Cumbia can get even the most reserved individuals bopping to its rhythm. This Latin American dance music stems from an amalgam of African, Indigenous and Spanish cultures.
Colombian music is famous for its heavy percussion melodies and signature double beat. While originally native to Colombian culture, its influence can now be found across Mexico, Peru and Argentina.
What is Cumbia?
Cumbia is a musical rhythm and dance style which originated in Colombia during the 1800s. It draws upon elements from three distinct cultures – indigenous peoples from Colombia’s interior regions, African slaves in slavery and European colonists – while also predating and shaping other Latin musical genres including Salsa. According to experts, cumbia predates many other popular Latin genres, including Salsa.
Named for both its Bantu language name for a specific dance and Spanish carnival music roots, cumbia music has two possible origins for its name: cumbe, from Bantu language word referring to dance called cumbe; or cumbancha from carnival in Spain – though both terms refer to carnival. Cumbia has become widely considered “mother of all Latin music”, uniting diverse cultures while creating new cultural identities and identities through musical creativity.
This lively style of dancing is frequently performed at carnivals and other festive gatherings, popular worldwide due to its vibrant tempos and melodies that capture audiences’ attention.
Dancers typically dress in bright colors, wearing skirts and dresses that sway with each step they take. Men often take zig-zag steps while women move their feet in an on-and-off pattern. Many cumbia dancers also hold candles topped by colorful handkerchiefs in their right hands as a nod to cumbia’s early roots as part of courtship rituals.
Cumbia music features traditional instruments like tambora and llamador drums as well as flute known as gaita and maracas, while modern cumbia musicians incorporate accordions and other types of instruments into their work. Some of the top cumbia artists come from countries where this genre was born such as Colombia and Mexico.
Modern cumbia has also developed into different subgenres, including cumbia sonidera and cumbia andina. Cumbia andina is a more laid-back variant with slow accordion notes; other styles include reggaeton which blends cumbia beats with Caribbean reggae rhythms.
Cumbia Origins
Cumbia is an iconic genre that transcends continents and cultures. Originating in Colombia during the 19th Century, its music and dance originated by merging indigenous Colombian cultures with those of African slaves to form an art form used for courtship, celebrations and courting customs. Over time it spread throughout Latin America – reaching Mexico, Argentina and Chile before taking on different identities in each place due to local musicians’ influence as well as differences in local culture.
Peru’s cumbia differs drastically from those found in Argentina and Chile, yet all three styles share one thing in common – strong rhythm that’s both hypnotic to listeners and dancers alike. Flutes, maracas, an anvil called an auger (with seeds inside for sound effect), tambor llamador and guiros can all be heard alongside vocalists who alternate between singing harmony-laden melodies or offering solo performance vocals that create their signature tunes.
Cumbia music has evolved through time to include many forms, such as cumbia sonidera. But its heart remains the same, with its signature double beat and infectious melody still at its core. Cumbia’s popularity has given rise to many talented artists from Los Angeles Azules in Mexico to Colombian superstars La Sonora Dinamita in Colombia reaching audiences globally through radio, TV, and social media platforms.
Cumbia is an adaptable genre that can easily meet the needs and desires of its audiences, from Latin Americans in New York City to upper-class Colombians who use this music to connect to their heritage. In this collection, contributors explore its various manifestations through lenses like musicology, sociology, history, anthropology literary studies and cultural theory to understand how cumbia reflects shifting notions of identity.
Cumbia Sonidera
Cumbia sonidera music stands out with its deep voices and sensuous rhythms that showcase Latin America’s vibrant cultural diversity. Sometimes used to comment on social issues, but often just meant as entertainment – you can hear this music at clubs and dance halls across Latin America.
Mexico City first experienced Cumbia culture during the late 1950s through Colombian immigrants who brought it from Colombia, through neighborhood dances led by sonideros. At these events, cumbia music would be played on homemade sound systems resembling Jamaican towers; fueling an impactful dance culture which transformed how young Mexican men, women, and children listened to music.
