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.
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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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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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Daily Kos Article Excerpt About The Yoruba Orisha Oya & Five YouTube Videos Of Cuban Oya Dances

solea1038, Sep 21, 2010

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents an excerpt from the Dec 4, 2022 Daily Kos article by Denise Oliver Velez entitled "Black Music Sunday: Celebrating Changó and Iansã!". That article includes music and dance videos of the orishas Changó (Shango) and Iansã (Yansa, Oya). 

This pancocojams post also showcases four YouTube videos of Oya dances from Cuba.  i These videos are different from the ones that are featured in that Daily Kos article. 

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Praises and thanks to Oya and Shango (who is also referred to in the full article that is excerpted in this pancocojams post.) Thanks to Denise Oliver Velez for her cultural writing, activism, and role modeling. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.  
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/06/brazilian-songs-dances-for-iansa-yansa.html for a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Brazilian Songs & Dances For Iansã (Yansã, Oya)".

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ARTICLE EXCERPT:.

From https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/4/2138529/-Black-Music-Sunday-Celebrating-Chang-and-Ians "Black Music Sunday: Celebrating Changó and Iansã!" written by  Denise Oliver Velez, Dec. 4, 2022
"Dec. 4 may not be listed as a holiday on your calendar, but millions of people in the Caribbean and Brazil, along with African-diasporic religionists here in the U.S., spend the day in celebration of a Christian saint, St. Barbara, who is the public face of two “Orishas” of West African origin. Those “Orishas,” or forces of nature with a god-like quality, are known as Chango or Shango in Spanish-speaking cultures; Xangô in Brazil; Oya or Yansa in Spanish; or Iansã in Portuguese.

It’s always interesting to me how countries portrayed as having majority Roman Catholic populations manage to mask the fact that being Catholic in many cases does not negate that a far older form of spirituality, brought here to this hemisphere via the transatlantic slave trade, is still practiced. In many cases it has grown into larger numbers in these countries than current adherents in West Africa. 

Out of those traditions comes a wealth of music, and dance, some of which I have posted here in the past.

[...]

Oya, or Yansa, is the Orisha who rules the winds. Tornados and whirlwinds accompanied by lightning are her element. She is a warrior Orisha who rides to do battle at the side of Shango, her husband. She is also the guardian of the gates to the cemetery. Her symbols are masks, and a horsetail fly-whisk. Her number is nine, said to represent the nine tributaries of the Niger River. She is Catholic, syncretized with The Virgin of Candelaria in Cuba, one of many manifestations of a Black Madonna who came from the old world to the new.

The Yorùbá name “Ọya Ìyánsán” means literally “Oya mother of nine (children)”. Oya is the goddess in charge of wind, tornado, torrential rain and hurricans and beloved wife of Orisha Shango, who is often only called by his name Yor. “ọkọ Ọya”, husband of Oya. Like wind and thunderstorm they cannot be separated one from another. Oya was Ogun’s wife, but left him for Shango. She is also hot-tempered and energetic. In Yorùbáland, Oya is the Orisha of the river Niger. In Cuba she resides at the entrance to the cemetery, where she leads the dead ones and hands them over to the female Orisha Oba and Yewa, who live inside these walls. Walking on the boundary between life and death Oya is closely related to the Yor. “Eégún”, the dead ancestors. She herself had nine stillborn children she is still protecting. With strong winds she can blow away obstacles and bring new things into the life. Oya stands for the female strength in times of struggle, respected for her strong will and fearless through her connection with the world of the deads. Oya is the female warrior goddess and also known for her strong medicines. Oya’s color is mostly burgundy or wine-red. Around her waist she wears a belt with nine different colored pieces of clothes attached, symbols for being the mother of nine dead children. Oya can wear all colors, except black. Sometimes palm fibers from the “palma real,” Shango’s tree, are added.

[...]

