Cuban musical traditions have been the result of a long social process involving many different cultures. African lineages have long been recognized as an integral part of Cuban identity. Rhythms from the African continent are the foundation of some of the island's most representative genres. This lecture will examine the Cuban cinquillo and its presence in seminal genres such as danzon and trova. The cinquillo is a rhythmic cell that can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and in several Cuban styles that emerged during Spanish colonial times.
