Historical Facts About Rumba
Rumba, the dance of love, is one of the most romantic and passionate of the Latin dances. Of all dances, actually. It’s no wonder why it’s a second most popular Latin dance, just behind Salsa. It’s a great dance for weddings. In this article we will take a peek into the history of rumba, or sometimes rhumba.
The origins of rumba go back to the sixteenth century Cuba. It appeared with the arrival of black slaves that were imported from Africa by the Spanish colonists. Rumba was originally danced to a mixture of flamenco melodies and the rhythms of the African slaves music.
The original form of rumba was very fast and sensuous. Because of this it was often viewed as immoral and sometimes suppressed and restricted. The word rumba comes from the Spanish word “rumbear” which means going to parties, dancing, and having a good time.
Rumba first appeared in the United States in the 1920s. Early American Rumba had a fast tempo and was accompanied by Big Band music. Today, the most popular version of rumba, the ballroom rumba, is danced almost twice as slow as its ancestor.
The modern style rumba is danced to a wide variety of music written in 4/4 time. The rhythm of the steps is slow,quick,quick, with slow step danced over two counts of music. Some of the most famous rumba songs include Frank Sinatra – Girl from Ipanema, The Beetles – And I Love Her, Gloria Estefan – Mi Buen Amor, and Chris Isaak – Wicked Game just to name a few.
Rumba evolved quite a bit from its Afro-Cuban roots. From the original wild and fast paced dance to more stylized and slower appearance. In both cases, it is the dance of passion.
Today, rumba is danced all over the world and is one of the most popular ballroom dances. One of the main reasons of its popularity is the ease of learning.
