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Mozambique refers to two separate styles of music.
Cuban-style mozambique
Mozambique (
pron.: mo.sam.'βi.ke) is a vigorous style of
Cuban music
The music of Cuba, including its instruments, performance, and dance, comprises a large set of unique traditions influenced mostly by west African and European (especially Spanish) music. Due to the syncretic nature of most of its genres, Cuban mu ...
and
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
derived, like the
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
, from music of Cuban street carnivals or
comparsa
A comparsa is a group of singers, musicians and dancers that take part in carnivals and other festivities in Spain and Latin America. Its precise meaning depends on the specific regional celebration. The most famous comparsas are those that parti ...
s. It was invented or developed by Pello el Afrokan (Pedro Izquierdo) in 1963.
Music
Although the rhythm shares many characteristics with
Sub-Saharan African music traditions
In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the use of music is not limited to entertainment: it serves a purpose to the local community and helps in the conduct of daily routines. Traditional African music supplies appropriate music and dance for work ...
, it does not have anything to do with music from the African nation of
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
. The Cuban mozambique features
conga drums
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
, bombos (
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
s),
cowbell
A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...
s and
trombones
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
.
"Mozambique_Lesson_in_Cuba,_1985"_(Pello_el_Afrokan)_an
"Mozambique_Rhythm_from_Cuba"_(Kim_Atkinson).
Izquierdo's_composition_"María_Caracoles"_was_later_recorded_by_"Mozambique_Lesson_in_Cuba,_1985"_(Pello_el_Afrokan)_an
"Mozambique_Rhythm_from_Cuba"_(Kim_Atkinson).
Izquierdo's_composition_"María_Caracoles"_was_later_recorded_by_Santana_(band)">Santana_
Santana_may_refer_to:
_Transportation
*_Volkswagen_Santana,_an_automobile
*__Santana_Cycles,_manufacturer_of_tandem_bicycles
*__Santana_Motors,_a_former_Spanish_automobile_manufacturer
_Boats
*_Santana_20,_an_American_sailboat_design_by_W._D._Sch_...
_on_their_1977_album_''Festival_(Santana_album).html" "title="Santana_(band).html" "title="ee
"Mozambique Lesson in Cuba, 1985" (Pello el Afrokan)
an
"Mozambique Rhythm from Cuba" (Kim Atkinson).
Izquierdo's composition "María Caracoles" was later recorded by Santana (band)">Santana
Santana may refer to:
Transportation
* Volkswagen Santana, an automobile
* Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles
* Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer
Boats
* Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...
on their 1977 album ''Festival (Santana album)">Festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
''.
Izquierdo's rhythm made its début in 1963 in Havana on the television programme ''Ritmos de Juventud'', with the presenter surrounded by drummers so in tune with each other that they created a piano-like sound, while simultaneously performing the Mozambique dance.
Dance
The dance consists of bending the
knee
In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest joint in the hu ...
and lowering the body at the same time as lifting up a foot while returning the body to its normal upright position, continuing to bend the knees, and lowering the body. The dance looks like a cross between the "timeless" Afro-
Cuban rumba
Rumba is a secular genre of Cuban music involving dance, percussion, and song. It originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century. It is based on African music and dance traditions, ...
and
son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...
, and the African-American
twist
Twist may refer to:
In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage
* ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist''
* ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...
, which was popular in the States during the early 1960s.
Mozambique peaked in 1965, when Izquierdo took a group to the Olympics in Paris, then was quickly discarded. Despite its short time in the spotlight, first Izquierdo, and later his son, have kept the mozambique alive through recordings and live performances. Mozambique was the first new genre of post-revolution Cuba, and the first popular band music to systemically use
rumba clave. The mozambique began a new trajectory in band rhythms, which can be heard in its descendants—
songo and
timba
Timba is a Cuban genre of music based on Cuban ''son'' with ''salsa'', American
Funk/R&B and the strong influence of Afro-Cuban folkloric music. Timba rhythm sections differ from their salsa counterparts, because timba emphasizes the bass dru ...
.
New York-style mozambique
In
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
during the 1960s,
Eddie Palmieri
Eddie Palmieri (born December 15, 1936) is an American Grammy Award-winning pianist, bandleader, musician, and composer of Puerto Rican ancestry. He is the founder of the bands La Perfecta, La Perfecta II, and Harlem River Drive.
