Cuban Music Styles

The Yoruba slaves, brought to Cuba during the latter end of the 18th century, recreated many forms of life, traditions and customs in this part of the New World just as they had been observed previously on the African continent. One of the most important cultural aspects that these slaves brought was that of the religious system of the Orishas, professed in Africa by the Yorubas people.

The term Afrocuban-Music includes music of ritual, festive-religious as well as secular events. These are directly tied to the musical cultures of Africa. These African musical traditions were all included in one form or another when Cuban music was in its development. Four major influences are the musical culture of the Yoruba (including theIyesá), the Arará, the Congo, and the Carabalí (generically used to identify the Ibibio slaves).

Casino Rueda (Rueda de Casino) is a group dance and features two or more couples who exchange partners based on someone calling the turns. Rueda means wheel in Spanish and Casino is the term in Cuba for what we call in the US, “Salsa”. There are several core steps that are danced the same all over the world, although some variations exist. On top of that, there are localized steps that many times mock popular culture icons.