Songs from Baracoa and Maisí

[timberamayor]

I don't have a lot of information, but here is some stuff I picked up in Guantanamo. I'll just take them one at a time. I found that I had some old video of some shows that demonstrate the dances. Not great audio or video but here we go!

El Aeroplano (Nibujón)

En 1960 voló por primera vez un avión en Baracoa, sentirlo convierte este acontecimiento en un baile de características especificas, es un son que satiriza el miedo a los aviones.

Canto: Quien lo vio,Ya voló

El brazo izquierdo del varón y el derecho de la hembra extendido colocado frente a frente. La saya semeja el movimiento de la nave.

Paso 1: Se camina en 1, 2, 3 ,4 pasos a tiempo hacia adelante sin muelleo
Vuelta de la hembra por la derecha y queda frente al varón.

Paso 2: Desplazamiento a ambos lados flexionando en muelleo

 

[timberamayor]

El Valse:
Variante del vals, viene de Viena introducido por los Mexicanos que trabajaban en las siembras y cosechas del Guineo. Sufre transformaciones, es satírico y de gran belleza el canto habla de una Vieja vendiendo flores y bisuterías

Metodología del paso
Parejas en círculos con conteo de 1, 2, 3,1 y 1, 2, 3,2 levantando los pies.

2do paso: Posición de baile social, el varón comienza con pies derecho hacia atrás y las hembras con el izquierdo hacia delante 3 pasos posición de baile sin manos con saltos en 1,2,3,4 tiempo la hembra hace el simulacro de rayar el coco con genuflexión del tronco.

 

[timberamayor]

Cabaret
Antes del 59 existían Cabaret o Ranchos (Prostíbulos) en la ciudad como clubes nocturnos, sus características de vicios, juegos, prostitución. No fue aceptado por las masas campesinas y no les permitían a sus hijas asistir al Cabaret por eso surge este son que satiriza este baile.

Cantos: Mamá no quiere
Papá tampoco
Que yo vaya al cabaret

Metodología del Paso
Paso 1 Varón pie derecho hacia delante, hembra pie izquierdo hacia detrás haciendo una pequeña inclinación del torso cada uno a la misma dirección a semejanza del Son.
Paso 2: se repite pero con la inclinación hacia los lados, ambos con los mismos pies

 

[timberamayor]

From Maisí
La puntillita
Es un baile originario de la zona del pomo en Jauco un lugar de la región de Maisi, surge al calor de las fiestas campesinas que duraban de cuatro a 5 días, este baile simula la existencia de una puntilla en el talón que obliga a bailar con la punta del pie forma parte de ritmos perteneciente al son y se ejecuta en parejas.

Instrumentos musicales
Caves, maracas quitaras y tumbadoras

Cantos de este baile
Puntillita mamá Puntillita
Se repite.
Se enriquece con vivencias campesinas

 

[timberamayor]

Also from Maisí
La cañadonga
Igual a la puntillita surge en la zona del pomo en la misma circunstancia es un baile de pareja sueltas

Canto
Me subo y te tumbo un gajo,
Me bajo y te corto un pie
Cañadonga mama cañadonga
Se repite

 

[timberamayor]

Here is Carril, but I don't have any particular info about it excpt that it's from Baracoa

 

[Latinjazz]

Today you made someone very, very, very happy.
Thank you a thousand times!!!

 

[Latinjazz]

Puntillita and Cabaret really remind me of Nengon - a fast version of it.
The Conga pattern seems to be the Caballo pattern, similar to Sucu-Sucu or old Merenconga!

 

[1derpalm]

I don't have a lot of information, but here is some stuff I picked up in Guantanamo. I'll just take them one at a time. I found that I had some old video of some shows that demonstrate the dances. Not great audio or video but here we go!

El Aeroplano (Nibujón)

En 1960 voló por primera vez un avión en Baracoa, sentirlo convierte este acontecimiento en un baile de características especificas, es un son que satiriza el miedo a los aviones.

Canto: Quien lo vio,Ya voló

El brazo izquierdo del varón y el derecho de la hembra extendido colocado frente a frente. La saya semeja el movimiento de la nave.

Paso 1: Se camina en 1, 2, 3 ,4 pasos a tiempo hacia adelante sin muelleo
Vuelta de la hembra por la derecha y queda frente al varón.

Paso 2: Desplazamiento a ambos lados flexionando en muelleo

Next time I see people prattling on about "Cuban Motion" this will be my go to video...

 

[1derpalm]

Puntillita and Cabaret really remind me of Nengon - a fast version of it.
The Conga pattern seems to be the Caballo pattern, similar to Sucu-Sucu or old Merenconga!