She carries an “ìrùkẹ̀” made of a black horsetail. She can hold a “machete” or a “vaina,” a huge painted seed from the flamboyant tree, in her hands. It has the form and almost the size of a “machete” and is used like a rattle to call her. In her dance Oya moves around like a whirlwind or tornado, spins around her axis to the left. She swings her whisk above her head, brings wind and dynamic change, clears and purifies the air. She brings both arms high in the air above her head in mirrored positions and in a sudden powerful movement stretches them downwards to her hips, followed by a wave, a spinal ripple, moving through her body, going from her pelvis up where it twists the head. She is crying out loudly while dancing, looks fierce and strong, aggressive and violent, her movements are impulsive, energetic and characterized by abrupt stops. Some people say one dance of her in the rhythm “shashalokafun” is related to the buffalo, her sacred animal and the steps mimic the gallop of this massive animal."...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Yoruba Andabo - Oyá Yansa

AyvaMusica,  Jan 6, 2014

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: La Rumba No Va A Morir - Echu Alabbony - Event Yoruba Oya

attic chris, Jan 10, 2018

La Rumba No Va A Morir presents a spectacular event by Echu Alabbony - Yoruba Oya Natividad Calderón prepared a beautiful event with the kids of the group Echú Alabbony in 2007 in the streets of Juanelo, San Miguel del Padron, Havana, Cuba. I had the chance to film this event together with Virna Hernandez. This was one of the most beautiful times of the project!

https://www.atticindependent.ch/en/la...

Isnay Martinez dances for the Yoruba goddess Oya, expressing her power and Barbaro Crespo Richa makes his debut on the Bata Mayor. Enjoy!

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4: oya yansa abbilona

lolo, June 27, 2018

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #5: Leydis Teodoro - Oya @ UNiDANZA - The Afro Cuban Dance Festival Hamburg

StarMamboVideo, Feb 27, 2020

Leydis Teodoro - Oya @ UNiDANZA - The Afro Cuban Dance Festival Hamburg, With live percussion 7 Potencia, Arturo y Marcus

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Information About The History Of The Conga Dance & Seven YouTube Video Examples Of Cuban Conga Troupes (Comparsas)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series on Conga music, Conga troupes (comparsas) and the Conga line (dance).

This post provides an excerpt from an online article about the history of the conga dance. This pancocojams post also showcases seven YouTube videos of Cuban Conga troupes (comparsas).

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/05/three-wikipedia-article-excerpts-about.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I presents an excerpt from a Wikipedia articles about Santiago de Cuba. This pancocojams post also presents excerpts from a Wikipedia article about Conga music and about the annual Carnival of Santiago de Cuba.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/05/article-excerpt-about-history-of-conga.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III provides an excerpt from an online article about the history of the conga line dance and showcases five YouTube videos of Conga lines outside of Cuba.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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

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ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CONGA DANCE
From https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/the-conga-dance-people/
Bringing People Together with the Conga Dance By Bernadine Racoma - June 11, 2013
“The Conga is a Latin dance of African-Cuban descent. The name conga is believed to have originated from the African region of Congo, although Latin music historian Isabelle Leymarie claims that conga may have come from a Bantu word that means both song and tumult.

Origin of the Conga
The conga is said to be a combination of slave dance forms and the dances that came from poor Europeans. Slaves are widely credited for having brought the conga to Cuba. Some believe that the dance took form when the slaves started dancing while they were chained together. Another legend says that the dance came to life when the captives from the slave ships were brought on deck to exercise. Others claim that the conga dance was never a slave dance but rather one that came from the dancing and chanting lines that followed the processions of the Virgin Mary during Easter festivities.

The conga was initially a street dance in Cuba, specifically in the city of Santiago. In Cuba, the conga is called the comparsa. Both the music and dance were originally performed in carnival processions and African slave celebrations. It played a significant role in the processional Corpus Christi and Epiphany carnival dance that was attended by the political and social elites of Cuba since the 1600s. Back then, it was done in both its forms for line and couple dancing.

The dance was also used by some politicians before the elections in order to catch the appeal of the public. During the dictatorship of Machado, residents of Havana were not allowed to dance the conga, as the opposition could manipulate them into high excitement, which would lead to street fighting. At the time of the presidency of Fulgencio Batista in the 1940s, he allowed people to dance the conga during the elections, but only with permission form the police.

Some people mistakenly believe that Lucille Ball’s husband, Desi Arnaz, is the inventor of dance. However, Arnaz merely popularized the Brazilian conga in 1939 when he moved to the U.S from Cuba and began performing the dance in clubs and television performances with his wife.

