Rumba in Cuba

Rumba is both a dance and a music which started in the 19th century in Matanzas and Havana, then spread throughout the island in every solar in every city. It is not what Americans commonly think of as Rumba, which is a watered down version created for the American market, where people could not understand or deal with the very African nature of this dance and music.

Rumba in Cuba stems largely from the music of the Efok and Efo peoples of the Cross River Delta in Nigeria, today a rich oil bearing region.  The Efik and Efo gave us the Abakwa societies, which are non-family based men's societies.  They also gave us the Bricamo, an Efo tradition involving both men and women in leadership roles and based largely in the Calle family in Matanzas.

Rumba was repressed during most of its existence. However, ironically enough, under Batista it made some gains and a number of records were produced. Immediately after the triumph of the Revolution, the black social clubs, long a mainstay of son, were closed. Rumba was perceived as tied to the previous regime and it languished once again. Other genre, such Van Van's music and later Timba, were created to replace it.

Some of the foremost bands playing rumba today are

Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, most of whose members belong to Abakwa societies.

Los Papines