Cumbia sonidera is distinguished from salsa by its slower tempos – some artists perform at eight beats per minute or slower. This makes the style distinct from salsa’s standard 33 beats per minute performance; hence its moniker of “cumbia rebajada.”
Sonideros would often give shout-outs during their slow tempo cumbia performances. For example, they might ask their audience to raise their hands for someone special to them before recording an audio cassette and later CD with responses recorded from those present.
Traditional cumbia remains an integral part of Colombian identity, particularly on its northern Caribbean coast. Barranquilla in particular is home to carnival cumbia. Maintaining it today can be more of a challenge as new Latin boom favours urban sounds and global fusions; but some millennial artists continue cumbia traditions like Argentine singer TINI’s song 22 which features sultry beats with piano jazz melodies.
Cumbia Rock
Cumbia, an international genre of music and dance, can be heard everywhere from Argentina to Mexico and back again. While its origins lie in Colombia where cumbia combines elements from indigenous and African cultures into its musical style, cumbia continues to adapt itself with changing times and geographic contexts in Latin America while maintaining its signature beat and rhythm that make it perfect for dancing.
Cumbia music has quickly become one of the most beloved forms in Latin America and its diverse forms reflect this culture clash. Dubbed as a universal style due to its flexibility, cumbia embraces local musical influences while maintaining its Colombian roots while producing new sounds which still honor its past.
Cumbia music features several instruments, such as maracas, flute gaita and guitar; these three have traditionally been the backbone of its sound; however, with modern adaptations including accordions, new drum types and horn instruments being introduced into its style. Furthermore, cumbia music often comes complete with its trademark rhythm known as clave that stems from both Latin alegre style music and triple pulse beat Afro-Cuban beats.
Nowadays, cumbia can be found across Mexico in bars and outdoor fairs. Many bands still perform the genre in its original form while incorporating rock & roll, Mexican popular music, Cuban elements, rockabilly, hip hop and reggae elements for an ever-more-danceable sound. Artists such as Sonido Gallo Negro are one such instrumental band from Mexico City that seamlessly combine classic cumbia with electro cumbia while adding the rhythms of ska, hip hop and reggae beats for an exciting yet danceable sound. Artists such as Sonido Gallo Negro bring nine piece instrumental band sounds for dancers’ enjoyment – while Sonido Gallo Negro from Mexico City also incorporate beats from ska hip hop reggae for an engaging danceable sound – similar to what Sonido Gallo Negro do when performing.
Maintaining cumbia as an artistic genre can be challenging in an age when Latin artists often experiment with urban sounds and global fusions, but some artists like Argentine singer TINI and Chilean singer Mon Laferte are doing their part to maintain its legacy and forge generational connections through music.
Cumbia Fusion
Cumbia was created during Colombia’s late nineteenth-century cultural amalgamation between native culture and African slaves, creating its distinctive rhythm during an era of slavery that later spread throughout Latin America where it blended with other musical traditions to become one of its hallmarks of diversity and popularity. It’s this unique mix that makes cumbia so versatile and popular today.
Luis Carlos Meyer Castandet brought American folk dance with him when he immigrated to Mexico during the 1940s. Together with orchestra director Rafael de Paz, they collaborated on developing Mexican cumbia. It quickly flourished into an iconic genre we know and love today; heavily influenced by popular American jazz styles as well as reggaeton and salsa music styles.
Los Angeles Azules’ popularity as an international sonidera group established in 1980 has spread the sound of Mexican cumbia throughout the globe. Their latest single “Cumbia para Olvidar,” featuring singer Mon Laferte singing about an unforgettable love over an infectious cumbia beat fused with piano jazz melodies is evidence of today’s Latin boom, exploring more urban and alternative sounds in combination with cumbia.