Significance of the Conga
Although the conga may look silly and fun, it was part of the Congo slaves’ religion and actually has ceremonial and ritualistic origins. The dance was a means for the slaves to celebrate victory or success, and it was also a way for them to express their grievances and frustrations without being blatant about it.

The conga has also been used to express protective unity and seriousness. On March 1965, a group of women danced the conga line all night around a gathering of civil rights demonstrators.

Music Behind the Conga
Strictly speaking, the term conga refers to a tall-single headed and narrow drum that originated in Cuba. It is widely believed that the original drums were made out of salvaged barrels, because the present-day drums are staved, like barrels. Their shape makes them distinctive from the African drum.

In its native Cuba, this drum is called tumbadora or tumba and they are usually played when Afro-Latin dances are performed. The drum only came to be called a conga drum in the 1920s when the conga dance was at the height of its popularity in the U.S and Americans began calling it the conga drum. The term “conga” in Spanish refers to a woman from Conga.

Most congas are led by a musician leader at the start of the line in charge of keeping the beat on a pair of bongos. However, traditional Cuban congas were led by a trio of drums. The smallest drum, called the quinto, was a solo instrument used to introduce new rhythms. The middle-sized conga, or also known as a tresgolpes, and the larger tumba provided the base rhythms.

Modern-day conga drums have been lessened to two, and instead of being placed on the ground, they are mounted on stands in such a way that they can be played by only one drummer. This way one musician can easily combine the rhythms of the quinto, conga, and tumba to produce sound that is fairly close to the original three-drum configuration. The drummer is also not limited to just drumming with the hands, since a polyrhythmic 6/8 pattern is sometimes included into of the conga music parts. The sound comes in the form of sticks on a hollow wooden box or a cajon, or on the side of a drum.

Dancing the Conga
The conga dance style resembles a march because of the distinctive rhythm coming from the conga drum. It is very different from other Latin dances, such as the rumba that uses more hip movements and portrays the dancer’s sensually aggressive attitude. The conga is known as a “mixer” dance, which means it mixes the crowd in parties and other functions.

The conga usually consists only of drums and shakers as the only accompanying instruments. The conga beat is a syncopated 4/4, with a step on each of the first three beats of the measure, followed by a delayed touch of the foot to either side of the direction in which the line of dancers is going.

The conga is commonly done in a long, single-file line, but it can also be performed with a partner. The dancers form a long line and dance three shuffle steps on the beat, with a kick slightly ahead of the fourth beat after. In other words, the count is a simply one-two-three-kick. When done in a line, the dancers put their hands on the waist of the person in front of them, and the line zigzags through the room. When done with a partner, the couple faces each other but moves in opposite directions. Both partners will move to their right and then reverse directions.

When dancing the conga, it is important to take small steps so the line will not break. It is also helpful to remember to always kick to the side, and not in front or backwards. It is also advisable to make movements as small as possible, which will also help in ensuring that the integrity of the conga line remains intact.
Leaders of a conga line need to have a good sense of the general layout of the room before the conga line even begins, as this will make the dance smoother and less awkward. The conga line usually doesn’t last very long, only lasting around a minute or two before dancers start breaking away from the line.

The conga is both lyrical and danceable, with music based on those of carnival troupes and comparsas. The musicians use unique instruments and play a rhythm that most foreigners have not seen nor heard before.

The Rise of the Conga
Its rise in popularity in the U.S. began when the La Conga Nightclub opened in New York City in 1929, and reached its peak in the 1930s and 1950s. Because of this beginning, many people write off the conga as simply a novelty dance or a fad.

There was a period in history when the conga could be seen literally everywhere. The conga’s swift rise in popularity can be attributed to the simplicity of the dance. In the 1930s, Americans found the dance interesting and easy to dance to, with its repetitive step-step-step-kick to the right then repeated to the left.

The conga also appealed to Americans because it was a welcoming and celebratory kind of dance, unlike other Latin dances that Americans are a lot more hesitant to try. Conga lines were generally perceived to be light-hearted celebrations that large groups of people could enjoy together by participating in mass dancing.

