Changui
Encyclopedia
Changüí is a style of Cuban music which originated in the early 19th century in the eastern region of Guantánamo Province
. It arose in the sugar cane refineries and in the rural communities populated by slaves.
Changui combines the structure and elements of Spain
canción and the Spanish guitar
with Africa
n rhythms and percussion instrument
s of the Bantu Arara origin.
Changui is thought to be the predecessor of son montuno
, which has enjoyed tremendous popularity in Cuba throughout the 20th century.
Changüi was born in Guantanamo, Cuba, and originated in the style called Nengon. There are some conflicting answers you will receive when you ask the question, "What is Changüi"? The answer from an ethnomusicology point of view is simple, but like most academic answers, it leaves more questions and sometimes contradicts popular definitions.
So then when can we say that we are playing Changüi and not Nengon? The academic answer is that you are playing Changüi once the ensemble consists of these 4 musical instruments: Marimbula
, Bongos
, Tres, Güiro
(or Guayo) and one or more singers. Also, note that Changüi has no son clave
part although clave direction can be distinguished in the Tres by its rhythmic pattern and the Coro by its emphasis of the bombo (2&). The guayo
plays on the down beats.
The guitar-like tres
gives changui its distinctive sound by following the melodic line of the song and reinforcing the harmonic structure of the guitar instruments.
Changui has an accompanying dance, highlighting the coquettishness of the woman and the chivalry of the man.
Guantánamo Province
Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.-History:...
. It arose in the sugar cane refineries and in the rural communities populated by slaves.
Changui combines the structure and elements of Spain
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
canción and the Spanish guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
with Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n rhythms and percussion instrument
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
s of the Bantu Arara origin.
Changui is thought to be the predecessor of son montuno
Son montuno
The son montuno is a style of the Cuban son, but exactly what it means is not an easy question to answer. The son itself is the most important genre of Cuban popular music. In addition, it is perhaps the most flexible of all forms of Latin-American music...
, which has enjoyed tremendous popularity in Cuba throughout the 20th century.
Changüi was born in Guantanamo, Cuba, and originated in the style called Nengon. There are some conflicting answers you will receive when you ask the question, "What is Changüi"? The answer from an ethnomusicology point of view is simple, but like most academic answers, it leaves more questions and sometimes contradicts popular definitions.
So then when can we say that we are playing Changüi and not Nengon? The academic answer is that you are playing Changüi once the ensemble consists of these 4 musical instruments: Marimbula
Marímbula
A marímbula is a folk musical instrument of the Caribbean Islands . The marímbula is usually classified as part of the lamellophone family of musical instruments. With its roots in African instruments, marimbula originated in the province of Oriente, Cuba in the 19th century...
, Bongos
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
, Tres, Güiro
Güiro
The güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role...
(or Guayo) and one or more singers. Also, note that Changüi has no son clave
Clave
The term clave may refer to* Clave , a rhythmic pattern found in some Afro-Cuban Music* Claves, a percussion instrument* Clave , a free weekly newspaper in Santo Domingo* Clavé, a village in France...
part although clave direction can be distinguished in the Tres by its rhythmic pattern and the Coro by its emphasis of the bombo (2&). The guayo
Güiro
The güiro is a Latin-American percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role...
plays on the down beats.
The guitar-like tres
Tres
The tres is a 3-course, 6-string chordophone which was created in Cuba. A tres player is called a tresero in Cuba and a tresista in Puerto Rico.-Cuban tres:In Cuba, the son was created as a song and a salon dance genre...
gives changui its distinctive sound by following the melodic line of the song and reinforcing the harmonic structure of the guitar instruments.
Changui has an accompanying dance, highlighting the coquettishness of the woman and the chivalry of the man.