Cumbia remains a popular Latin genre, yet keeping its place among booty-shaking reggaeton and other pop trends has proven difficult. That hasn’t stopped young Latin artists from keeping cumbia alive and incorporating its rhythms into new songs – check out some tracks below to witness its development over time – from traditional to contemporary Latin artists, Victrola offers everything needed.
No matter where you travel in Latin America, cumbia music will likely be heard in convenience stores or public areas. Its heavy percussion rhythm has long been revered and respected.
Chico Che is one of the key figures keeping cumbia alive today, blending tropical, punta hondurena, jarana and rock styles into his own signature style of cumbia music.
Origins
Cumbia can trace its roots back centuries. Originating in Africa through slave trade, cumbia subsequently fused with Spanish musical styles. This combination resulted in the birth of Latin American music’s cornerstone genre: Salsa. Through this unifying force, different regional cultures became bound together through one universal rhythm. From ranches in northern Mexico to rodeo discos in East Texas, cumbia can be heard everywhere from ranches to rodeo discos. From its cadence-skipping beat to generations across borders and time zones, cumbia’s presence is deeply embedded within Latin American culture; contributors of this volume explore particular manifestations through musicology, sociology, history, anthropology and literary criticism lenses.
This book opens with an introduction to cumbia music’s roots in Latin American culture and slavery’s impact on its development, before exploring how this music intersects with different forms of identity, including nation, region, class and gender. Furthermore, they examine how cumbia has had an effect on Tejano culture as well as Colombian dance rituals and courtship rituals; specifically how candle dance tradition originated at these events featuring cumbia music playing as background noise.
Cumbia first gained popularity among working-class Mexicans when introduced by sonideros – DJs who traveled from bar to bar playing Colombian cumbia records at nightclubs and street parties. These DJs began slowing down songs to give them their unique Mexican sound, giving rise to new cumbia bands. Now artists such as Sonido Gallo Negro from Mexico City perform early classic cumbia mixed with other genres such as salsa, reggae, ska and hip hop music.
Along the way, readers discover that cumbia takes many different forms depending on its country of origin and historical context. Peru’s version, chicha, featured elements from both huayno and psychedelic rock to form its unique style. Meanwhile, Colombian Vallenato originated in Atlantic regions using accordion and guacharaca (a notched gourd scraper). This style differed from traditional cumbia in that its emphasis lay more heavily on beats 2 and 4 of each rhythmic cell, with more florid melodic styles as compared with traditional cumbia’s emphasis of beats 2 and 4, creating its distinct style.
Rhythms
Cumbia rhythms are captivating and addictive, making this genre of music widely enjoyed worldwide. Cumbia features an impressive collection of instruments and melodies that draw listeners in with its diverse sound palette of traditional Latin American instruments fused with contemporary influences for an original style – something which has made cumbia so captivating among its listeners worldwide.
Cumbia can be traced back to African slaves brought over by Spain, who in turn inspired its creation. Cumbe is an African word meaning dance; this music also incorporates indigenous percussion elements. Cumbia music can often be found at large outdoor parties known as sonidos; these events are highly energetic affairs with lots of lively attendees. This genre also serves as social commentary but overall should just be enjoyed for fun!
Cumbia is defined by its drums. These typically made of wood and animal skin are played either with sticks or by hand and its rhythms typically arranged in two beats accented with the sound of clapping hands. Drummers frequently play claves and timbales to outline these rhythms further and may add extra percussion with cowbells for extra percussion.
Cumbia songs often include drums as their foundational instrument; other classic instruments in cumbia songs include claves, guitars, timbales and accordions are often added for extra funkiness and harmony in each tune. Additional instruments may include saxophones, trumpets or keyboards as accompaniment for songs. Pianos are also often found within these songs to accentuate harmony and backbeat of songs.
A drum kit may be utilized when a band doesn’t have access to traditional percussion instruments. Drums in such kits tend to be tuned at lower pitches with different-sized cymbals; some bands may include bongos as an additional hand drum from Cuba that produces sounds similar to those produced by llamador and tambor alegre instruments.
