Familia Valera Familia Valera Buena Vista Gershwin: Gloria
Miranda: Cana Miranda: Cana Social Club: Cuban Estefan –
Quema – Se quema Quema – Alla va Chan Chan Overture Conga
la chumbamba candela
(1997)
Context Familia Valera Miranda: group of traditional Cuban son Gershwin went to First hit single
musicians from East Cuba, perform traditional Written in 1984 (by Cuba + was released by her
Cuban music handed down through generations, a Cuban musician fascinated by the American band
music originated in the experiences of subsistence originally recorded music (especially Miami Sound
farmers (some whom had slave roots) + other by his own group), the percussion Machine
elements added more recently from family but recorded by instruments (1985)
originating in Canary Islands them in 1996 giving it a
Son: important Cuban musical form, rural origins Son cubano (use of distinctive
in 19th century, became nationally popular in the tres, lyrical flavour)
1920s, fusion of Spanish elements (colonised Cuba) metre, vocal style) Tone poem
+ African elements (slaves they imported),
originally purely vocal call/ response
West Africa: syncopated/layered rhythms, call +
response, percussion instruments developed from
African, improvisation
Spanish: functional chords, guitar/cuatro/double
bass, strophic, minor scale patterns
About a past family Concerned with the About a man being Enthusing
incident when a piece of intense joys of love embarrassed by a everyone to
land caught fire Begins as a Cuban woman shaking join in dancing
Son montuno (mountain bolero, tempo increases herself to sieve the conga and
son): may refer to rural to a son section sand feeling the
origins/semi-improvised rhythm
section near the end
Perform All-male vocal group with leader (pregon, Rhythmic bongo, Woodwind with
ing improvises verses) + chorus (coro, sung in two conga + maraca auxiliaries, brass,
parts, remains fixed) lines strings (vlns have
Forces
Cuatro: solo improvisations (more adventurous, 3:2 son clave a lot of the
and wide range, some chords/strumming), short Double bass melodic material)
Sonority repeated melodic pattern (guajeo, Tres (derived from + prominent
syncopated/arpeggiaic melody creating an Spanish guitar) percussion
, ostinato) acts as intro/accomp to both, tuning of plays chords + (bongos, claves,
four pairs of strings’ tunings produce a thicker guajeo maracas, guiro,
sound, bright upper octaves ring through texture Trumpet, tres + wood block,
Guitar: chordal accomp in both, syncopated block electric guitar snare drum,
chords improvisatory solos timpani, cymbals,
Double bass: plucked, only a small number of notes in break sections etc)
(mostly dominant/tonic), anticipates beat in ‘Se
quema la chumbamba’, deep contrasting sound
Percussion: typical Latin American style,
continuous maracas quavers( + crotchets in ‘Se
quema la chumbamba’), improvised bongo patterns
using mainly quavers, characteristic son clave
rhythm, give strong rhythmic/driving character
3:2 son clave rhythm Mostly 2:3 son clave
rhythm
Structur 12 bar intro (4 bar Bolero: intro (two bar 12 bar intro, Refrain x2,
e cuatro guajeo then cuatro, then it plays a refrain, link, verse verse 1,
perc/guitar/bass added) pre-echo of the vocal 1, link, verse 2, refrain, verse
Strophic: alternates 8 melody), vocal idea A, link, verse 3, link, 2,
bar pregon verses vocal idea B, vocal idea refrain, link (longer instrumental,
(change in detail each C trumpet then guitar refrain x3
time, sometimes Son: vocal refrain solo), refrain Each section
virtually the same as the (ranges from 7 to 11 two has an
refrain) + 8 bar mostly bar repeated units), instrumental
unvaried coro refrains vocal idea C, vocal link between it
Lengthy cuatro solo + refrain, cuatro link, (some with
bongo improvisation cuatro solo, cuatro link, improvised
within it vocal refrain, vocal idea solos – e.g.
Return to alternate C, vocal refrain piano)
verse-chorus
Short coda based on the
coro
Texture Cuatro intro Monophonic cuatro intro Homophonic Monophonic free
monophonic (+ acts as a (+ acts as backing vocals clarinet solo
countermelody) countermelody/broken throughout (over a timpani
Melody (vocal/cuatro chordal accomp in Melody + similar roll) contrasts to
solo) + homophonic bolero) accomp the thick
