Timbales
History
Timbales were introduced in Cuban danzĂłn during the late 19th century.
Hereâs how it happened:
- The earliest danzĂłn was played by orquestas tĂpicas, which used heavier European-style timpani and military-style percussion.
- Around the 1870sâ1880s, these large drums were replaced by the pailas criollas (what we now call timbales). They were lighter, more agile metal drums better suited for Cuban dance rhythms.
- This innovation helped shape the charanga francesa ensemble (flute, violins, piano, bass, gĂźiro, timbales), which became the standard for danzĂłn, danzonete, and later chachachĂĄ.
đ So, the timbales first entered Cuban music through danzĂłn and then became central to many genres afterwards ( mambo, salsa, songo, timba).
National dance of Cuba, evolved from danza.
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The gĂźiro is central to danzĂłn, cha-cha-chĂĄ, son, and salsa, and is a standard feature of charanga orchestras that popularized Cuban dance music in the 20th century.
Lees meer >Origins
Inventor: Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655â1731), an Italian instrument maker in Florence.
Date: Around 1700, Cristofori built the first instrument he called a âgravicembalo col piano e forteâ â meaning harpsichord with soft and loud.
Lees meer >Timba, the explosive and rhythmically rich genre of Cuban dance music, transformed how the bass functions in popular music. In Timba, the bass is not just foundational â itâs fiery, funky, and free.
Lees meer >Dances
- DanzĂłn â The quintessential Cuban ballroom dance, elegant and formal, often seen as the "national dance of Cuba."
- Danzonete â A sung variant of danzĂłn that became popular in the 1920sâ30s.
- Cha-cha-chĂĄ â Created in the 1950s by Enrique JorrĂn while playing with a charanga; specifically designed for charanga orchestras.
- Pachanga â A playful dance and rhythm from the late 1950s/early 1960s, closely linked to charanga bands.
- Mambo (in its earlier Cuban form) â Before the big-band New York mambo, charangas also played early mambo-style danzones.
- Charanga is a Cuban ensemble style and musical tradition that dates back to the early 20th century. It became especially popular in the 1940sâ50s and played a crucial role in the evolution of salsa, timba, and Latin jazz.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the " mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the "mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
Timba, the explosive and rhythmically rich genre of Cuban dance music, transformed how the bass functions in popular music. In Timba, the bass is not just foundational â itâs fiery, funky, and free.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the " mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the "mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
