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Hello (conga) world!

here I am again with a question or two about Cuban rumba - I apologize in advance if this is already getting too monothematic, but, as they say, "la rumba es lo más sublime para el alma divertir".

Anyway, it has to do with this video of a rehearsal of Havana-based modern rumba group Osain del Monte. The amazingly talented musician Alain Pérez is watching and enjoying the rehearsal too.

The first half of the piece is essentially a traditional rumba (yambú, or a slow guagancó?). I think the lyrics are a collage of several popular songs. The second half, however, is something different, and I'm intrigued to know what it is (from 7:00 on). I think it could be one of the "inventos" that are constantly happening as rumba evolves. It sounds timba-influenced to me, with so many breaks and ups-and-downs, but I could be wrong, because I know very little about timba, since it's not really my cup of tea and I haven't listened to it a lot (I prefer "earthier" music -for lack of a better term- like son, changüí, blues and such). Anyway, I happen to like this song a lot, and my questions are the following:

- Is this timba-influenced, or maybe something else?
- Is this style somehow "standard" (does it have a name)? In particular, the parts of the smaller bell (played by the quinto player) and the tumbadoras: are they also played in other situations, or were they arranged ad hoc for this piece?

As always, thanks in advance for your help. By now I see this forum as some kind of oracle that has all the answers, so I'm positive that I will learn something this time too.

Salud!

Hi Siete Leguas,

this is NOT an answer to your question, to start with. Like you, I am still waiting for someone to tell us with authority.

To ultimately know what the first part is, we would have to see the dance. Going by the harmonic traits, it is not a traditional Guaguancó.

Like you, I suppose the second half is a special invento composed by the group. There is a concert excerpt on YouTube that has it too. To learn what the name is - if there is one, we probably have to ask members of the band. Rubén Bulnes and Adonis Calderón are on Facebook - I checked that. No idea how much access they have to the internet. I hear influences from both Guarapachangueo, and the Mazacote part in Timba, which in turn borrowed from Iyesá rhythm and related styles (often called Bomba). A similar groove (especially tempo-wise), based on the Rumba Iyesá in the batá repertoire, had been used by Afro-Cuba de Matanzas. Again the deciding question: What is the corresponding dance to it? - And I don't mean the stage choreography!

Anyway, thank you for bringing this video to our attention!

Thomas

Hi Thomas, thanks a lot for your NOT-answer!

I am also not on Facebook (anymore), but even if I still were, I would be probably be too starstruck to contact Adonis or Rubén and ask them...

I will have to do some research on the rhythms and styles that you mentioned. You must be pointing in the right directions. I have heard the terms Mazacote and Bomba a few times already, but I still don't fully understand what they mean (I once embarrassingly mistook the timba part "Bomba" with the Puerto Rican rhythm in a jam session). I am a bit more familiar with Guarapachangueo and Iyesá, but not much either.

Thank you again for the input!