Videos Of Congolese Rumba Music & Dance By Four Of Congolese Rumba's Greatest Artists

Chubb Dandy's, April 15, 2021Only Uploading To Hopefully Help Out The Film And Spread The Word! -snip-
The narration in this video is in French and the captions in this video are in English. 

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on Congolese rumba music and dance.

This pancocojams post showcases five videos of Congolese rumba music and dance. The first video is a trailer for a film about Congolese rumba. The remaining videos showcases four of Congolese rumba's greatest artists (given in no particular order: Franco, Pepe Kalle, Fally Ipupa,
and Koffi Olomide.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/some-of-history-of-congolese-rumba.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents two YouTube videos about the history of the Congolese rumba music and dance.

This post also includes some information about Congolese rumba from a reprint of an online article, from the transcription of one of these showcase videos, and from the comments from the discussion thread of one of these showcase videos. 

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all these Congolese artists who are showcased in this video for their musical legacies. Thanks to all those who are associated with these YouTube videos that are embedded in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/cuban-rumba-guaguanco-music-and-dance.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Cuban Rumba Guaguanco Music And Dance (information & Videos)".

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS

Except for Video #1, these videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
This video which is embedded at the top of this post is a trailer about Congolese rumba. 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Pepe Kalle LA RUMBA Huge Success In Africa

manachester11, Mar 27, 2009

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo (Clip officiel)



Fally Ipupa, Apr 7, 2017
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Here's an excerpt from an article about this record:
https://www.afrovibes.com/articles/2019/04/26/fally-ipupa-eloko-oyo/ "New Music: Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo", by Adeyemi A.  April 26, 2019
"Eloko oyo,” meaning "here it is," is a word from the Lingala (or Ngala) language native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo. The song, "Eloko Oyo,” was originally released by the Congolese icon, Mabele Elisi, who has inspired several people through his musical talent - one of those people is Fally Ipupa. Fally Ipupa is a popular Congolese singer-songwriter and producer who modified the song and released a completely different version of “Eloko Oyo” in 2017.

Throughout the song, Fally Ipupa expresses his achievements and the good works he has been able to achieve through music. Fally Ipupa’s version of the song quickly became popular so we thought to share the lyrics and the song’s meaning"..
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This article continues with this song's lyrics and their English translations.
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People from the Congos and other Africans, please excuse my ignorance, but is the dancing in this Fally Ipupa - Eloko Oyo (Clip officiel) a form of Congolese rumba? If not, what type of dancing is it?

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Koffi Olomide - Andrada (Clip Officiel)

KINDULE, Jan 10, 2019

"Andrada" issu de l'album "V12" de Koffi Olomidé sorti en 1995.
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Click https://www.facebook.com/LingalaAndRhumbaKenyaFans/posts/koffi-olomide-andradatcha-tcho-eza-mayi-ehtchatcho-is-waterle-roi-de-betesthe-ki/1262078417136317/ Lingala and Rhumba Kenya Fans,  June 11, 2016 for lyrics to this song in Lingala with English translation.

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SHOWCASE #5 - Franco & Le TP OK Jazz - Mario (English subtitles)

Pan African Music, Oct 10, 2019

Pensez à activer les sous-titres pour avoir les paroles ↗️ Nous sommes à la Cité de La voix du Zaïre, où sont regroupées la radio et la télévision du pays. Franco est au studio Maman Angebi, qui porte le nom d’une grande dame de la télévision zaïroise. Il est l’invité de la célèbre émission « Variété Samedi Soir ».

Présenté par Lukunku Sampu, vedette de la télévision zaïroise (une sorte de Michel Drucker, pour le public français). Le tube Mario (une quinzaine de minutes) est sorti en 1985 et ce live à la télé peut-être de la même année, sinon de 1986. C’est peut-être le moment où Franco présente le Madilu, confirmé comme chanteur majeur du groupe à Bruxelles un peu auparavant.

Mario, tout le monde a chanté son nom, fredonnant l’air de la chanson, aux quatre coins du continent. Ceux qui ne parlent pas lingala ont retenu le nom, mais bien peu en ont compris le sens. Mario est une manière de gigolo qui vit aux crochets d’une femme qui a réussi et l’entretient. Mais elle se plaint de lui : de ses abus, de son machisme (alors qu’il vit à ses dépens) de sa brutalité et de son irresponsabilité. C’est les reproches de cette femme fatiguée (na lembi, en lingala) qui sont au cœur de la chanson. Madilu lui prête sa voix. Quant à Franco ici, il admoneste Mario et se fait l’interprète de la malheureuse. 

Qui est Mario ? Il y a eu beaucoup de spéculations. Franco ayant été le peintre de la société, nombreux sont ceux qui ont cru reconnaître des connaissances ou des célébrités. Mais comme personne ne savait clairement qui était ce gigolo que l’on dénonce, Franco a laissé grandir le suspense, ce qui a créé ce qu’on appellerait aujourd’hui « le buzz » : mais qui est donc Mario ?