The conga’s popularity led to numerous references in popular culture. Plenty of cartoons made by Warner Bros. in the 1940s contained a reference to the conga. Nowadays, knowledge of the dance and its popularity has waned but one may still encounter the occasional conga line at a wedding or party."

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Video #1: La Conga Santiaguera Part 1



DJOMARITO, Published on Jun 23, 2009

Video grabado el 14 de Junio del 2004. Calle Juela % Julian del Casal y Perez Andres, Los Hoyos, Santiago de Cuba. La famosa Conga de Los Hoyos.
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Google translate from Spanish to English:
"Video recorded on the 14th of June, 2004 in the neighborhood of Los Hoyos in Santiago de Cuba."

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Video #2: Congas : Encuentro San Agustín / Los Hoyos



D Ritmacuba, Published on Oct 5, 2009

Les rencontres de congas qui précèdent l'Invasion de Los Hoyos et la compétition du carnaval. Ici la conga de San Agustín accompagnée par son quartier vient rencontrer (défier?) la conga de Los Hoyos sur ses terres. juillet 2009 http://www.ritmacuba.com
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Google translate from French to English
"The congas meetings that precede the Los Hoyos Invasion and the carnival competition. Here the conga of San Agustín accompanied by its neighborhood comes to meet (defy?) The conga of Los Hoyos on its lands."

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Video #3: san juan camagueyano carnavales cuba part 1



Channel Hernandez, Published on Jul 15, 2011

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Video #4: La Conga de Los Hoyos en El Cobre - 2



D Ritmacuba, Published on Feb 10, 2012

2e partie. La célèbre Conga de Los Hoyos de Santiago de Cuba accomplit la promesse de son directeur de venir célébrer la vierge d'El Cobre. En bas des marches du sanctuaire elle commence à défiler en conga au son des cornetas chinas, à la surprise et contentement de la population de la petite ville.
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Google translate from Spanish to English:
"2nd part. The famous Conga de Los Hoyos of Santiago de Cuba fulfills the promise of its director to come and celebrate the Virgin of El Cobre. At the bottom of the steps of the sanctuary she begins to parade in conga to the sound of cornetas chinas, to the surprise and satisfaction of the population of the small town."

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Video #5: CONGA CASTILO DEL MORO - SANTIAGO DE CUBA



salsaEleggua, Published on Jan 14, 2013

pendant le festival del Carïbe, défilé d'une conga improvisée par les danseur d'une communauté haïtienne.
-snip-
Google translation from French to English:
"During the festival of Caribe, parade of a conga improvised by the dancer of a Haitian community."
-snip-
According to this summary, this dance troupe is made up of people of Haitian descent who live in Cuba.

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Video #6: Conga Santiaguera



Germán López, Published on Oct 12, 2013

Desfile de una conga en Santiago de Cuba, en las semanas previas al carnaval
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Google translate from Spanish to English:
"Parade of a conga in Santiago de Cuba, in the weeks leading up to the carnival"

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Video #7: Au coeur de la Conga de Los Hoyos - Santiago de Cuba



salsaEleggua, Published on Oct 24, 2015

ballade au cœur de la conga de los hoyos dans les rues de Santiago de Cuba.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:

In the heart of Los Hoyos Conga (In the heart of the Conga de Los Hoyos)

walk in the heart [the midst] of the conga de los hoyos in the streets of Santiago de Cuba.

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Three Wikipedia Article Excerpts About Conga Music, Conga Troupes (Comparsas), & The Carnival Of Santiago De Cuba

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series on Conga music, Conga troupes (comparsas) and the Conga line (dance).

Part I presents an excerpt from a Wikipedia articles about Santiago de Cuba. This pancocojams post also presents excerpts from a Wikipedia article about Conga music and about the annual Carnival of Santiago de Cuba.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/05/information-about-history-of-conga.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. Part II provides an excerpt from an online article about the history of the conga dance. That pancocojams post also showcases seven YouTube videos of Cuban Conga troupes (comparsas).

