The purpose for this glossary
is to educate and enhance your understanding of the evolution
of Latin music. The more familiar you become with all of the
terms and their definitions, the more you'll be able to enjoy
listening to Latin Jazz, as well as other forms of Caribbean
and Central/South American music.
You can find this glossary
and other insightful information about the evolution of Latin
music in the classic book "The Latin Tinge"
written by John Storm Roberts. This book can be found
in most public libraries.
NOTE: The definitions highlighted by blue type have been
added to this glossary. If you can't find a specific Latin American
music term in this glossary, feel free to send us an email with
the word, phrase or questions and we will try to help you.
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Son The son is perhaps the oldest and certainly the classic
Afro-Cuban form, an almost perfect balance of African and Hispanic
elements. Originating in Oriente province, it surfaced in Havana
around World War 1 and became a popular urban music played by
string-and-percussion quartets and septetos. Almost all the numbers
Americans called rumbas were, in fact sones. "El Manicero"
("The Peanut Vendor") was a form of son derived from
the street cries of Havana and called a pregon. The rhythm of
the son is strongly syncopated, with a basic chicka-CHUNG pulse.
Son Montuno A reverse clave (2-3) form, usually
mid-paced or slow, with a pronounced CHUNG-chicka feel. The son
montuno developed as a separate form from the general con tradition.
It was, like the guaracha, one of the first forms to include
a second, improvised section, the montuno. Though it is not fast,
the Afro-Cuban son montuno has an intense, almost relentless
quality.
Sonero In the strict sense, a man who sings
or plays the Afro-Cuban son, but now the improvising lead singer
in the salsa style. A good sonero improvises rhythmically, melodically,
and verbally against the refrain of the coro. The word guarachero
is a synonym, though less used.
Tambora A double-headed drum, basic to the
Dominican merengue. It is played with a single stick, while the
other head is damped by hand to give tonal variety.
Tango Probably the world's best known dance after the waltz,
the modern tango developed in Argentina at the beginning of the
20th century. It took its rhythm from the Cuban habanera and
the Argentinian milonga, and its name probably from the Spanish
tango andalúz.
Timbales A percussion set-up consisting of
two small metal drums on a stand, with two tuned cowbells, often
a cymbal and other additions. The timbales descended from a small
military dance and concert bands. They were originally confined
to the charangas and orquestas típicas, to which they
imparted a distinctive, jaunty, march-like rhythm, but during
the 1940s they came into wider use. The timbales are played with
sticks, with the player striking heads, rims , and the sides
of metal drums. All this plus cymbal and cowbells make for a
varied instrument. A standard timbales beat, the abanico, is
a rimshot-roll-rimshot combination.
Tipico An imprecise but extremely important
concept in modern salsa. Literally it means "typical"
or "characteristic," but it is more generally used
to identify the downhome, rural, popular styles of the Latin
countries. Thus, the Cuban tipico music that became so important
in New York in the 1960s and 1970s was basically conjunto and
charanga music. But the septetos are also tipico, since their
style is simple and popular rather than bourgeois.
Toque A "beat," but essentially a standard rhythmic
phrase for percussion. Many toques derive from African religious
drumming, in which particular rhythmic patterns were used to
summon individual gods. A Latin percussionist is judged not by
his energy level, but by his knowledge and use of standard toques
and variations in his improvisations and in support of the band.
Tres A nine-string Cuban guitar; a mainstay of guajiro
music and of the Afro-Cuban septetos. The tres was established
as an important part of the Cuban conjunto by Arsenio Rodriguez,
himself a fine player. The instrument came into New York salsa
during the Cuban típico revival of the late 1960's and
early 1970s.
Tumbao A repeated rhythmic pattern for bass
or conga drum. Based on the fundamental calve, the bassist's
tumbaos provide the scaffolding for the constant rhythmic counterpoint
of the percussionists.
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