Afro-Cuban Rumba is an essential style of Cuban Music. And also one of my favorite styles of music. It is actually what attracted me to study percussion in Cuba.
When I was younger, I became fascinated with Cuban and Latin rhythms while attending music school. We learned basic variations of grooves from Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, and more. But the curriculum didn’t really go into enough depth for me, nor did it explain the soulfulness that this music harnesses and connects for Cubans.
This became my obsession with Cuba travel and immersive studies with Cuban musicians. I firmly believe that being organically present and fully absorbed into a music style or language is the best way to begin internalizing it.
With that being said, please check out this article written by my wife, Yami Cabrera who is a Cuban Musicologist.
In this article, she explains everything you need to know about the #history and importance of rumba within Cuban music culture. She covers the instrumentation and orchestration of rumba, as well as the different variations of tempos and dances.