Marcha arriba is the gear for the coros: both the timbalero and the bongosero play a bell, over a steady bass tumbao and conga marcha. According to Kevin Moore it is the most frequently used gear in Cuban dance music.
According to Kevin Moore, marcha arriba is the most frequently used gear in Cuban dance music. The rhythm section plays:
The gear mainly goes with the call and response of coro and pregón. Other names: arriba, marcha normal.
Marcha arriba is the gear the band most often switches to and from: any other gear can follow it. The breaks (efectos, bloques) are also often played over it. Of all timba gears it is the closest to the familiar salsa groove.
The name marcha refers to the feet "marching" in a steady rhythm: it is the groove for couple dancing. So in marcha arriba you simply dance casino with your partner; in gears such as bomba or masacote you more often dance on your own.