| Tumba francesa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stylistic origins | 18th centuryAfro-Haitian music |
| Cultural origins | Early 19th century inOriente,Cuba |
| Typical instruments | Catá, premier, bulá, segón, tambora, chachá or maruga |
| Regional scenes | |
| Santiago de Cuba,Guantánamo | |
| La Tumba Francesa | |
|---|---|
| Country | Cuba |
| Reference | 00052 |
| Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2008 (3rd session) |
| List | Representative |
Tumba francesa is a secular Afro-Cuban genre ofdance,song, and drumming that emerged inOriente,Cuba. It was introduced by slaves from the French colony ofSaint-Domingue (which would later become the nation ofHaiti) whose owners resettled in Cuba's eastern regions following theslave rebellion during the 1790s. The genre flourished in the late 19th century with the establishment ofsociedades de tumba francesa (tumba francesa societies), of which only three survive.
Tumba francesa combines musical traditions ofWest African,Bantu,French andSpanish origin. Cuban ethnomusicologists agree that the word "tumba" derives from theBantu andMandinka words for drum.[1][2] In Cuba, the word tumba is used to denote the drums, the ensembles and the performance itself in tumba francesa.[3]
Tumbas francesas are directed by a mistress of ceremonies calledmayora de plaza. Performances generally begin with improvised solo singing in a mixture ofSpanish andFrench patois termedkreyol cubano orpatuá cubano by the lead vocalist (composé).[4] After the introduction, thecatá (a wooden cylindrical idiophone struck with twosticks) is played, and thecomposé alternatescall and response singing with a group of female vocalists (tumberas).[3] After the catá establishes the beat, the three tumbas are played. The tumbas are single-headed hand drums; from largest to smallest they are called premier (or manma), bulá and segón. The premier is now commonly called quinto, as it fulfills the same lead, improvisatory role as thequinto does among theconga drums inCuban rumba.[3] In the toque masón, a double-headed bass drum called tamborita (or simply tambora) establishes the rhythm together with the catá. In addition, ashaker called chachá or maruga is commonly played by thetumberas and themayora throughout the performance.[3] The structure of tumba francesa is related to an eastern type ofCuban rumba calledtahona.[5]
There are three maintoques, or types of tumba performance, each associated with a specific dance.
An additional toque calledcinta is only performed inSantiago de Cuba. It is called so because the performance takes place around a tree trunk with coloured bands (cintas), which are red, white and blue.
The dance in tumba francesa is similar to Haitianaffranchi, which involves a series of straight-backed, held-torso, French style figures followed by African improvisation on the final set,[6] but tumba francesa is danced to drums instead of string and woodwind instruments.[7] The clothes of the dancers are colorful and flamboyant.[8]
Tumbas francesas can be traced back to the late 18th century when theHaitian Revolution triggered the migration of French colonists from Saint-Domingue, bringing their slaves to theOriente Province of Cuba. By the late 19th century, following the abolition of slavery in 1886, tumba francesa societies became established in this region, especially inSantiago de Cuba andGuantánamo. Their establishment was in many ways similar to the old Africancabildos.[3] Performers identify tumba francesa asFrench-Haitian, acknowledging it as a product of Haiti which now resides inCuba.[7] By the second half of the 20th century, tumbas francesas were still performed in eastern Cuba, especially the toque masón. Other toques however are only played in the context cultural associations. Three tumba francesa societies survive at the moment: La Caridad de Oriente (originally La Fayette) in Santiago de Cuba; Bejuco inSagua de Tánamo,Holguín; and Santa Catalina de Riccis (originally La Pompadour) in Guantánamo.[3]
Unlike other Afro-Cuban genres, tumba francesa remains poorly documented in terms of recordings. The 1976 LPAntología de la música afrocubana VII, produced by Danilo Orozco and released byAreito, presents a variety of yubá and masón toques.[9]
|  | |