Early life
Pal ...
created a rhythm called Mozambique that was inspired by Izquierdo's creation of the same name. Although both rhythms are based on conga de comparsa drums, they have no parts in common. [See
"The History of the New York-Style Mozambique" (Andy Gonzalez interviews Manny Oquendo)] Even the clave patterns are different; Izquierdo's rhythm uses rumba clave, while Palmieri's uses son clave. Izquierdo’s mozambiques are, for the most part, in major keys. Palmieri’s mozambiques are mostly in minor keys. However, both groups primarily use
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
s in a
2-3 clave sequence, and a trombone horn section.
The following piano guajeo is in the New York style.
Rebeca Mauleón makes the point that because Cuban Mozambique originally began as a percussion genre, there is no set piano part for it. By contrast, while Izquierdo created specific percussion parts for his Mozambique, the only specific percussion part in the New York style is the bell pattern.
Bell pattern
The
bell pattern
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an intern ...
used in Palmieri's rhythm was originally a
guaguancó
Guaguancó () is a subgenre of Cuban rumba, combining percussion, voices, and dance. There are two main styles: Havana and Matanzas.
Percussion
* battery of three conga drummers: the ''tumba'' (lowest), ''tres dos'' (middle, playing a counter-c ...
cáscara pattern. The Mozambique bell is similar to the pattern used in Havana-style
conga
The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
de comparsa.
Tommy Lopez played congas in Palmieri's group. The bell pattern was first played by Palmieri's timbalero
Julito Collazo and later by
Manny Oquendo
Manny Oquendo (January 1, 1931 – March 25, 2009) was an American percussionist of Puerto Rican ancestry. His main instruments were the timbales and the bongos.
He was a long-time member of Eddie Palmieri's Conjunto La Perfecta, which he lef ...
, who came to be closely associated with the Mozambique
timbales
Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...
part.
"Mozambique"_(Manny_Oquendo).html" ;"title="ee
"Mozambique" (Manny Oquendo)">ee
"Mozambique" (Manny Oquendo)The NY Mozambique bell was later adopted by drumset players in North American jazz and popular music. For example, drummer
Steve Gadd
Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the ''Modern D ...
can be heard playing the NY Mozambique bell part on drumset (cymbal) during
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
's song "
Late in the Evening
"Late in the Evening" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his fifth studio album, '' One-Trick Pony'' (1980), released on Warner Bros. Records.
His first single release for Warner, "Late in the Eveni ...
".
The NY Mozambique bell is nearly identical to the basic
songo stick pattern.
[Peñalosa, David 2010. ''Rumba Quinto'' p. 148. Redway, CA: Bembe Books. ] "Basic_Songo_for_Drum_Kit"_(Ignacio_Berroa).The_only_difference_is_the_stroke_on_main_beat_(music).html" "title="ee
"Basic Songo for Drum Kit" (Ignacio Berroa).The only difference is the stroke on main beat (music)">beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
3, sounded in the songo pattern. Both songo and NY Mozambique departed from the typical "angular" rhythms used in son montuno, mambo (music), mambo, and salsa music, salsa, allowing more improvisational freedom for the conga drummer throughout the song.
References
External links
* "Pello el Afrokan 1964 "Mozambique" Web. ''YouTube''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shf-i-rms9Y&playnext=1&list=PL39747ACC706E2222
* "Maria Caracoles" (Pello el Afrokan 1964). Web. ''YouTube''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NGjZYN2k84
* "Pello el Afrokan (inventor of the mozambique rhythm) gives us mozambique lesson in Cuba 1985." Web. ''YouTube''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN5FF3tVVbI
* "From Arsenio to Songo" (Kevin Moore 2011). Web. ''Timba.com.'' http://www.timba.com/encyclopedia_pages/the-roots-of-timba-part-ii?source_type=Artist&source_id=6
* "Mi mambo conga" (Eddie Palmieri 1965). Web. ''YouTube''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcqLR2pvuoc
* "Mozambique" (Manny Oquendo). ''Unlocking Clave. Facebook''. https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=200210736684253
* "The History of the New York-Style Mozambique," Andy Gonzalez interviews Manny Oquendo. ''Unlocking Clave. Facebook''. https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=196776013694392
* "The Mozambique Rhythm from Cuba" Kim Atkinson. Web. ''YouTube''. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1gG5I8j4Mo
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Cuban styles of music
Dance music genres