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/05/article-excerpt-about-history-of-conga.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III provides an excerpt from an online article about the history of the conga line dance and showcases five YouTube videos of Conga lines outside of Cuba.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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ARTICLE EXCERPTS ABOUT SANTIAGO, CUBA, CONGA MUSIC, AND THE CARNIVAL OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA
These articles are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Article Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Cuba
"Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some 870 km (540 mi) southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.

[...]

Historically Santiago de Cuba has long been the second-most important city on the island after Havana, and still remains the second-largest. It is on a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is an important sea port. In the 2012 population census, the city of Santiago de Cuba recorded a population of 431,272 people.[1]

[...]

The city had a huge influx of French and British immigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Some eighteen thousand refugees, both ethnic French whites and free people of color, and African freedmen, came from Saint-Domingue in the summer of 1803 during the last days of the Haitian slave revolt, which had started in 1791.[5] Other refugees had emigrated from Saint-Domingue earlier in the revolution. Haiti declared its independence as a republic in 1804.

The French were withdrawing surviving troops after suffering heavy losses from warfare and yellow fever. The immigrants, who included freedmen as France had abolished slavery on Saint-Domingue, struggled to maintain their freedom in Cuba, which was still a slave society. Cuba initially allowed only white refugees, women of color, children, and loyal "domestics" to land; French troops and all men of color over the age of thirteen were held off shore, to be rapidly deported to the mainland, as they were considered a revolutionary threat.[5] Some French soldiers joined other refugees in Charleston, South Carolina, or New York City; others went to New Orleans.

The refugees who stayed added to the city's eclectic cultural mix, already rich with Spanish and African culture. Some of the women and children were impressed into slavery again, although they had been free. In 1809, after Napoleon Bonaparte's forces invaded Spain, French citizens were ordered out of Cuba.[6] Most went to the United States, and thousands settled in New Orleans, with the freedmen increasing its African culture, as most had been born in Africa. The ethnic French whites and free people of color, generally with longer ties to French culture, added their flavor to the culture of the city as well.

Near the end of the century, during the Spanish–American War, Santiago was the site of the major defeat of Spanish troops at San Juan Hill on July 1, 1898. After capturing the surrounding hills, United States General William Rufus Shafter laid siege to the city.[7] Spain later surrendered to the United States after Admiral William T. Sampson destroyed the Spanish Atlantic fleet just outside Santiago's harbor on July 3, 1898.[7][8] Cuba had declared independence from Spain but was occupied by US troops for several years. Historians suggest they were there to ensure the sugar economy continued to be productive.

[...]

Santiago de Cuba is well known for its traditional dances, most notably son, from which salsa has been derived. The city celebrates Carnival in July, although it typically precedes Lent. With the city preoccupied with the holiday, Castro chose July 26 to enter undetected into the city to assault the Moncada Barracks. During Carnival, traditional conga music is played in the streets on a traditional pentatonic trumpet, called the trompeta china.

A relatively high number of residents of the city adhere to Afro-Cuban religions, most notably santería. The city hosts an important community of descendants of immigrants from the early 19th century from what is now Haiti. Some aspects of the religious "vodún" heritage of the city can be traced back to this community.”…

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Article Excerpt #2
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_of_Santiago_de_Cuba
“Whether they are called carnavales, charangas or parrandas, large public celebrations dating at least (in Santiago de Cuba) as far back as the 17th century are common throughout Cuba. However, among Cubans, the Carnaval of Santiago de Cuba enjoys a special status (Pérez I 1988:20).

The history of Carnival in Cuba has been nuanced by a wide variety of interests and influences [that] cannot be explained only in terms of its African roots. Many of the practices and events within carnival culture are deliberately and consciously framed to connect to a construct of African’s that has resulted from over one hundred years of multicultural Cuban history.[1] Carnival has always been an expression of shifting power negotiations among various aspects of Cuban society.

Origin of the Carnaval: Mamarrachos
Carnival (Spanish “carnaval”), a pre-Lenten festival commonly held in Roman Catholic countries, became popular in Spain from the middle of the 16th century, was presumably brought to Cuba by Hispanic colonists (Pérez I 1988:15) and has been the basis for traditional celebrations in Cuba ever since (for example, Carnaval habanero). However, what is today called the Carnaval of Santiago de Cuba is not a manifestation of pre-Lenten carnival, which would be celebrated in February or March, but evolved out of the summer festivals formerly referred to as the (Fiestas de) mamarrachos (Brea and Millet 1993:193).[2] Mamarrachos were held on June 24 (St. John’s [Midsummer] Day), June 29 (St. Peter’s Day), July 24 (St. Christine’s Day), July 25 (St. James the Apostle’s Day) and July 26 (St. Anne’s Day).