Traduit pour PAM par Kerwin Mayizo.
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Google translate from French to English:
"Remember to activate the subtitles to have the words ↗️ We are at the Cité de La Voix du Zaire, where the country's radio and television are grouped. Franco is at the Maman Angebi studio, which bears the name of a great lady of Zairian television. He is the guest of the famous show “Variété Samedi Soir”.

Presented by Lukunku Sampu, star of Zairian television (a sort of Michel Drucker, for the French public). The hit Mario (around fifteen minutes) was released in 1985 and this live on TV perhaps from the same year, if not 1986. This is perhaps the moment when Franco presents Madilu, confirmed as a major singer of the group in Brussels a little before.

Mario, everyone sang his name, humming the tune of the song, in the four corners of the continent. Those who do not speak Lingala have remembered the name, but few have understood its meaning. Mario is a sort of gigolo who lives off and supports a successful woman. But she complains about him: his abuse, his machismo (while he lives at her expense), his brutality and his irresponsibility. It is the reproaches of this tired woman (na lembi, in Lingala) which are at the heart of the song. Madilu lends him his voice. As for Franco here, he admonishes Mario and acts as the unfortunate woman's interpreter.

Who is Mario? There has been a lot of speculation. Franco having been the painter of society, many people thought they recognized acquaintances or celebrities. But as no one clearly knew who this gigolo that was being denounced was, Franco let the suspense build, which created what we would call today “the buzz”: but who is Mario?

Translated for PAM by Kerwin Mayizo.

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Congolese Rumba: From The Congo to Cuba And Back To The Congo (videos & information)

Bigckson, Aug 27, 2019  #fally #koffi
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This video has French narration and French captions.

The summary to this video that is given in French followed by an English translation is presented below along with its Google translate results (from French to English). 

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Congolese rumba music and dance.

This pancocojams post presents two YouTube videos about the history of the Congolese rumba music and dance.

This post also includes some information about Congolese rumba from a reprint of an online article, from the transcription of one of these showcase videos, and from the comments from the discussion thread of one of these showcase videos. 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/youtube-videos-of-congolese-rumba-music.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases five videos of Congolese rumba music and dance.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are associated with these YouTube videos that are embedded in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/cuban-rumba-guaguanco-music-and-dance.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Cuban Rumba Guaguanco Music And Dance (information & Videos)".

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THE SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE VIDEO THAT IS EMBEDDED AT THE TOP OF THIS POST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw0n3BMib1I&t=515s

La source de la rumba congolaise

Bigckson, Aug 27, 2019  #fally #koffi
"La ” Nkoumba ” appelée plus tard à Cuba Rumba est une danse de nombril qui prend sa source en l’Afrique Centrale, plus précisément dans le Royaume Kongo et en République Centrafricaine chez ” Mbati “, un groupe ethnique du sud ouest du pays. En ” Mbati “, tout comme en ” Moukongo “, ” Nkoumba ” désigne le nombril. Chez les “Bakongo” groupe ethnique situé au sud du Congo Démocratique de l’Angola et chez les ” Mbati ” de Centrafrique, la danse de nombril est une expression folklorique charnelle permettant à un couple de danseurs de se produire nombril contre nombril.

Lorsque les esclaves noirs Africains débarquent à Cuba il y a 5 siècles avec la danse ” Nkoumba “, le colonisateur Espagnol supprime l’Africanité de cette expression culturelle, populaire et la baptise Rumba pour l’approprier. Du point de vue linguistique, Cuba conserve à ce jour plusieurs mots d’origine Africaine, et ce en dépit de nombreuses transformations constatées dans l’héritage culturel des anciens esclaves. La Rumba conserve à ce jour quelques mots bantou et yoruba dont on entend dans certaines chansons Cubaines. Lorsque la Rumba est revenue en Afrique entre les années 40 et 50, après avoir été longtemps un moyen d’expression artistique et de revendication des noirs qui dénoncent l’injustice dont ils sont victimes à Cuba, elle a été réappropriée par les Africains. Avec l’évolution du temps, les musiciens Africains intègrent leur folklore dans ce riche patrimoine culturel et l’enrichissent d’autres courants musicaux.#koffi #fally"
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Google translate from French to English
"The “Nkoumba” later called in Cuba Rumba is a navel dance which has its source in Central Africa, more precisely in the Kongo Kingdom and in the Central African Republic among “Mbati”, an ethnic group in the southwest of the country. In “Mbati”, just like in “Moukongo”, “Nkoumba” designates the navel. Among the “Bakongo” ethnic group located in the south of the Democratic Congo of Angola and among the “Mbati” of Central Africa, the navel dance is a carnal folkloric expression allowing a couple of dancers to perform navel to navel.

