A 19th century musical and
dance form emanating from the Contradanza and a
predecessor to the Danzón.
danza habanera
See Habanera.
danzón
It is by several different
paths that European contradanse arrives in Cuba at the
end of 18th century : it directly reaches the heart of
Havana, in the West, by the arrival of English boats, and
at the same time it lands in the East with the French
colonists avoiding Haiti in revolution.
Thanks to Black Cuban musicians' influence which it
becomes a predilection style, the contredanse crossbreeds
and gives birth to the contradanza : this half-fashionable, a little stiff,
animates receptions in the end of 19th century, with the
sound of fifes, clarinet, horn, violins, double bass, guďro and timbales.
The credit for having create the danzón, in 1879, is due
to Miguel Failde Pérez (who would never imagined that
his name appears one day on the Net!), cornet player of
Matanzas (Cuba) : by injecting a vigorous syncopation, he
brushes away the contradanza form. The danzon will be danced in couple,
while following a strict structure, but the parts
(alternation of paseos
acting as refrain, allegrettotrio of
clarinet, andante trio of violin, allegro
trio of brass) are now opened to improvisation.
The time make still evolve the form by integration of
elements come from others styles, like the eternal son, under the José Urfé's
influence, around the 10th years.
In 1929, Aniceto Diáz will improve the formula (with its
composition Rompiendo the rutina) to challenge
to the son -
the great rival -, creating thus the danzonete. Later,
others famous descendants will come, as the cha cha chá and the mambo, while passing initially by the ritmo nuevo.
The ten line verse structure
common to the Spanish Canción, it served as he
traditional verse structure of the Cuban Son.
dengue
Musical style derived from
the mambo, and created by Dámaso Pérez
Prado in the early 60ties.
descarga
In France, we say
"faire un boeuf" ; in the USA, it is called a
jam-session : i.e. a meeting of musicians, playing
together and giving the best of themselves in large
improvisation parts. Of course, a descarga is good if the
musicians have talent, and something to give...
It's under the jazz influence, with its trail of
outstanding musicians, that the formula penetrated Latin
music, and was dveloped in New York during the 50ties by
the Cuban double bass player Israel
"Cachao"Lopez.
despelote !
The word is pioneered by the
fidgety Elio Revé to excite the public and warm up the
atmosphere : " ˇ tremendo despelote !
".The formula collected a following, in a modern
Cuban salsa, especially frantic and restless (Charanga
Habanera, Paulito y su Elite (" ˇ Sofocacion!"),
Pachito Alonso y sus Kini Kini, Manolin "El Medico
de la Salsa", ...). The word is an allusion to the
way to dance : boys... and above all girls roll their
hips with frenzy, with their arms above their head ;
their hands are opened, as if they roll a big ball in
them :ˇ despelote !
diana
A vocal introduction,
(sometimes arranged, sometimes improvided)
call-and-response style used in some Rumba styles.
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