Anthony Blea, leader of a SF charanga band Photo by Rita	Tipica orchestra at Museo de la Musica in Havana Photo by Rita	Danzon dancers Photo by Mimmo Fabrizi

DANZON

Music:

Cuban danzon evolved from 19th century European court dances (contradanza and danza) brought to Cuba by the Haitian slaves and French colonists who flooded Cuba after the Haitian revolution. Miguel Faílde Pérez created the first danzon in 1879 in Matanzas. Dr. Olavo Rodriguez, noted Cuban ethnomusicologist, notes that,

“The danzon had structural elements that differ from those of the danza. The second section(B melody) was no longer done in the AB-AB structure but in an AB-AC. There were many danzones however, written in the same form as the danzas and contradanzas. These binary periods were increasingly repeated and invariably the new second (B) was different from the previous one. From that moment on, it ceased to have a binary form and assumed a rondo form with a variable number of parts (AB-AC-AD etc) where the ritonello (A) was called the introduction, and alternated with different sections that were called: first danzón (B), second danzon(C), third danzon (D) and so on. These sections differed among themselves mainly in their musical character, and orchestration. As a result of this second factor, the first danzon was also called “the clarinet part,” and the second danzon “the violin part.” The orchestration of the third danzon had a very varied structure.” (Rodriguez 1998)

A new element appeared in danzon when Jose Urfe in the 1900’s, added an estribillo section (repeated music figure), an element heard in his composition “El Bombin de Barretto.”  In 1926 Antonio Maria Romeu spiced up the estribillo section by adding a piano solo. Danzones were played by ensembles called orquesta tipicas and later groups called charanga francesas (now called charangas). For more on charangas, go to the section called “Charanga Forever”

Danzon: Dance

According to Dr. Olavo Rodriguez the contradanza was a formal, regimented dances. Men and women faced each other, stood in lines and performed intricate figures. Danza brought a new European element to Cuban dance, couples touching while they danced, holding each other in an embrace. The danzon combined the two forms producing couples who danced in complicated figures. He notes the structure and style elements of dance changed as the musical “Bailes Populares Cubanos” by María Antonia Fernández (1974) La Habana Pueblo Y Educación, dance instruction text describes the technique of danzon with line drawings and brief narratives.  According to Ms. Fernandez, the couple assumes the position of the embrace and the woman begins with her right foot and the man begins with his left foot.

The dancer lifts his right foot, rests it on the ball of foot, keeping his weight on the left foot. The dancer steps to the side, sliding the right foot and completely transfers his weight to the right foot. The dancer slides his left foot towards the right and rests his weight on the ball of the left foot. The dancer continues the step starting on the left and then alternating feet. The dancer synchronizes his steps to the beat of the music as follows:(two sets of four counts)

1. Wait
2. Wait
3. Right rests on the metatarsal
4. Right remains resting on the metatarsal

1. Right slides to the side
2. Right remains completely bent
3. Left rests on the metatarsal
4. Left continues resting on the metatarsal