When black African slaves arrived in Cuba 5 centuries ago with the “Nkoumba” dance, the Spanish colonizer removed the Africanness from this popular cultural expression and named it Rumba to make it his own. From a linguistic point of view, Cuba retains to this day several words of African origin, despite numerous transformations noted in the cultural heritage of former slaves. Rumba retains to this day some Bantu and Yoruba words which we hear in certain Cuban songs. When Rumba returned to Africa between the 1940s and 1950s, after having long been a means of artistic expression and protest by blacks who denounced the injustice of which they were victims in Cuba, it was re-appropriated by Africans. With the evolution of time, African musicians integrate their folklore into this rich cultural heritage and enrich it with other musical trends.#koffi #fally"

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A REPRINT OF AN ARTICLE ABOUT CONGOLESE RUMBA
From https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/nkumba-rumba-rich-intangible-cultural-heritage-congos "From Nkumba to Rumba: the Rich Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Congos
"The often-untold story of Congolese rumba displays how resilient Africans have shown to been through adversity.

25 March 2022

Last update:20 April 2023

Rumba or “nkumba” (navel in kikongo) in its original form, describes the joining and rubbing of the navels, a dance which marked the celebrations for the populations of the Kingdom of Kongo (which extended over what we know today as Angola, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Modern Congolese Rumba, however, is much more than a simple dance or musical style. It embodies the creativity, spirit, philosophies, and culture of the Congolese. It is the legacy of slaves, forced to leave their country for the Americas with nothing but their essence to connect them to the continent. It is the product of a back-and-forth between the two Congos and Cuba, and later a cry for the liberation movements.

It is to the sound of Le Grand Kallé’s “Independence cha cha” that most Congolese celebrated their independence. The song, which was largely broadcasted in the 1960s recounts the events that preceded the independence process. Viewed as one of the first Pan-African hits and Congolese rumbas, this song embodies the power and importance of Congolese Rumba throughout history. Congolese rumba has also helped bridge the gap between the two Congos, strengthening their cultural identities while paving the way for the creation of other musical styles.

More recently, Congolese rumba, with its undeniable contribution to music worldwide but also to Pan-African values and African memory, has been recognized by UNESCO as World Intangible Cultural Heritage. This nomination promises to be a big step forward in bringing Congolese rumba to light, fostering employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in the music industry as well as the transmission of cultural values in the region.”

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Rumba Music History - African Music History and Culture

Rhythm In Africa, Mar 22, 2021

Welcome to the first African Rumba music lesson... Enjoy
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The narration in this video and the caption feature for this video are in English. 

Here's an almost complete* "as is" version of the auto-generated transcription for this video, given without timestamps and with punctuations that I added and corrected spelling as well as a few words that are given in brackets that clarify the narrator's statements. Although I prefer the referent "enslaved people" to the referent "slave", I didn't change that word in this transcription. I also retained the word "uh" and other such words in this "as is" form of that transcription.  

*I didn't include the blogger's request that people subscribe to his channel, although I did subscribe and recommend that people interested in this subject also do so.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMRZ5DAkWgo

"Intro

Hello everyone. Welcome to Rhythm in Africa and the first African rumba episode.

Let's roll.

So rumba is associated with dancing because of the culture where there's almost no distinction between the performers and the consumers or the fans of the music. So this means whenever the music is performed, everyone is performing. And everyone is dancing because they believe that every single person has musical talent. So everyone would be able to dance because this collective participation in
music involved babies that would be at their mother's backs while they're dancing or even in their mother's wombs.

Okay,  so let's go back to the Afro-Cuban culture beginning now. So during the trans-Atlantic slave trade that lasted over 200 years. Uh a wide range of ethnic groups were brought into Cuba and [it] is this random groupings of Africans uh African slaves uh that led to a culture which was called the Afro-Cuban culture. And is this culture that created what we call rumba music.

The origin of Rumba

So what made Cuba unique was its laws that allowed slaves to work for their masters until they could buy their freedom. So this means [that] almost no one was born into slavery which means Cuba had to keep on importing slaves from Africa up to 1885, a year before the abolishment of the slave trade. So there were many slaves who had just been recently shipped from Africa to Cuba. 

And, instead of getting more into the slave communities of Cuba,  they were more inclined to go back to Africa to their friends and families. And it's this particular group of Africans who brought rumba from Cuba back to Africa. So rumba is [has] a very strong African essence since it was developed by former African slaves.

So when it got to Africa, it caught on very quickly and rapidly spread across Africa to become the most uh played music in sub-Saharan Africa.

Banning Rumba

Interestingly. in the 2000s there were attempts by the Angolan, Kenyan, and Congolese governments to abolish rumba because of its lyrics and dances which were viewed to be culturally incorrect or immoral. So laws were enacted to ban any radio and tv stations from playing rumba, but this had an opposite effect because you know how people are - the more something is banned, the more interesting it becomes.  And then rumba spread even more across Africa. 

So a key feature of rumba is the use of plain speech usually done in a deep voice like "Loi" popularized by Koffi Olomide and also plain speech done in a loud announcement type of way.