People often underestimate cumbia as the foundation of Latin music. It has inspired genres like Salsa and Samba while also drawing upon jazz, rock, and other popular genres to form its unique sound – making it a very diverse style that appeals to various audiences.
Instrumentation
Cumbia music features a range of traditional instruments. Drums and percussion provide the essential beat that is central to its style; an accordion provides melody and deep rhythm which contribute to its hypnotic quality; while guacharaca is another tool used to enhance this genre with its distinctive pulse sound produced from tubular pieces of wood featuring finger holes at one end and reed cut out of another end of this same tube – two devices crafted entirely out of wood that come together perfectly!
Cumbia music originated as an outdoor performance art known as sonidos. Musical groups would don costumes and perform for large crowds of people in local squares and parks. Cumbia is an expression of Colombian and Amerindian cultures combined with African rhythms brought over as slaves. Understanding where its origins lie is crucial when understanding what makes cumbia such an exceptional form of expression.
Today, cumbia music is widely-popular across Latin America and has been adapted into many different musical forms. Popular artists, like Carlos Vives, have created globalized takes on Vallenato and cumbia; yet its roots lie firmly within traditional forms of this musical style.
A typical cumbia song typically begins with a vocal soloist singing the first verse, often with lyrics that express love, passion and party themes. They may then be joined by other singers in providing harmony and harmonies to complete their performance.
Accompaniment to cumbia songs is provided by a rhythm section consisting of electric bass guitar, keyboards and accordion. The bass guitar provides the tambora backbeat (beats 3 and 4 of each bar of cut time) while keyboards and accordion add melodic flourishes. Modern cumbia songs may even incorporate brass instruments for an updated feel.
Cumbia music’s instrumentation varies, depending on where it originated in Colombia. A typical cumbia band in Magdalena Valley typically comprises two duct flutes known as gaita hembra and gaita macho; similar to clarinets with four finger holes near their end and an internal reed cut from their own surface at its other end. Guacharaca plays an integral part in cumbia music as well by providing a rhythmic pulse that complements drum beat.
Lyrics
Manny Rivera believes cumbia to be the genre that gets people moving the most on dance floors across US-Mexico borders, dominating Latin American clubs, weddings, and quinceaeras alike. As an El Paso DJ for decades spanning both countries he claims that cumbia from Colombia dominates Latin American clubs, weddings, and quinceaneras alike.
Cumbia music may have an addictive rhythm, but its lyrics are where its true power lies. Sung in Spanish, cumbia lyrics typically focus on love, family and community while often taking political stands – criticizing society or extolling politicians or religious leaders as beloved figures.
As with all forms of music, different regions around the world embrace different versions of cumbia. For instance, Colombia is famed for Vallenato music which originated on coastal areas where native flutes collided with African percussion and rhythms brought by migrant workers from Africa. Over time this form of cumbia adopted new elements as it traveled and eventually evolved to fit better suit its new home regions’ cultures and peoples’ preferences.
Vallenato musicians typically employ an instrument known as a guacharaca (wooden scraper) and maracas instead of the usual piano or guitar found in other genres, creating an airier and dreamier sound with lighter instrumentation that leaves audiences spellbound and dreaming away to other worlds. Although its tempo is slower than traditional cumbia, its leisurely pace still creates an air of sensuality and romance in its soundscape.
This genre has proven itself incredibly adaptable, finding itself being used within hip-hop, rock and Latin American styles – remaining relevant throughout modern pop culture despite time passing.
Artists such as Carlos Vives and TINI have kept cumbia alive despite an ever-evolving music landscape, while some older artists honor its legacy while millennial Latin pop acts carry it forward for future generations of Colombian tias and tios to enjoy.
Bebiendo, this week’s featured song, features a verse-refrain structure with call-and-response between voice and instrumental contingent that recalls Vallenato tradition. The formulaic duple meter builds on repeated eighth notes plus two sixteenth notes to create an atmosphere of romantic nostalgia; accordion color adds further romantic ambience.