Cuban music is a vast Diaspora but can basically be broken down into 5 generic styles. These are son, rumba, Cuban song, danzon, and punto. This article will discuss the first, and arguably most well known style of Cuban music, son.
Nengon - The First Form Of Son In Cuba
Nengon could be considered the father of both changui and Cuban son music as we know it today. Nengon changed into changui in Guantanamo, and son (the sub style, not the generic style) in Santiago de Cuba. Kiriba, which we talk about later, also had a role in becoming changui when it fused with nengon. Nengon is also identifiable by its constant alternation of the singer and a chorus.
Nengon was traditionally played with a tingotalango or tumbandera. Basically the tingotalango is made from a tree which has a rope tied to it and pulled down. The other end is then tied to a rock in a hole functioning as a contra-bass. Of course, the marimbula took over after its invention and eventually the bass was used.
Nengon, when played in a modern context, uses the instrumentation of a changui ensemble. Musicians will often confuse the differences and think of all of this early music as changui. The main difference is (as mentioned above) the chorus and singer alternating through the entire song, and the fact that changui is much more syncopated and usually has identifiable sections.
Kiriba - Precursor to Changui and Cuban Son
Kiriba comes from the Baracoa region of Cuba, which is coincidentally where changui was created. In fact where the fusion of kiriba and nengon takes place is where changui is invented. Son was the result of nengon evolving without the influnce of kiriba.
Like nengon, the kiriba's identifying feature is the constant alternation of improvisational verses sung by a soloist and a chorus. Generally kiriba is played with tres, bongos, maracas, guiro, and marímbula, (this ensemble is similar to the changui). Nengon and Kiriba are practiced in the mountain regions of Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Like nengon, kiriba is practiced in the mountains around Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, with Baracoa being a particularly vibrant area for kiriba.
Changui - From Guantanamo Cuba
Changui was born in Guantanamo Province, Cuba (specifically the Baracoa area) from fusion of nengon and kiriba. We discussed nengon and kiriba above, but many people still ask is a song changui or nengon or kiriba? You will likely get some conflicting answers depending on who you ask. It is fairly easy to answer from an academic point of view, but you will likely have some qustions. Let's try to answer them.
What is the difference between changui and nengon or kiriba? The academic answer is that you are playing changui once the ensemble consists of these 4 musical instruments: marimbula, bongo, tres, guiro(or guayo) and a singer(s). Also, note that changui has no son clave. Clave had not been invented yet. Instead, the guayo plays on the down beats.
Modern Changui Interpretations
Musicians who play these styles will often consider a song a changui anytime the bongo player and the tres player are playing very syncopated lines which start on the 16th note ahead of the beat. Just remember though that the real difference between changui and the earlier style is instrumentation and the repetitive chorus and singing in nengon and kiriba.
You may also run into the common myth that any musician from Guantanamo is playing changui. Generally, as in the case of artists like Elio Reve, they are really playing modern son with some elements of changui.
Conclusion
You may wonder why there is so much emphasis on the eastern parts of Cuba. It is not that there is no music in the western and central areas, it just evolved differently. There are definite sub-styles of son from these regions, especially sucu-sucu, but most musicologists agree that son was born in the mountains of Oriente (Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba).
For more information:
Kiriba - Precursor to Changui
Nengon - The First Form of Son in Cuba
Changui - Traditional Music From Guantanamo Cuba
CD's with examples of these styles
Con Sabor Al Guaso - Ban Rarra
Official Retrospective Of Cuban Music
