Folk Music in Cuba

Subject: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 01:24 PM

According to the Lonely Planet Guide to Cuba:

"Visitors to Cuba will find a Casa de la Trova in most large towns where guitar-toting trovadores (troubadours) sing trovas (ballads) in traditional decima verse".

Does anybody have experience of this? And do they mind if you join in or offer to do a floor spot?

Cheers

Les

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 06:45 AM

Are the people of Cuba ready for Byker Hill?

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: fat B****rd
Date: 21 Sep 07 - 08:35 AM

When I was there 10 year ago Guantanamera was played by various combos/solo players every day of our 2 weeks stay. The rest of the time we heard several dufferent styles of Cuban music the most interesting being the non-tourist dance and story telling genres. The cabaret bands were great with blaring trumpets and lively percussion. And most Cubans seem to know those dance routines normally seen on the Latin-American section of Come Dancing. Depending on the location the visitor is more than welcome to join in. My Marenge had to be seen to be believed.
Byker Hill ? Bay of Pigs, maybe.
Having said that 10 years may have seen some drastic changes, but I doubt it.

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 23 Sep 07 - 01:11 PM

Is this a quiet thread because of the embargo?

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 24 Sep 07 - 05:15 PM

Does anyone have experience of music outside Havana?

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Azizi
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 01:25 AM

Wikipedia has two interesting articles on Cuban music:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Cuba and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_folk_music

Also, if you really wanna learn about Cuban folk culture, including that nation's music & dance, check out this website:

http://www.folkcuba.com/

Each of these websites reveal how deeply West African culture has influenced Cuban music & dance.

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 05:02 AM

Thanks Azizi, that's most helpful. The big question is where will an unaccompanied rendition of the Light Dragoon be welcome?

Thanks again

Les

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Azizi
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 07:38 AM

Les, no problemo.

I take it you are most interested in sharing your culture with other musicians in Cuba. I'm not sure what venues/places to suggest or what your reception would be at these venues since I've never been to Cuba.

I like much of the Cuban music that I've heard- which is what prompted my posting on this thread.

And, truth be told, I've never heard a rendition of "Light Dragoon", accompanied or unaccompanied. So I decided to look on YouTube to see what I could find.

Is this tune what you are referrring to?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV2rTVy7ntI

The guitarists in that video clip are also singing. But the reception is not good enough to distinquish the words.

Btw, this is not a rhetorical question. I'm really interested in knowing if this is the tune you are referring to.

My experiences of {with} "folk music" are different from "your experiences". But {And} I'm open to learning about yours. And based on this thread, I believe that you are open to learning about other people's experiences of folk music in different places in the world.

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 07:51 AM

Thanks for the link it is the Light Dragoon I know and love or at least a version of it.

This bit from the Lonely Planet

"Visitors to Cuba will find a Casa de la Trova in most large towns where guitar-toting trovadores (troubadours) sing trovas (ballads) in traditional decima verse".

seems to imply a sort of outdoor singers session. My erquest seems to fall on stoney ground, although everyone says you can never avoid music in Cuba

Subject: RE: Folk Music in Cuba
From: Azizi
Date: 25 Sep 07 - 08:10 AM

Oops! I didn't mean to put quotations marks in front of the words "your experiences."

Ahh! I did it again! I'm sorry.

Ahh!? Maybe I should say "Ay Carumba! or something like that.

I've got a lot to learn.

:o}