Have you looked into these two articles? On a quick reading they both seem to contain some info about what makes certain cuban music being called charanga:
Article: Charanga: http://www.descarga.com/cgi-bin/db/archives/Article16
The Cuban Charanga: http://www.charangasue.com/2009/08/the-cuban-charanga/
Thank you for the links. I checked them out but they don't help much. Both focus mostly on the evolution and instrumentation of the band and both say that charangas mostly play danzón, son, and chachacha. The only reference made to charanga as a music genre is:
The name for both a kind of Cuban music and the bands that play it: a light, elegant, sprightly music; at its most lush and string-laden verging towards kitsch MOR; at its most commercial a light medium for pop covers; at its hardest a virtuosic interplay among overblown flutes, searing strings and percussion.
But then they never elaborate on what is distinctive about the "charanga music as a genre" or about where it falls in the chronological development of music, where as they do talk about the evolution of danzon, chachacha and mambo. I mean there's no way I will ever hear a song by a charanga and think "geez that's a lush string-laden spritely tune, must be a charanga". Whereas if I hear a danzon, chachacha, mambo, son, bolero, rumba, changui, cumbia, merengue, bachata, vallenato etc., I can tell that this is what it is. I mean any of the faster genres played by a charanga can be described as
a light, elegant, sprightly music; at its most lush and string-laden verging towards kitsch MOR; at its most commercial a light medium for pop covers; at its hardest a virtuosic interplay among overblown flutes, searing strings and percussion.
I have been mailing back and forth with a musicologist about this who said the following (my emphasis on the lines I thought were most interesting):
John Child certainly knows his charanga history, but he fails to address what constitutes the charanga genre. Spritely music containing flute and strings doesn't go nearly far enough. The truth is, as usual, more complex. When most Cuban musicians think of a charanga-style tune, they may have various performance characteristics in mind: no bongó, chacha bell on the timbales, güiro rather than maracas, unison vocals rather than a single lead singer, etc. But although conjuntos became known for son-montuno, those songs are never called "conjuntos" just because conjuntos play them.*
In short, this is a case of confusion between ensemble types and genres. Most genres are closely linked to the ensembles that first developed them. One cannot think of changüí or rumba without their respective instrumentations and other ensemble characteristics. Yet, as you probably know, changüí ensembles don't only play changüí; they play nengón, regina, quiribá and even son. Conversely, changüí can be played by orquestas, conjuntos or even charangas. What then exists in those performances to designate them as changüí? It too could be syncopated rhythms in the lead vocals or guajeos. It could be a general sense of tempo, the feel of the guayo part or some adaptation of changüí bongó to congas or timbales. Revé and Van Van precisely dealt with all these questions. Every example of arranged rumba likewise deals with these questions. Yet, of all the genres and ensemble types, charanga is most tenuous. As Child writes, charangas were most closely associated with danzón and broadened their repertoire when danzón declined in popularity. Therefore, we can conclude that charangas invented some genres such as chachachá and pachanga, tailored to their instrumental characteristics. But they also played boleros, sones, guarachas, etc. Similarly, when a big band plays a chachachá, no one calls that charanga
I'm listening now. As I expected, there's nothing about this song that couldn't be played by another ensemble type. But since it's played by a charanga, some people call the song itself a charanga. I know this is confusing and I don't know how better to explain it..
And as our conversation continued...
I said:
But when you listen to this song you can't categorize it as any specific genre? It's not danzon, son, chachacha or mambo or bolero...So any song by a charanga that I don't know what it is I should just say "oh that song is a charanga"?
He answered: Basically, you're right. I could say that song is a guaracha because of its tempo, clave orientation, bass line, etc. It's a guaracha played by a charanga, just as a charanga can play timba without the result being turned into a new genre.
* (I particularly like this point) can you imagine if someone said to you "that song is a conjunto". That's how I feel when someone says a song is a charanga.
Anyway, my dilemma then is that after reading the articles, listening to the song and mailing a musicologist I still will not be able to identify a song as being a "charanga". So perhaps some of you could explain to me what you listen for when you recognize a song as being a charanga. Obviously chrisk and alvinthethird, you are right in line with Descarga and are recognizing it as a charanga song, but I need more specifics to be able to understand.
Like I said, I know the instrumentation of a charanga band but that instrumentation can play all kinds of genres so what exactly is the (to me) mysterious charanga? Or should I just do like I said and if I can't recognize what it is and a charanga is playing it, then just say "it's obviously a charanga" :lol:
