Monday Nov. 16th – Cuban Music
Traditional Rumba – Rumba De Los Rumberos
The song begins with a short introductory instrumentation and then the lead singer begins singing meaningless syllables (‘dianas). After that the song becomes more full with complete instrumentation and vocals, including a chorus. The character of the melody is hard for me to decipher because the words are in Spanish and I am unfamiliar with rumba music, but the song sounds like it is on an important topic. It may not sound happy, but the meaning behind it could be important. The song’s contour is that of a cone, i.e. a gradual beginning and softness pushing to a more relative loudness and quicker speed.
I think I hear 6 layers, one is the lead vocalist, the chorus, 2 Congo drums which are played in different tunes, the shakers, and block/knocking sound (which I found out to be 2 sticks hitting the side of the drum). The 2 Congo drums are typical of traditional Rumba music. They function together as the forefront instrumentation and they have a slight call and response with the deeper tuned drum calling to the higher tuned drum, however it seems like the drums are competing since they do not seem to wait for one another before moving on. This gives the song a feeling of restlessness and increased pace. The shaker and block seem to keep the pulse of the song.
The meter of the song is a very fast 1-2 (duple meter). The phrasing of the song has the lead vocalist putting a lot of words into one breath and only extending his words for a specific ending emphasis. The chorus increases their speed towards the end of the song, also repeating their line of lyrics in one breath. The shaker and block have a more consistent rhythm in their layers, while the Congo drums increase in rhythm further supporting the lead vocalist and chorus. The chorus is a rhythmic pattern that keeps repeating and so is the interval between the higher tuned and lower tuned drums.
There is a disconcerting harmony between the instruments and the lead singer which allows the listener to really hear the vocals while he is singing. The articulation of the vocalists is clear and the music does not interfere with their words. The instruments also articulate their notes well. The song sounds like it is all over the place with the lead singer changing dynamics becoming gradually louder until the end. He also raises the pitch of his voice, while the chorus has a more consistent chanting part in the song. The lead singer maintains a tenor range and the chorus maintained a baritone range.
This rumba song connects to African music because it begins with an instrumentation solo and then a diana (almost a calling of people together). There is a sense of community and call and response from the lead singer to the chorus which could represent “the people.” There are also short stints of solo instrumentation within the song, similar to how African musicians perform solos within a song to show their ability. The loud “calling” of the lead singer and his meaningless sounds, reminds me of African music because it is so commonly used in an introduction of the singer. The loud drumming and use of only “basic” instruments also maintains a feel for Africa.
