Contratiempo Timba – Music
Below are examples of songs that can be danced in contratiempo.
🕺 What is contratiempo?
Contratiempo ("against the beat") means you don't step on the first beat but against it. In casino you then don't step on beats 1 and 5; the emphasis is on beats 4 and 8, just like the bass in son that falls before the beat. The opposite is a tiempo: dancing with a step on the 1, as in most salsa.
- Traditionally: son, danzón, cha-cha-chá and casino were traditionally danced contratiempo. Today many casineros dance a tiempo.
- When it works: contratiempo feels most natural on music in which the bass and the tumbao clearly sound that off-beat, such as son and a lot of timba.
- How to hear it: listen to the bass. If it keeps falling just before the 1, the song invites you to dance contratiempo.