So African rumba dancing can be done solo or with a partner just like Cuban rumba. But [it] is mostly choreographed involving large groups of people because of the culture remember. And these people are usually wearing matching clothing.

So some rumba greats include Franco, Pepe, Wenge Musica, Fally Ipupa,  and a lot more. And not forgetting of course Koffi Olomide, who's been a huge influence in shaping and Africanizing rumba and also up bringing a lot of rumba and I mean rumba artists into the rumba scene. And and I wonder why Koffi Olomide seems like he always has things in his pocket. Uh if someone knows please put it in the comments.

Okay, so let's go to the music now

[Music]

Outro

So in the next rumba episode we'll look at the theory behind African rumba music and how the 
instruments are played and what instruments are used and all that."...
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Here are all of the comments that have been published as of this date [April 26, 2024] on this video's discussion thread. Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only:

1.@BrothaEnock, 2021
"There’s a difference between rumba, soukous, & ndombolo"

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Reply
2. @RhythmInAfrica, 2021
"That's true. Will make another Rumba episode and add that. Thanks."

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3. @jayobrienKM, 2022
"Did you realize that you named literally all Congolese artist and you didn’t simply highlight that African Rumba is from Congo 🇨🇩 Credit should be given where it’s due"

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Reply
4. @RhythmInAfrica, 2022
"True, I didn't realize that."

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5. @YotamPiano, 2023
"VERY interesting. I have known for some time about the Cuban Rumba and its African origin but had NO idea it was brought back to Africa by former slaves! Going to watch the next episode now :)"

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6. @RBB8S, 2023
"Beginning in the 1940s, Afro-Cuban [son] groups such as Septeto Habanero and Trio Matamoros gained widespread popularity in the Congo region as a result of airplay over Radio Congo Belge, a powerful radio station based in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa DRC). A proliferation of music clubs, recording studios, and concert appearances of Cuban bands in Léopoldville spurred on the Cuban music trend during the late 1940s and 1950s."

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Cuban Rumba Guaguanco Music And Dance (information & Videos)

joséito's hideaway, Dec 13, 2023

From Cuban Rumba directed & edited by Yvonne Payne Daniel PhD 1992.

Originally accompanied a doctoral dissertation entitled Ethnography of Rumba: Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba.
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Excerpt of this video's auto-generated transcript (given without time stamps and including punctuation and some spelling corrections)

[the first dance] -"Here we see Rumba Yambu from Matanzas, the chase of a male and female dancer epitomizing the beauty and graciousness of the woman and the virtuosity and sensuality of the male. 

[the second dance beginning at .047] This is Rumba Guaguanco performed by dancers from Losito De Matas Baro= Ramos and Anna Perez and including many gestures from ritual as well as popular dance."...

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about Cuba's Rumba Guaguanco dance and showcases four YouTube videos of that music and dance.

The content of that post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the producers and publishers of these videos. 
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/04/some-of-history-of-congolese-rumba.html for a related pancocojams post entitled "Some Of The History Of Congolese Rumba (videos & information)".

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INFORMATION ABOUT GUAGUANCO
Excerpt #1
From https://cubansinamerica.us/web/cuban-music/guaguanco/
"Guaguancó

A type of rumba. Originating in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery on the island in 1886, guaguancó represents the fusion of several Afro-Cuban profane rituals, known as rumbas. The other two important varieties are yambú and columbia. Guaguancó’s dancers, moving to the beat of percussion instruments and surrounded by a chorus with a lead singer, perform a figurative erotic choreography. The male pursues the female with strong pelvic movements of a mimetic nature. She, in turn, evades and repels him, until ultimately surrendering.  The final symbolic act of possession is known as the vacunao.

Many, if not most, guaguancós were anonymous compositions. The oldest, dating from late Spanish colonial era, are known as rumbas “de tiempo España.” Though African in rhythm, the guaguancó reveals certain Spanish influences, especially by way of flamenco and the rural décimas, in the text of its songs. According to Mongo Santamaría (b. 1927), one of the genre’s leading interpreters, guaguancó came about when Afro­- Cubans tried to sing flamenco.

Founded in the 1950s, the ensemble “Muñequitos de Matanzas” has performed traditional rumba, especially guaguancó, in the urban Matanzas style. Since the late 1990s, authentic Cuban rumba has experienced an international revival, largely due to groups like the “Muñequitos de Matanzas,” Los Papines, AfroCuba, and others."

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Excerpt #2
"From https://everythingsoulful.com/what-is-guaguanco/
"Guaguancó is one of the most popular styles of rumba that is still danced today. Rumba developed among the different African ethnic groups, primarily from Central and West Africa, who were brought to Cuba as slaves.  Guaguancó, like the other rumba styles Yambu and Columbia, developed in the middle 1800’s.  Guaguancó is played in 2/4 or 4/4 tempo giving it a moderate to fast tempo. Guaguanco is danced by a male-female couple and consists of a flirtatious, sexual game with a distinctive body movement called the vacunao (“pelvic thrust) performed by the male dancer. Dance historians have noted that the vacunao is found in other African based dances in Latin America and the Guaguancó maybe derived from the “yuka”, a secular dance of the Bantu people.