[…]

The main activities were music, dancing and consumption of large quantities of alcoholic beverages. (Pérez I 1988:24, note 1).

The precise age and origins of the mamarrachos are unknown. The word "mamarrachos" itself does not appear in records until 1757 (Pérez I 1988:28). The festivals themselves are recorded as early as 1679, but certainly date from earlier on (Pérez I 1988:24). There are two theories about the origin of the summer festivals of Santiago. One is that they resulted from a gradual extension of more traditional European festivals, including carnaval (Pérez I 1988:21)[3] Another theory is that the mamarrachos of July 24-6 had their genesis in the procession of St. James the Apostle, who is the patron saint of Santiago de Cuba (del Carmen et al. 2005) [2]. The two theories are not mutually exclusive (see also below "Winter Carnival vs. Summer Carnival").

[...]

Comparsa
The most important manifestations of the mamarrachos and the present-day carnaval of Santiago are the parades or street performances of comparsas. The Castilian word comparsa comes from the Italian comparire – “to appear briefly” – as in a walk-on appearance in a theatre. It can also mean a group of musicians and dancers who perform in the streets during (pre-Lenten) carnival or other festivals.

Comparsas are mentioned in connection with the mamarrachos of St. John and St. Peter in Santiago as early as 1679 (Pérez I 1988:24). The first comparsa recorded was called “Los Alegrones” and was active in 1757 (Pérez I 1988:28). The names of 46 comparsas that were active in the 19th century along with some details about their costumes, themes, etc. are mentioned by Nancy Pérez (I 1988:137-9), the Cuban historian of the Santiagueran carnaval.

Pérez divides 19th century Santiagueran comparsas into two categories: paseos and congas (Pérez I 1988:136)[5][6] The paseo was distinguished "by its accompanying music, the scenography and the choreographed dance steps that it performed (Pérez I 1988:136)." Ramón Martínez defined a paseo as a "type of comparsa but instead of Tajona,[7] the accompaniment was orchestral music, pasodobles and light marches." (Brea and Millet 1993:196). The musical ensembles that accompanied the paseos were usually mobile versions of the danzoneras or orquestas típicas that played in the dance halls or, sometimes, Spanish military bands (Pérez I 1988:106-7). Speaking of the 20th century, Brea and Millet (1993:196) add that "The paseos used [North American-style] Jazz Band orchestras, even though they have more drums and interpret popular current musical pieces." This usage of the word paseo to mean a type of comparsa should not be confused with the usage that signifies a parade of animal-drawn carriages or wagons (see above: "A typical 19th century Mamarrachos").

The second type was the conga, which was a “large conglomeration of dancers who, in an orderly, uniform manner, and dressed in accord with a selected theme, dance a rhythmic step in time with the accompanying instruments, which are almost always mainly percussion (drums: tumbas, quintos, and metal pans)" (Pérez I 1988:136). The congas were composed mainly of humble folk of scanty means; the paseos tended to be more lavish and required more capital. What the congueros[8] lacked in material goods, they had to make up for in inventiveness. It was in the conga that the unique, characteristic music and dance of the Carnaval of Santiago de Cuba originated and evolved (see Conga).

[...]

Winter Carnival vs. Summer Carnival
Mamarrachos were held well after the end of the zafra (sugar cane harvest) which runs from January to May. This meant that unemployed sugar cane workers, most of whom were African and mulatto slaves and freedmen, were able to participate, and probably had done so from a very early period in the history of Santiago.[12] “Summer Carnival [mamarrachos] originally was intended as a period of rest and divertissement for the laborers (the Blacks) and was eventually nicknamed ‘Carnaval de las classes bajas’ (or Carnival of the lower classes)…” (Bettelheim 1993:105). Pérez (I 1988:21) states that the Spanish colonial authorities (in response to pressure from plantation owners) permitted the growth of the mamarrachos in order to distract the slaves (and freedmen, who were typically in sympathy with the slaves) from more subversive activities.

