Latin and Afro-Cuban Music

Latin music is about music, dancing, enjoying Cuba and Latin roots, and enjoying the native music and dance elements. The first Cuban dance craze in the United States was the Tango, which arrived in 1913. The dance is based on the Habanera rhythm. The dance became developed in Argentina and then was refined later in Europe. In 1930, the craze of the Rumba was launched. Dozens of films throughout the 1940s were Latin. Most of the films took the musical form in terms of representation. At the same time, jazz music was starting to blend with Latin styles. Dizzy Gillespie was the man who fused jazz with Latin music. In 1978, he realized he wanted something new and started to blend the two music styles together.

The television was able to allow this style of music to fuse sounds together to bring the music to people all over the world. Dezzy Arney finally brought the Conga craze into the world. However, the biggest Latin dance craze was The Cha Cha Cha by Sam Cooke. The Cha Cha Cha had a 3:2 beat that the singing group The Diamonds made big. Celia Cruz is considered the mother of salsa. The Spanish instrument that contributed to salsa was the guitar. In deep Spain, human expression, and tragic life stories contributed to 'deep song.' The drumbeats and rhythms that contributed to Latin music originated from African music and drumming. For over 300 years, small hill farmers cultivated Spanish music of guitars and poetry. The Cuban language is best expressed through music and poetry. The mixed cultures of Africa and Cuba are represented through music and dance as well as Creole food.

The roots of the Carnival are found in Cuba with the processions originating from Africa. The Carnival is a Spanish holiday that lasts 10 days and 10 nights. Latin music crosses many cultures and becomes a form of artistic communication for many people around the world. I've learned that through cross-cultural communication, people are able to appreciate their differences as well as share their culture. The music of the Latin countries has opened doors for people of all nationalities. Music is a great way to communicate and without Latin music, many things around the world wouldn't be as rich in culture.
When looking at the drumming of Latin music, one must examine the African roots that the drumming comes from. The Africans provide a traditional rhythm for Latin drum beats. The basic rhythm for conga is a one bar pattern with 2:3 clave, with the first measure using the timbales. 2:3-second measures have the ability to use variation with percussion. There are usually two claves in the beats. The Rumba Clavez has a 3:2 beat pattern. The straight Clavez rhythm is used for the Cha-Cha.
The Afro-Cuban 6/8 comes from Nigeria. There are 8 beats on the bell and 4 beats on the drum when using the Timbales for the Conga. These two countries combine their musical influences in order to drum more complex and interesting beats. Through crossing the culture and musical influence of Africa with the Cuban beats and influence, Latin music becomes more intricate and interesting. These two cultures combine their forms of music in order to communicate with each other and form a universal language through music