The conga player gets a vast array of sounds by using different hand techniques to strike the drums, from high pitched cutting slaps to low thumping palm strokes. Congas- deep hand drums similar in size to the djembe, but with a much more “round” and not as ringing-tone. Both sets of migrants brought instruments that were common in their countries of origin the percussion section is mostly made up of instruments of African origin, while the pitched instruments are of Spanish origin. It is this rich mixture of cultures that paved the way for Cuban music’s unique voice.Ĭuban instrumentation is characterised by its African and Spanish migrations. In later years, once the Africans slaves were freed, they celebrated their African culture and were free to play their own instruments, most of which are still played in Cuba today. It was this African migration that provided the most important element in the development of Cuban music: clave. The African slaves brought with them their own unique musical culture, and though the Spanish tried their hardest to prevent African cultural expression, the slaves made music out of whatever they could find sticks, crates, their bodies, their voices etc.
The indigenous people were conquered and murdered or enslaved, and those who didn’t die from diseases such as smallpox and measles were forced into agricultural labour.Īs Spanish colonisation developed and there was a greater demand for labour, African slaves, mainly from Northwest Africa, were shipped across the Atlantic to cultivate the island’s two main commodities: sugar and tobacco. The Spanish colonisation was far from a friendly affair, and the Spanish had no intention of sharing the rich natural resources of Cuba with anyone else. However, this wasn’t the only way in which locals suffered. The Europeans brought diseases that were previously not found in the Caribbean, and as the locals had no immunity to these diseases, the population was effectively wiped out. Like much of the Americas, Cuba was colonised by the Spanish during the 16th century, and this colonisation had a devastating impact on the indigenous population. Prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, Cuba had been home to indigenous Mesoamerican peoples with their own distinct language and culture. Before we get on to discussing clave, I think it’s important to discuss in more detail the main migrations to Cuba and how they shaped the cultural landscape on the island.
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