B
- Bembé
- An Afro-Cuban religious celebration with percussion and song for the Orishas. Its rhythms underpin much of Cuban popular music.
- Bongo
- A small Afro-Cuban pair of drums played between the knees. In Son ensembles the bongocero handles the subtler rhythmic accents.
C
- Casino
- The Cuban name for what is internationally called Cuban salsa. Named after the Casino Deportivo in Havana, where the style caught on in the 1950s.
- Cha-cha-chá
- A Cuban genre from 1953, developed by violinist Enrique Jorrín. Known for the cha-cha-chá rhythm on the third beat; also popular as a distinct dance style.
- Charanga
- A classic Cuban ensemble with flute, violin, piano, bass and percussion. The charanga sound is light and elegant, and forms the base of much danzón and cha-cha.
- Clave
- The rhythmic skeleton underneath nearly all Cuban music. The son clave (3-2 or 2-3) is a five-stroke pattern spread across two bars. Feel the clave and you feel the music.
- Claves
- The two wooden sticks used to play the clave pattern. Small instrument, huge role: it holds the whole ensemble together.
- Columbia
- The fastest, most acrobatic rumba style, originally danced by men. A solo dance of challenge, with the quinto drum as conversation partner.
- Coro
- The chorus in a Cuban band that sings the short, repeating refrains against which the sonero improvises. No coro, no call-and-response.
D
- Descarga
- A Cuban jam session. Musicians improvise over a fixed rhythm; comparable to a jazz jam. Live descargas are legendary at socials.
- Despelote
- An Afro-Cuban solo moment inside Timba where partners let go and shake, turn, and play with the music on their own. Literally means “chaos.”
G
- Guaguancó
- One of the three main rumba styles. A playful couple game in which the man attempts a "vacunao" (a symbolic touch) while the woman defends.
- Guayo
- A metal scraper played with a stick; the Cuban equivalent of the güiro. It adds the rasping texture typical of cha-cha and charanga.
M
- Mambo
- A Cuban genre from the 1940s that broke worldwide thanks to Pérez Prado and Tito Puente. Also the name of the instrumental "hot" section in the middle of a salsa track.
- Maracas
- A shaker instrument made from hollowed gourds or wood, filled with seeds or beads. Drives the constant underlying pattern in many ensembles.
- Montuno
- The second, high-energy section of a salsa track where the coro repeats and the sonero improvises. Also: the repeating, syncopated piano figure that sits under it.
P
- Pregón
- A song based on the call of a Cuban street vendor. Classics like "El Manisero" are pregones that grew into worldwide hits.
R
- Reparto
- Contemporary Cuban urban music (post-2010), a fusion of hip hop, dembow, and timba. Its own dance style with loose hips and street attitude.
- Rueda de Casino
- A Cuban group dance where couples in a circle execute the same figures at the same time on the caller's cue. Partner swaps are part of the fun.
- Rumba
- An Afro-Cuban secular music and dance genre with three main styles: Yambú (slow), Guaguancó (couple play), and Columbia (fast, solo).
S
- Salsa Dura
- Classic "hard" salsa as played in 1970s New York by the Fania All-Stars. Heavy percussion, sharp brass, no fuss.
- Son Cubano
- The ancestor of modern salsa, born around 1900 in eastern Cuba. Blends Spanish melody with West African rhythm. Slower and more elegant than timba.
- Sonero
- The lead singer in a Cuban band who improvises during the montuno section. Good soneros tell stories, quote proverbs, and play with the audience.
- Songo
- A genre developed by Los Van Van in the 1970s. A fusion of son, rumba, and funk that laid the foundation for timba.
T
- Tembleque
- An Afro-Cuban move where the shoulders shiver or vibrate at speed. Often part of the despelote moment in timba.
- Timba
- Contemporary Cuban dance music (from the 1990s onwards) with aggressive breaks, complex arrangements, and jazz, funk, and rumba influences. Key bands: NG La Banda, Los Van Van, Havana D'Primera.
- Tres
- A Cuban string instrument with three pairs of strings. The tres gives Son Cubano its signature melodic identity.
- Tumbadora (Conga)
- A tall, slim Afro-Cuban hand drum. The tumbadora delivers the tumbao pattern — the heartbeat of Cuban percussion.
- Tumbao
- The syncopated rhythmic pattern on the conga or bass in Cuban music. A good tumbao makes dancers' hips move by themselves.
Y
- Yambú
- The slowest and oldest rumba style, also known as "rumba of the old folks." Danced without the vacunao, with big emphasis on expression and posture.
Missing a term? Let us know via contact. For more background, read the Cuban salsa hub or the page on Rueda de Casino.