Today in Havana, Matanzas and Santiago de Cuba, Carnival is celebrated on July 18–27, in honor of the Revolution, with the final complete Carnival parade held on the 26th[citation needed]. This date commemorates Castro’s assault on the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba on July 26, 1953, which had been planned to coincide with traditional Carnival in that city.[13] Until the 1920s there were two types of Carnival celebrations in Santiago. When it was celebrated in relation to the Catholic calendar, carnival was held in February or March, during the several days prior to the Lenten period. It was called Winter Carnival and was private in nature, supported by certain organizations and their clubs like the Philharmonic Society, the Club San Carlos, the Club Catalonia, or the Club Galicia. These clubs were firmly rooted in Santiago social life by the 1860s.[14] Membership was restricted and most of these organizations had their own buildings where members could meet, rehearse, and sponsor galas. Winter carnival was nicknamed “Carnaval por los blancos cubanos” (Carnaval for white Cubans), meaning Cubans with more Spanish than African heritage.[15]

There was also a summer carnival, a Carnaval Santiaguero that originated during the slavery period. Held after the sugar and coffee harvest, it originally was intended as a period of rest and was eventually for the black laborers. And it nicknamed “Carnaval de las clases bajas” (Carnaval of the lower classes) or “Carnaval de los mamarrachos” which also coincided with the celebration of Santiago day on July 25.[16].
By the 1920s Winter Carnaval celebrations were abandoned, and Summer Carnaval remained the only Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba.”...

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Article Excerpt #3
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conga_(music)
"Conga (music)
The term conga refers to the music groups within Cuban comparsas and the music they play. Comparsas are large ensembles of musicians, singers and dancers with a specific costume and choreography which perform in the street carnivals of Santiago de Cuba and Havana.[1][2]

The instrumentation differs between congas santiagueras and congas habaneras. Congas santiagueras include the corneta china (Chinese cornet), which is an adaptation of the Cantonese suona introduced in Oriente in 1915, and its percussion section comprises bocúes (similar to African ashiko drums), the quinto (highest pitched conga drum), galletas and the pilón, as well as brakes which are struck with metal sticks.[1] Congas habaneras lack the corneta china but include trumpets, trombones and saxophones, and they have a different set of percussion instruments: redoblantes (side drums), bombos (bass drums), quinto, tumbadora (the lowest pitched conga drum), and metallic idiophones such as cowbells, spoons, frying pans and rims.

[...]

Stylistic origins: Congolese and West African traditions

Cultural origins: Cuba, mid-19th century

Typical instruments: Corneta china, trumpet, trombone, bokú, bombo, conga drums, metallic idiophones

Derivative forms: Ballroom Conga”...

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This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Playing For Change - Guantanamera (video & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about the Cuban song "Guantanamera" and showcases a video of that song that was produced by Playing For Change>

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of "Guantanamera" and thanks to all those who are featured in this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the Playing for Change movement.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 1SONG "GUANTANAMERA"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamera
"Guantanamera" (Spanish: "from Guantánamo, feminine") is perhaps the best known Cuban song and that country's most noted patriotic song, especially when using a poem by the Cuban poet, José Martí, for the lyrics....

The better known "official" lyrics are based on selections from the poetry collection Versos Sencillos (Simple Verses) by Cuban poet and independence hero José Martí, as adapted by Julián Orbón. Given Martí's significance to the Cuban people, the use of his poem in the song virtually elevated it to unofficial anthem status in the country....

Given the song's musical structure, which fits A-B-A-B (sometimes A-B-B-A) octosyllabic verses, "Guantanamera" lent itself from the beginning to impromptu verses, improvised on the spot, similar to what happens with the Mexican folk classic "La Bamba". Joseíto Fernández first used the tune to comment on daily events on his radio program by adapting them to the song's melody, and then using the song to conclude his show. Through this use, "Guantanamera" became a popular vehicle for romantic, patriotic, humorous, or social commentary in Cuba and elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world.

