensemble passage or only played by the percussion in either arranged or improvised fashion usually played as a transition to or from a section of a piece.

    • cinquillo (cubano)

  • A five-note pattern derived from the Cuban contradanza.

    A five-note group of notes derived from the son clave pattern that is both a part of the baqueteo – the timbale accompaniment to the Danzón - as well as a common rhythmic articulation in both arranged and improvised performance. The term also describes the interpretive performance (stretching) of the five notes of the clave pattern. This interpretation also applies to the Tresillo.

    • clave 
    • Instrument. Pair of polished wooden sticks used to play the rhythm. The larger of the two sticks is called the hembra and the smaller macho.
    • Rhythm. A five-note, two-bar rhythms pattern serving as the foundation of popular Afro-Cuban music. There are 4 rhythms, the Rumba and Son clave and 6/8 variation ("Afro") of each. Clave rhythm is the key to Afro-Latin musical styles and is considered the root, the identity and the "soul" of the music.
    • Dance timing. Most excellent, authentic or well-trained dancers use the clave as a focal point in salsa music to stay in time to the foundation and "soul" of the music.

    cobo

  • Big marine shell, used for making a wind instrument.
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    cocoye

  • Traditional Afro-Cuban dance (and its music), often practised in carnivals, especially in Oriente, Cuba. It came from Haiti, but its origin is in Dahomey (Africa), French ex-colony.

    • columbia

  • One of the three Rumba styles, it is played in 6/8, sung with a combination of Spanish and African lyrics and traditionally danced only by men in a dance often depicting a challenge to each other. Played with the tumbadoras, guataca or cowbell and clave and sometines shekerés and bombo.

    • combo

  • Type of Latin ensemble developed in the 1950's through the influence of the jazz groups and big bands that employed the drum set, bass, piano in the jazz rhythm section format along with all of the standard Latin percussion of timbales (played by the drum set player), congas and the like. They also employed saxophones and sometimes guitar.

    • comparsa

  • The specific musical group which plays the conga during carnival.
  • A musical gathering, dance and parade taking place primarily during the Cuban Carnival.
  • Term sometimes (incorrectly) used to describe the music that accompanies this dance and parade - the Conga.

    • conga

  • The musical instrumentation and style that accompanies the Comparsa, it is also a style developed, performed and integrated by ensembles separate from the Carnaval Comparsas. Sometimes the style is referred to by regional interpretation - as in Conga Habanera or Conga Santiguera.

    • conga habanera

  • The Havana style of the cuban carnival rhythm, called conga.

    • conga oriental

  • The Santiago style of the cuban carnival rhythm, called conga.

    • congas

  • Also called Tumbadoras, the single headed, hollowed Cuban drums derived from the Congolese Makuta drums. Initially made from hollowed logs with cowhides nailed or strung on, they are now made of wood and fiberglass with mass-produced hardware and heads.

    • conguero

  • A conga player.

    • conjunto

  • A style of Latin ensemble developed in the 1940's. It emanated from the Septeto instrumentation and was another interpreter of the Son styles. Originally consisting of the tres, contrabass, bongos, brass, and vocalists that played clave, maracas and guiro. Later the guitar, piano and congas were added.

    • contradanza

  • Literally, the "country dance," this 18th century style of Cuban music was influenced by the European court and country dance. A European musical form and dance that was the predecessor to the Danza, Danza Habanera and, most significantly, the Danzón style.

    • corneta china/trompeta china

  • The Chinese trumpet used in the early Carnaval Comparsas and the first bass instrument to be added to the Sexteto ensembles, creating the Septeto.

    • córo/córo-pregón

  • Córo is chorus and the Córo Pregón is the call-and-response between the lead vocal, the Pregón - which is generally improvised - and the chorus, the Córo - which is generally arranged or a fixed part. It is a principal structural element of the Son and became a part of the traditional commercial Latin dance form via the Montuno section of an arrangement.

    • conversación

  • A Spanish word meaning conversation. In Batá performance, the conversation and interaction that takes place between the Iyá (the lead or mother drum) and the Itótele (the middle drum).

    • cowbell

  • Descended from the Guataca, these instruments include the timbale mounted bells (Mambo, Cha-Cha, Charanga), Campana, Agogo and Comparsa bells. The patterns performed on these bells, when used either alone or simultaneously, make up most of the metallic percussive rhythms of Afro-Cuban popular music.

    • cúa

  • The rhythmic stick pattern of the Puerto Rican Bomba style. It sometimes functions as a clave in this style.

    • cuatro

  • Guitar-like instrument derived from the Cuban tres but containing four sets of two strings. Primarily associated with Puerto Rican styles.

    • cucharas

  • Spanish word for spoons. Initially used to play the palitos accompaniment to the Cajones in the early Rumba styles. Still used today in folkloric ensemble presentations.
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