In timba (en ook in salsa en son) verwijst cáscara naar een ritmisch patroon dat op de zijkant (schelp) van de timbales wordt gespeeld met de stok.
Timbales were introduced in Cuban danzón during the late 19th century.
Here’s how it happened:
👉 So, the timbales first entered Cuban music through danzón and then became central to many genres afterwards ( mambo, salsa, songo, timba).

The güiro is central to danzón, cha-cha-chá, son, and salsa, and is a standard feature of charanga orchestras that popularized Cuban dance music in the 20th century.
Origins
Inventor: Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731), an Italian instrument maker in Florence.
Date: Around 1700, Cristofori built the first instrument he called a “gravicembalo col piano e forte” — meaning harpsichord with soft and loud.
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 — it’s fiery, funky, and free.
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.
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.