The lyrics often sung by Fernández are about a woman from Guantánamo, with whom he had a romantic relationship, and who eventually left him...

Music
The music for the song is sometimes attributed to Joseíto Fernández as well,[1] who claimed to have written it at various dates (consensus puts 1929 as its year of origin), and who used it regularly in one of his radio programs. Some claim that the song's structure actually came from Herminio "El Diablo" García Wilson, who could be credited as a co-composer. García's heirs took the matter to court decades later, but lost the case; the People's Supreme Court of Cuba credited Fernández as the sole composer of the music in 1993. Regardless of either claim, Fernández can safely be claimed as being the first to promote the song widely through his radio programs.[2]"...

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From http://folkmusic.about.com/od/folksongs/qt/Guantanamera.htm "Guantanamera: History of A Folk Song" By Kim Ruehl, Updated November 24, 2014.
"Originally written in 1929 as a patriotic song about Cuba, the rhyme scheme and structure of "Guantanamera" has always lent itself easily to evolution and adaptation - both things necessary for any good protest song. The tune has been evolved through the years and used in struggles for peace and justice across Latin America and the US, and has been recorded by a remarkably long and diverse list of artists..."
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Click http://lyricstranslate.com/en/gauntanamera-guantanamera.html for one version of the lyrics for the song "Guantanamera" in Spanish and in English.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO : Guantanamera | Playing For Change | Song Around The World



Playing For Change, Published on Jul 1, 2014

Playing For Change is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music. Join us at https://playingforchange.com/

We invite you to watch and enjoy another Song Around The World from our new album: "Guantanamera". We started the song with Carlos Varela in Havana and it features over 75 Cuban musicians around the world, from Havana and Santiago to Miami, Barcelona and Tokyo. We recorded and produced this track with Jackson Browne, who explains that "traveling with Playing For Change across Cuba was one of the most rewarding and inspiring musical experiences of my life."
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread:
Irene Arce, 2015
"Haciendo honor a su riquísima tradición musical, estos artistas cubanos nos brindan esta fantástica versión musicalizada de poemas de José Martí."

Google translate from Spanish to English:
Honoring its rich musical tradition, these Cuban artists give us this fantastic version musicalizada of poems by José Martí.

**
reymel gonzalez, 2016
"hola soy un cubano que vive en la isla.. no tenia idea de tantas personas de todo el mndo tenis opiniones tan hermozas y llenas de amor hacia mi cultura de la cual estoy 100% orgulloso me gustaria agradecer a todos por sus palabras son muy reconfortantes y le hago llegar a todos sin espcion un abrazo de parte de todos los cubanos 100000000000 "

Google translate [with my suggested translations in brackets]
hi i am a Cuban who lives on the island .. I had no idea so many people around the [world has so much family feelings and full of love for my culture of which I am 100% proud I would like to thank everyone for their words are very comforting and I extend to all without [exception] a hug from all Cubans 100000000000 thanks to all (as)

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Michael Feehan, 2016
"Diana Fuentes - Carlos Varela - Equis Alphonso - Hernan Lopez Nussa - Que mas se puede ! Jugando para el cambio - Maravilloso ! Absolutamente el major "Guantanamera"

Google translate from Spanish to English:
Diana Fuentes - Carlos Varela - Equis Alfonso - Hernan Lopez Nussa - What else can! Playing for Change - Wonderful! Absolutely the best "Guantanamera"

**
Pilar Lopez, 2016
Preciosa versión !!!! La esencia de Cuba, esta aqui.
[English translation from Spanish] :
Precious version. The essence of Cuba is here.

**
Hit_The_Road_Jack, 2016
"President Obama called for "Change" when he ran for office ... this classic Cuban theme song would be a fitting welcome to him when he lands in Havana."
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Click http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/20/politics/obama-visit-cubans-reaction/index.html "Cubans look forward to Obama visit" By Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Sun March 20, 2016 for a news article about United States President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba, the first time a United States President has visited Cuba in nearly ninety years.

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RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/01/seven-videos-of-queen-of-salsa-celia.html for a pancocojams post that features videos of seven songs that are performed by Cuban vocalist Celia Cruz. "Guantanamera" is one of those featured songs.

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