I surmise that sucu-sucu's similarities are due to the spread spread of Son Oriental in the olden days.
Just due its geophic distance from Guantanamo (and the fact that Sucu sucu comes from the western end of the island), I gave a hard tone swallowing the relationship to changui. But information is sparse and almost all gave the same reference.
I've only seen this:

The art of rum making & drinking in Cuban culture | Havana Club

Find out more about the values of Havana Club, the art of rum making and its cultural heritage, shaped by Cuba's climate, geography, history and its people.

havana-club.com

And in an interview with a S.S player who seems to be scoffing at it being Son, but TBH my Spanish is not great and I don't understand it. Perhaps resident translators could help. Maybe the Mayor of Timbatown...
Around the 5 minute mark it starts:

 

[Latinjazz]

I surmise that sucu-sucu's similarities are due to the spread spread of Son Oriental in the olden days.
Just due its geophic distance from Guantanamo (and the fact that Sucu sucu comes from the western end of the island), I gave a hard tone swallowing the relationship to changui. But information is sparse and almost all gave the same reference.
I've only seen this:

The art of rum making & drinking in Cuban culture | Havana Club

Find out more about the values of Havana Club, the art of rum making and its cultural heritage, shaped by Cuba's climate, geography, history and its people.

havana-club.com

View attachment 3460
And in an interview with a S.S player who seems to be scoffing at it being Son, but TBH my Spanish is not great and I don't understand it. Perhaps resident translators could help. Maybe the Mayor of Timbatown...
Around the 5 minute mark it starts:

Thanks for this! The video I know, I love that documentary. It‘s really funny!

I don‘t think there is a direct correlation Sucu-Sucu - pre Changüi styles.
I only meant the use the same (or a similar) conga pattern, which could rather be, as the Caballo pattern is not only in Sucu Sucu.
I think it comes from an Orisha groove, but can‘t recall which now.

 

[1derpalm]

Thanks for this! The video I know, I love that documentary. It‘s really funny!

I don‘t think there is a direct correlation Sucu-Sucu - pre Changüi styles.
I only meant the use the same (or a similar) conga pattern, which could rather be, as the Caballo pattern is not only in Sucu Sucu.
I think it comes from an Orisha groove, but can‘t recall which now.

Hmm. I find even old Son has it ss well.
Can you translate what he is saying about Son and Sucu?

 

[Latinjazz]

Hmm. I find even old Son has it ss well.
Can you translate what he is saying about Son and Sucu?

I will, but it‘ll take me a while, off to work.

 

[Latinjazz]

I just had a moment to check.

He says some people call it Son or one of the styles of son, but they prefer calling it an own style themselves, as it's not clear yet what was first: Sucu Sucu or Son.
(As much as I know, Sucu Sucu is prior to Son - have to doublecheck).

BTW the connection Calpyso - Sucu Sucu is really strange to me. I don't hear anything in common between those two - at least not rhythmically.

Hmm. I find even old Son has it ss well.

Correct! I think the oldest version of Lagrimas negras also uses caballo pattern!

 

[1derpalm]

Hmm. Upon listening, st first it sounds kind of like it but upon sticking the phone speaker to my ear and listening 3 times (not recomended) I'm suspecting it's still a martillo pattern on a lower pitched bongo (maybe the bongo nartilo used in changui?).
I hear a low "boomp" on 4. It sounds mor likd z horse taking its sweet @$$ time mordcthsn trotting brisklhbor galloping. Although I of course could be mistaken.

 

[1derpalm]

Worse quality, But heard better on this version.

And there are s lot of the same versions with conflicting dates (1 says 1928 but I thought he wrote it in 1929 and released in in 31).
This is my face version but I think it was released a month later. Only clave (and a semi tone down in cm).

I promise I won't derail thread again.

 

[Latinjazz]

Hmm. Upon listening, st first it sounds kind of like it but upon sticking the phone speaker to my ear and listening 3 times (not recomended) I'm suspecting it's still a martillo pattern on a lower pitched bongo (maybe the bongo nartilo used in changui?).
I hear a low "boomp" on 4. It sounds mor likd z horse taking its sweet @$$ time mordcthsn trotting brisklhbor galloping. Although I of course could be mistaken.

It‘s possible, I‘m not sure. It might be bongos. However, the caballo pattern also has this „bumb“ on the four.
I‘ll re-listen.
I think I read somewhere once that the caballo pattern is an adaptation of the bongo martillo pattern to congas, but I couldn‘t swear that.

 

[1derpalm]

It‘s possible, I‘m not sure. It might be bongos. However, the caballo pattern also has this „bumb“ on the four.
I‘ll re-listen.
I think I read somewhere once that the caballo pattern is an adaptation of the bongo martillo pattern to congas, but I couldn‘t swear that.

You could be right. I may have stuff mixed up. I thought it what's a gallop sounding pattern but I am getting senile.

 

[Latinjazz]

You could be right. I may have stuff mixed up. I thought it what's a gallop sounding pattern but I am getting senile.

Welcome to the what were we talking about?

 

[Latinjazz]

I really agree it's difficult to separate these styles by the rhythm.
It reminds me the case of Argentinian folklore which mostly uses a really similar pattern and has loads of different styles, which rather depend on different accents, harmonies, or even the form.

The term "Nengones" for all of them puzzles me, though. Perhaps Nengon was an umbrella term like son at the time? I also read a lot about influences from other caribbean islands like Jamaica in these proto-son styles and can't recognize them.
This should be researched, and really fast! When the generation of 80 year old passes away, lots of information will disappear forever. It nearly happened in Peru, I really hope cuban musicologists are on this.

I remember 10-20 years ago Changüi, Nengon, Kiriba etc were absolutely left aside, at some point people started researching. I'm really grateful for anybody who tries to prevent music history from this.

The change of music between 1850 and 1900, 1910 etc is the biggest I know of. It is still full of misteries!