GUAGUANCO Afro-Cuban Rumba
The guaguanco is an Afro Cuban rhythm which
forms part of the rumba family that also comprises yambu and columbia. There are several styles found throughout Cuba with the most influential
being the 'Havana' (featured in this article) and 'Matanzas' styles. The 'Matanzas' style differs in the interpretation of the supporting drums;
the tumbadora and segundo make use of variations in which
they 'converse'.
The rhythm is usually performed with three drums; tumbadora,
segundo and quinto, a pair of hardwood sticks that mark the
3/2 rumba clave rhythm known as claves and a hollowed piece
of bamboo played with two sticks called cata. The names of
the drums and stick parts vary throughout Cuba. The role of the drums
calls for the tumbadora and segundo to carry the rhythm while
the quinto interacts between the lead singer, supporting drums and
backing singers utilising short phrases and at times two or four bar patterns. At a specified point in the arrangement the quinto is given a 'solo
feature'. I had the opportunity to study with master percussionists
Milton Cardona and John Amira (among others) in New York during my 1994
research tour and found that the parts presented here are the most common
in use today. The parts are written in 3/2 clave direction.
Performance
arrangement:
Commence with claves, then low drum tumbadora (come
in with an open tone on beat four), middle drum segundo (start with
open tones on the 'two side of the clave'), catá and finally
the high drum known as quinto.
Conga key: O= Open Tone P=Palm
F=Fingers S=Slap B=Bass
Claves
Cata
Tumbadora
Conga
Quinto:
'Solo'
Specially recommended recordings featuring guaguanco are:
▪ -Cuba; A Musical Anthology
Various Artists (Rounder CD1088)
▪ Clave Y Guaguanco
Songs & Dances (Xenophile GLCD
4023)
▪ Carlos Embale
Conjunto Guaguanco (Areito LD 3428
LP)
▪ Los Muñequitos de Matanzas & Papin
Y Sus Rumberos
Guaguanco (Antilla CD-565)
▪ Los Muñequitos De Matanzas & Folklore
Matancero
Oyelos De nuevo (Qbadisc QB 9013)
▪ Los Muñequitos De Matanzas
Congo Yambumba (Qbadisc QB 9014)
Rumba Caliente 88/77 (Qbadisc QB
9005)
▪ Los Papines
Bolero, Rumba, Guaguanco, Salsa (Manopla
1024 LP)
▪ Tito Puente
Puente In Percussion (Tico JMTS-1422
LP)
▪ Real Rumba From Cuba
Various Artists (Corason COCD 110)
▪ Mongo Santamaria
Drums And chants (Vaya VS 56)
Afro Roots (Prestige PCD-24018-2)
Up From The Roots (Atlantic SD 1621LP)
▪ Carlos 'Patato' Valdez
Patato y Totico (RVC 1102 LP)
Understanding Latin Rhythms Vol 1 (LPV337
LP)
Authority (LPV 393 LP)
Ready For Freddy (LPV 419 LP)
© Alex Pertout. All rights reserved. No part of this article
may be reproduced without prior written permission from the author. This article was first published in Drumscene magazine.
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