Roots of Cuban Music - Cuban Son Complex
Olavo Alen Rodriguz identifies 5 distinct styles of Cuban music. He classifies Cuban music into son, Cuban song, punto guajiro, danzon, and rumba. We will be talking about son music, arguably the most identifiable genre of Cuban music.
Nengon could be considered the father of both changui and Cuban son music as we know it today. Nengon changed into changui in Guantanamo, and son (the sub style, not the generic style) in Santiago de Cuba. Kiriba, which we talk about later, also had a role in becoming changui when it fused with nengon. Nengon is also identifiable by its constant alternation of the singer and a chorus.
The traditional instruments used in nengon were the Cuban tres guitar, guiro, and the tingotalango or tumbandera. The tingotalango was made by tying a rope to a tree branch and then pulling down on the rope. The rope was then tied down to a rock, and the effect was like a bass guitar. Eventually the marimbula replaced the tingotalango, and while the marimbula is still being used in music today, it has largely been replaced by the bass guitar.
Nengon, when played in a modern context, uses the instrumentation of a changui ensemble. Musicians will often confuse the differences and think of all of this early music as changui. The main difference is (as mentioned above) the chorus and singer alternating through the entire song, and the fact that changui is much more syncopated and usually has identifiable sections.
Kiriba is a style of Son from a different area of Cuba. It mostly originated in the Baracoa area, which is also where the changui was created. Changui was invented where kiriba and nengon join together in a fusion of the 2 styles. In the absence of kiriba, nengon evolved into son.
Like nengon, the kiriba's identifying feature is the constant alternation of improvisational verses sung by a soloist and a chorus. Generally kiriba is played with tres, bongos, maracas, guiro, and marímbula, (this ensemble is similar to the changui). Nengon and Kiriba are practiced in the mountain regions of Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Like nengon, kiriba is practiced in the mountains around Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, with Baracoa being a particularly vibrant area for kiriba.
Born in Guantanamo Province (the Baracoa region mostly), changui is a fusion of kiriba and nengon. We discussed nengon and kiriba above, but many people still ask is a song changui or nengon or kiriba? You will likely get some conflicting answers depending on who you ask. It is fairly easy to answer from an academic point of view, but you will likely have some qustions. Let's try to answer them.
What is the difference between changui and nengon or kiriba? The academic answer is that you are playing changui once the ensemble consists of these 4 musical instruments: marimbula, bongo, tres, guiro(or guayo) and a singer(s). Also, note that changui has no son clave. Clave had not been invented yet. Instead, the guayo plays on the down beats.
Musicians who play these styles will often consider a song a changui anytime the bongo player and the tres player are playing very syncopated lines which start on the 16th note ahead of the beat. Just remember though that the real difference between changui and the earlier style is instrumentation and the repetitive chorus and singing in nengon and kiriba.
Another problem is that someone from Guantanamo who plays "Cuban" music is often times considered a changuicerro. A good example of this is Elio Reve, who does play Son with some changui elements, but this style of Cuban music is really Son Moderno.
You may wonder why there is so much emphasis on the eastern parts of Cuba. It is not that there is no music in the western and central areas, it just evolved differently. There are definite sub-styles of son from these regions, especially sucu-sucu, but most musicologists agree that son was born in the mountains of Oriente (Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba).
For more information please visit: Salsa Blanca - Cuban Music, Dance, and Culture
Con Sabor Al Guaso- Ban Rarra
Official Retrospective Of Cuban Music
Nengon - The First Form Of Son In Cuba
Nengon could be considered the father of both changui and Cuban son music as we know it today. Nengon changed into changui in Guantanamo, and son (the sub style, not the generic style) in Santiago de Cuba. Kiriba, which we talk about later, also had a role in becoming changui when it fused with nengon. Nengon is also identifiable by its constant alternation of the singer and a chorus.
The traditional instruments used in nengon were the Cuban tres guitar, guiro, and the tingotalango or tumbandera. The tingotalango was made by tying a rope to a tree branch and then pulling down on the rope. The rope was then tied down to a rock, and the effect was like a bass guitar. Eventually the marimbula replaced the tingotalango, and while the marimbula is still being used in music today, it has largely been replaced by the bass guitar.
Nengon, when played in a modern context, uses the instrumentation of a changui ensemble. Musicians will often confuse the differences and think of all of this early music as changui. The main difference is (as mentioned above) the chorus and singer alternating through the entire song, and the fact that changui is much more syncopated and usually has identifiable sections.
Kiriba - Music From Baracoa Cuba
Kiriba is a style of Son from a different area of Cuba. It mostly originated in the Baracoa area, which is also where the changui was created. Changui was invented where kiriba and nengon join together in a fusion of the 2 styles. In the absence of kiriba, nengon evolved into son.
Like nengon, the kiriba's identifying feature is the constant alternation of improvisational verses sung by a soloist and a chorus. Generally kiriba is played with tres, bongos, maracas, guiro, and marímbula, (this ensemble is similar to the changui). Nengon and Kiriba are practiced in the mountain regions of Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Like nengon, kiriba is practiced in the mountains around Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, with Baracoa being a particularly vibrant area for kiriba.
Changui - Born From Nengon and Kiriba
Born in Guantanamo Province (the Baracoa region mostly), changui is a fusion of kiriba and nengon. We discussed nengon and kiriba above, but many people still ask is a song changui or nengon or kiriba? You will likely get some conflicting answers depending on who you ask. It is fairly easy to answer from an academic point of view, but you will likely have some qustions. Let's try to answer them.
What is the difference between changui and nengon or kiriba? The academic answer is that you are playing changui once the ensemble consists of these 4 musical instruments: marimbula, bongo, tres, guiro(or guayo) and a singer(s). Also, note that changui has no son clave. Clave had not been invented yet. Instead, the guayo plays on the down beats.
Changui in a Modern Context
Musicians who play these styles will often consider a song a changui anytime the bongo player and the tres player are playing very syncopated lines which start on the 16th note ahead of the beat. Just remember though that the real difference between changui and the earlier style is instrumentation and the repetitive chorus and singing in nengon and kiriba.
Another problem is that someone from Guantanamo who plays "Cuban" music is often times considered a changuicerro. A good example of this is Elio Reve, who does play Son with some changui elements, but this style of Cuban music is really Son Moderno.
Conclusion
You may wonder why there is so much emphasis on the eastern parts of Cuba. It is not that there is no music in the western and central areas, it just evolved differently. There are definite sub-styles of son from these regions, especially sucu-sucu, but most musicologists agree that son was born in the mountains of Oriente (Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba).
For more information please visit: Salsa Blanca - Cuban Music, Dance, and Culture
CD's with examples of these styles
Con Sabor Al Guaso- Ban Rarra
Official Retrospective Of Cuban Music
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