Rumba

A small village just outside Havana, Cuba, lies claim to the birthplace of Rumba, a dance that combines African and Spanish influences. As an African folk dance it was most commonly a pantomime of a romantic relationship between man and woman where domination, teasing, withdrawal and sensuality were key elements. Performers usually danced to the staccato music of Bongo and Conga drums, Clave, Gourds, Maracas, Maribola and other instruments. The tune, however, was less important than two bar simple rhythm phrase of Clave. Rumba was a generic term covering a variety of names, but the exact meaning differs from island to island. Yet it is a spirit and soul of Latin America.

About 1930 the interest in Latin music and dance spread to North America, caused by the increased tourism to Latin America. American Rumba was a modified version of slower Son and was treated like a type of Foxtrot with a ‘box’ step and danced on first beat of the bar. To differentiate, traditional Cuban Rumba was danced on the second beat in a shape of a diamond. In that form it was introduced to Europe by Monsieur Pierre in late 1940s. The International Cuban Rumba was officially established in 1955, with steps on beats 2, 3 and 4, and only weight change and hip movement on strongly accented beat 1. If you add the slow tempo (116 beats per minute) of distinctive Cuban music, it all give Rumba a very romantic character.