Cuban Rumba

The Afro Cuban Rumba is a dance that is closely linked to the Salsa dance community due to the similar origins of both dances.  In fact, the Afro Cuban Rumba style greatly influences the body movements and stylings of Salsa dancers in Singapore and around the world.  

Many dance moves taught in the Salsa classes in Singapore, especially with regards to Shines and Styling have footwork, body and hand movements taken from Afro Cuban Rumba.  

Locally, Actfa Dance School Singapore has performed various Cuban Rumba performances in the Esplanade Da:ns Festival and also shared the love of this dance through various dance classes around Singapore.

In Cuba, Rumba is a generic term covering a variety of musical rhythms and associated dances. The rumba has its influences in the music brought to Cuba by Spanish colonizers as well as Africans brought to Cuba as slaves.

Rumba developed in the Cuban provinces of Havana and Matanzas in the late 19th century. As a energetic Afro-Cuban dance, Rumba was often suppressed and restricted because it was viewed as dangerous and lewd.Afro-Cuban rumba is entirely different than Ballroom Rumba, or the African style of pop music called rumba.

Rumba developed in rural Cuba, and is still danced in Havana, Mantanzas and other Cuban cities as well as rural areas, especially those with a significant or predominant African community, although now it is infused with influences from Jazz and Hip hop.

A Cuban Rumba song often begins with the soloist singing meaningless syllables, which is called 'diana(s)'. He then may proceed to improvise lyrics stating the reason for holding the present Rumba ('decimar'; span.: to make ten-line stanzas), or instead tunes into a more or less fixed song such as: "Ave Maria Morena" (Yambú, Anónimo), "Llora Como Lloré" (Guaguancó, S. Ramirez), "Cuba Linda, Cuba Hermosa" (Guaguancó, R.Deza), "China de Oro (Laye Laye)" (Columbia), "Malanga (Murió)" (Columbia)".

Cuban Rumba can be broken down into three types: Yambú, Guaguancó and Columbia.