“The couple begins to dance…the male dancer is more active as he circles around her without touching her. The dance climaxes as the male attempts to give the vacuano when the female is unprepared to avoid it. Much of her dancing expertise resides in her ability to entice the male while skillfully avoiding being touched by his vacunao.” (Boggs 1992)

By the turn of the century, rumba had migrated to the black working class neighborhoods of Cuban cities. The music consisted mainly of percussive instruments including drums, wooden boxes (cajones), tables and chairs, spoons and jars. During the first half of the 20th century rumba bands were comprised of singers, one or more large drums (tumbadoa-conga and tumbadora-salidor), a small conga drum (quinto) and a pair of wooden sticks (palitos) that were beaten against the side of one of the drums.

Claves (two hardwood sticks that are struck together) and the cajones were often added to the ensemble. You can still see remnants of guaguanco in the hip and pelvic motions of of today’s salsa dancers when the couple separates and each person dances “freestyle”."

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Excerpt #3
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaguanc%C3%B3
"Guaguancó (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwaɣwaŋˈko]) is a subgenre of Cuban rumba, combining percussion, voices, and dance. There are two main styles: Havana and Matanzas.

Percussion

battery of three conga drummers: the tumba (lowest), tres dos (middle, playing a counter-clave), and quinto (highest, and lead drum). These parts may also be played on cajones, wooden boxes.

claves usually played by a singer

guagua (aka Catà) (hollowed piece of bamboo)

maraca and/or a chekeré playing the main beats

Other instruments may be used on occasion, for example spoons, palitos (wooden sticks striking the side of the drum), and tables and walls played like drums.

Song

The term guaguancó originally referred to a narrative song style (coros de guaguancó) which emerged from the coros de claves of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Rogelio Martínez Furé states: "[The] old folks contend that strictly speaking, the guaguancó is the narrative."[6] The guaguancó song often begins with the soloist singing meaningless syllables, which is called the diana. According to Larry Crook, the diana is important because it "... also contains the first choral refrain. The lead singer provides a phrase or motive for the choral sections, or they may present new, but related material. Parallel harmonies are usually built above or below a melodic line, with thirds, sixths, and octaves most common."[7] Therefore, the singer who is presented with singing the diana initiates the beginning of the guaguancó. He then may proceed to improvise lyrics stating the reason for holding the present rumba ('decimar'; span.: to make ten-line stanzas), During the verses of the song the quinto is capable of sublime creativity, while musically subordinate to the lead vocalist. There are natural pauses in the cadence of the verses, typically one or two measures in length, where the quinto can play succinct phrases in the "holes" left by the singer. Once the chorus (or montuno section) of the song begins, the phrases of the quinto interact with the dancers more than the lead singer.

Dance

Guaguancó is an Afro Cuban couple dance of sexual competition between the male and female. The male periodically attempts to "catch" his partner with a single thrust of his pelvis. This erotic movement is called the vacunao (‘vaccination’ or more specifically ‘injection’), a gesture derived from yuka and makuta [dances], symbolizing sexual penetration. The vacunao can also be expressed with a sudden gesture made by the hand or foot. The quinto often accents the vacunao, usually as the resolution to a phrase spanning more than one cycle of clave. Holding onto the ends of her skirt while seductively moving her upper and lower body in contrary motion, the female "opens" and "closes" her skirt in rhythmic cadence with the music. The male attempts to distract the female with fancy (often counter-metric) steps, accented by the quinto, until he is in position to "inject" her. The female reacts by quickly turning away, bringing the ends of her skirts together, or covering her groin area with her hand (botao), symbolically blocking the "injection." Most of the time the male dancer does not succeed in "catching" his partner. The dance is performed with good-natured humor—David Peñalosa.[8]

Vernon Boggs states that the woman's "dancing expertise resides in her ability to entice the male while skillfully avoiding being touched by his vacunao."[9] The pattern of quinto strokes and the pattern of the man's dance steps are at times identical, and at other times, imaginatively matched. The quinto player must be able to switch phrases immediately in response to the dancer’s ever-changing steps.”…

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YOUTUBE VIDEOS
These videos are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

VIDEO #1
This video is embedded at the top of this post.

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VIDEO #2 - Rumba Guaguanco Dance - Domingo Pau & Dayana Torres

Socioswing - Boogalu Productions, Jun 26, 2013

Rumba Guaguanco Dance - Domingo Pau & Dayana Torres

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VIDEO #3 - RUMBA GUAGUANCO- "Calle Damas 713" ► VIADANZA CUBA 2020 ► VIDEO CLIP IN OLD HAVANA 

SalseandoChevere Cuba, Premiered Dec 1, 2020

RUMBA GUAGUANCO

Video: Pedro A. Rodríguez Díaz

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VIDEO #4 - Rumba Guaguancó, , Los Angeles, California

 

Patricia Vision, Sep 1, 2022

Una de las expresiones más  populares  de la música Cubana que le ha dado al mundo, es la Rumba Guaguancó.  El hombre  hace los movimientos pelvicos  para "vacunar" a la mujer ya sea con el pañuelo, la mano, el pie y ella sensualmente sacude con su pañuelo  que él no la pudo "vacunar".  Los tamboreros son también parte de la conversación  ya que ellos siguen el ritmo, cantos  y enfatizan  con toques agudos cuándo el hombre "vacuna".  

You are   watching one of the most popular expressions of the many musical gifts Cuba has given to the world. Watch for the way the male dancer tries to catch the female dancer off guard so that he can "vacunar" her with his foot, his hand or a pelvic thrust and the way she flirtatiously cleans herself with the scarf or skirt to prove that he wasn't quick or slick enough to succeed. The drummers are also part of the conversation as they contribute to the pace and accentuate the movements of the dancers.
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Here's Google translate's Spanish to English translation of the summary that is given in Spanish:
"One of the most popular expressions of Cuban music that it has given to the world is the Rumba Guaguancó. The man makes pelvic movements to "vaccinate" the woman either with his handkerchief, his hand, or her foot and she sensually shakes him with her handkerchief because he could not "vaccinate" her. The drummers are also part of the conversation since they follow the rhythm, sing and emphasize with high-pitched touches when the man "vaccinates."

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Cuban Rumbas - Guaguancó, Yambú, & Columbia Styles

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents general information about Rumba dances as well as information & video examples of the three different types of Cuban Rumba dances: Guaguancó, Yambú, and Columbia.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE RUMBA DANCE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumba
"Rumba is a family of percussive rhythms, song and dance that originated in Cuba as a combination of the musical traditions. The name derives from the Cuban Spanish word rumbo which means "party" or "spree". It is secular, with no religious connections.[2] People of African descent in Havana and Matanzas originally used the word rumba as a synonym for party.[3] Olavo Alén states that over time, "rumba ceased to be simply another word for party and took on the meaning both of a defined Cuban musical genre and also of a very specific form of dance."[4] The term spread in the 1930s and 1940s to the faster popular music of Cuba (the "Peanut Vendor" was a classic), where it was used as a catch-all term, rather like salsa today. Also, the term is used in the international Latin-American dance syllabus, but in reference to a slower dance based on the bolero-son. Ballroom rumba, or rhumba, is essentially son* as opposed to the older folkloric rumba. Similarly, the African style of pop music called African Rumba or soukous is also son-based....
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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_(music)
"The Son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu origin. The Cuban son is one of the most influential and widespread forms of Latin American music: its derivatives and fusions, especially salsa, have spread across the world.[1]

The word son (one of the words that translates to English 'rhythm' from Spanish) has also come to be used for other traditional rural musical styles of Spanish-speaking countries."
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE THREE MAIN FORMS OF RUMBA DANCING
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumba
"The three main forms of rumba today are yambú, and Columbia. The differences between them are in the choreography and the pace.

Guaguancó is a couple dance of sexual competition between the male and female. The female seductively moves her upper and lower body in contrary motion, and holding the ends of her skirt, “opens” and “closes” it in rhythm with the music. The male tries to distract her with fancy (often counter-metric) steps, accented by the quinto, until he is in position to surprise her with a single thrust of his pelvis. This erotic movement is called the vacunao (‘vaccination’ or ‘injection’), a gesture derived from yuka and makuta, symbolizing sexual penetration. The vacunao can also be expressed with a sudden gesture of the hand or foot. The quinto often accents the vacunao, usually as the resolution to a phrase spanning more than one cycle of clave. The female reacts to the vacunao by quickly turning away, bringing the ends of her skirts together, or covering her groin area with her hand (botao), symbolically blocking the “injection.” A male dancer rarely succeeds in surprising his partner. The dance is performed with good-natured humor.[16]

...Yambú is a couple dance like guaguancó but much slower. Vacunao is not used; the phrase en el yambú no se vacuna, "in yambú there is no vaccination", is commonly heard during yambú performances.

Columbia is a fast and highly acrobatic solo male dance."

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From http://www.dancecentral.co.uk/DanceNtral/Articles/rumba.htm
"Rumba
This dance form is an example of a partnered dance. In classes a choreographed sequence is generally taught, but in practice it is an improvised dance.

Editor: Mark Stephens
Rumba is one of the most erotic and sensual of all the Latin dance styles due to its slow rhythms and hip movements that create intense bodily expressions. Rumba is related to Afro-Cuban music, which was introduced to Cuba by African slaves in the sixteenth century. It is also influenced by the music brought to Cuba by Spanish Colonizers. There are several different types of Rumba that have evolved over the years

Early American Rumba:
At the beginning of the twentieth century, a type of Rumba that is characterised by a fast tempo was introduced in to the American dance salons. The tempo is actually nearly twice as fast as the Ballroom Rumba styles...

Many of American Rumba’s dance moves are similar in form to Cha-cha-cha figures. It is thought that perhaps Cha-cha-cha developed from Rumba...

Cuban Rumba:
Cuban Rumba originated in the nineteenth century in the Cuban provinces of Havana and Matanzas. It is entirely different to the Ballroom Rumba and its explicit sexual overtones resulted in its suppression and restriction in many areas, as it was considered indecent and even dangerous. It developed in rural areas, and is still danced today in rural and more urban areas, particularly in areas of large black communities. There are three main types of Cuban Rumba – Yambu, Guaguanco and Columbia:

Rumba Yambu is the slowest of the Rumba styles, and also the oldest, and often involves movements that feign frailty.

Rumba Guaguanco is faster than Yambu and consists of more complex rhythms. It is a flirtatious dance that involves a dance move called the ‘vacunao’, whereby the man’s movements are aggressive and sensually provocative, and the woman’s are defensive. Both Yambu and Guaguanco originated from the suburbs of big cities.

Rumba Columbia is fast and energetic. It is a solo dance that has a 6/8 beat and originated in the more rural areas of Cuba. Creative and acrobatic movements allow the dancer (traditionally male) to demonstrate displays of agility and strength. Humorous overtones also expresses the dancer’s confidence.
Editor: Nichola Manning"

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FEATURED VIDEOS: Rumba Guaguancó

Example #1: Del complejo de la Rumba: Guaguancó


Minou Spits Uploaded on Nov 7, 2009

Mercedes and Yasser (two members of the viaDanza, salsa dance holidays to Cuba team) are performing the rumba at our great location where we have the hottest salsa party in Havana.
Club Salseando Chevere www.club-salseando-chevere.com.
This is part of the lessons of viaDanza.

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Example #2: Rumba Guaguancó - "El Solar de los 6" - Cultura de Cuba - viaDanza Tanzreisen


cannon0815, Uploaded on May 15, 2011

http://www.viadanza.com/

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FEATURED VIDEOS: Rumba Yambu

Example #1: Yambu Stg de Cuba 1.3 (from djembe.fi)


DjembeFi, Uploaded on May 24, 2007

Yambu, Stg.de Cuba style. Yambu is a style of rumba caracterised by slow dance, imitating old's people dance movements. Visit www.djembe.fi for more photos and videos.
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The dancing begins at 6:40 in this video.

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Example #2: Rumba Yambú - "El Solar de los 6" - Cultura de Cuba - viaDanza Tanzreisen

cannon0815, Uploaded on May 27, 2011

http://www.viadanza.com/

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FEATURED VIDEOS: Rumba Columbia
Example #1: Wilmer — rumba columbia


Андрей Логинов, Published on Mar 4, 2012

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Example #2: El Palenque Habana- Rumba columbia (Sabado de la Rumba) 2012, CFNC, Rumberos de cuba



salsa4water, Published on Sep 7, 2012

Filmed in Sabado de la Rumba in summer 2012, Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba. . The group playing are Rumberos de cuba, arguably the best rumba group in cuba of the moment. Featuring among many random dancers, professional dancers from conjunto folklorico, the director (the older last male dancer) of conjunto folklorico and non-professional (but trying hard) Sam from Salsa4water Glasgow before being manned off the stage by a 5 year old. ENJOY!

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Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all the dancers, singers, and musicians and thanks to the publishers of these featured YouTube videos.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Information & Videos About Abakuá Traditions

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post presents information about and seven videos of Abakuá traditional music & masquerade dancing traditions in Cuba and in the United States.

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

INFORMATION ABOUT ABUKUA
From http://www.afrocubaweb.com/abakwa/abakua.htm
"Abakuá - Abakwá - Abacuá – Ñáñigo

Abakuá members derive their culture from the Efik and Efo of the Cross River region in Nigeria, which Cubans call Carabali. They are organized in a set of over 150 potencias (lodges) located mainly in Havana, Matanzas, and Cardenas.

The people of Big Qua Town in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, Nigeria, are known as the Abakpa, the likely source for the name Abakuá. Big Qua Town is the home of the president of the Calabar Mgbe or Ékpè.

The Cuban Abakuá societies have a male-only membership, their Ékpè equivalent in the Cross River State are called lodges in English, they are fraternities. Both the Cuban and Nigerian lodges are Ékpè lodges.

There is also in Cuba an Efo cultural manifestation organized along family lines, the Brikamo, carried by the Calle family in Matanzas.

In 2001, the Efik National Association in the US began to have contact with Cuban Abakuá. There is evidence of prior contacts between the Abakuá and the Efik in Cuba, but the contact has not until now been sustained. Among such evidence is a plaque hanging on the walls of a potencia in Havana given by an Obong, a traditional leader of the Efiks.

The Abakuá gave us the rumba, one of Cuba's principal musical traditions. The Calle family, for example, is of Efo origin and is said to have invented the guaguanco, a type of rumba.

We can also note that the Carabali culture in Santiago (cabildos) and in the center of Cuba is also derived from Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The name Carabali is derived from the slave port of Calabar, as distinct from the Karabali people of the Niger Delta."...
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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abaku%C3%A1
"Abakua or Abakuá (various spellings are used) is an Afro-Cuban men's initiatory fraternity, or secret society, which originated from fraternal associations in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. Known generally as Ekpe, Ngbe, or Ugbe among the multi-lingual groups in the region, these closed groups all used the leopard as a symbol of masculine prowess in war and political authority in their various communities...

The creolized Cuban term Abakuá is thought to refer to the Abakpa area in southeast Nigeria, where the society was active. The first such societies were established by Africans in the town of Regla, Havana, in 1836.[1] This remains the main area of Abakuá implantation, especially the district of Guanabacoa in eastern Havana, and in Matanzas where Afro-Cuban culture is vibrant. While Abakuá eventually came to include members of European descent, this was not accomplished without conflict...

Members of this society came to be known as ñañigos, a word used to designate the street dancers of the society. The ñañigos, who were also called diablitos, were well known by the general population in Cuba through their participation in the carnival on the Day of the Three Kings, when they danced through the streets wearing their ceremonial outfit: a multicolored checkerboard dress, with a conical headpiece topped with tassels[3] Initially, the Abakua accepted only blacks as members; however, in the late nineteenth century the admission policies of the society were liberalized to include mulatos and whites.[4]"

FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1 Abakuá (1962) Dir. Bernabé Hernández



guarachon63, Uploaded on Oct 23, 2011
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Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py5KwcwQAtI
Dan Wilson, 2011
"amazing footage of the result of over 200 years of preserved culture"

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Example #2: YORUBA ANDABO ABAKUA



jgarcia1237,Uploaded on Sep 14, 2007

LA PROTESTA PERFORMED LIVE FILMED AT LA CECILIA IN lA HABANA BY WWW.ORISHAPRODUCTIONS.COM AND JOSEGARCIA1237
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"Yoruba Andabo" is a well known Cuban folkloric group. The English translation for the group's name is "friends of Yoruba (culture).

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Example #3 yoruba andabo 3 abakuá (1992)



guarachon63, Uploaded on Sep 28, 2011
Recorded 1992 at Quinta de los Molinos, Havana

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Example #4: Una rumba abakua



MusicAllVideo1, Uploaded on Aug 26, 2010
Una rumba Abakuà nella plaza Jesus Maria in onore di Ignacio Pineiro fondatore del Septeto Nacional. Tra i protagonisti di questo homenaje troviamo "El Matador" Frank Oropesa e "El Goyo".
Regia: Roberto Ravenna
Riprese e montaggio video: Roberto Ravenna
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[The music starts at 3:30]

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Example #5: Roman Diaz at the abakua conference in brookling



jicamocubano, Uploaded on Sep 27, 2007
Roman Diaz perfoming for the abakua conference in new york
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Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHpxbrm3pks
eyenmmaba, 2010
"the moves and incantations very similar the those of the calabar people despite hundreds of years and thousands of miles of separation by slavery. amazing stuff"

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Example #6: Dia Del Abakua 2013 Miami, Fl



N'dibo Yeve N'go, Published on Jan 8, 2013
This is a brief depiction of an Abakúa masquerade portrayed by Angel Guerrero. Members from most of Cuba's Abaküa potencias (lodges), exiled in Miami are present at this gathering which happens once a year in commemoration of Colonial Cuba's Three Kings Day processions, where all the Cabildos, Potencias, Ile's and various mutual aid societies would bring out their finest regalia, drummers , dancers and chanters in order to win favor with the Governor who would then bestow upon their coffers the Aguinaldo( gift of gold coins) which the members of each society would then use to buy the freedom of their enslaved compatriots.

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Example #7: Echu Alabbony - Abakua en el Patio de la Rumba


atticchris, Uploaded on Mar 7, 2009
Echu Alabbony presenta el espectaculo de los Abakua llevado al arte.
Filmado en el Patio de la Rumba en 2007.
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My Spanish is poor, but what I believe a number of commenters wrote in this video’s viewer comment thread is that this Abakua music & dance performance is a production of a children’s folkloric group and therefore isn’t authentic (particularly with regards to the involvement of children and females), but still should be respected as the group’s attempt to learn about Nigerian traditions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all members of the Abakuá culture. Thanks also those who are featured in the Abakuá videos that are presented in this post, and thanks to those whose information on Abakuá I have quoted. My thanks also to the producers and uploaders of these videos.

Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome