Introduction "Timba" - diploma thesis
I have chosen the musical style timba as the central topic of my diploma thesis for several reasons. First of all, I would like to say that the term timba, viewed internationally, raises a question mark for many people. Even musicians don't seem to automatically associate anything with the term. Since this term for the music style only became established in Cuba in the 90s, it did not have the opportunity to spread and market itself outside of its own scene, in contrast to the term "Salsa", which is often equated. Unfortunately, from a musical and historical point of view, this equation is based on a very superficial perception and should therefore be clarified. "Salsa" quickly became the "music pot" for Western cultures to denote any possible influences from Latin American music. When the term is used today, there is hardly anyone who has never heard it. Nonetheless, "salsa" has been a selling point of the Americans, and as a result has become a generalized term for the music of Latin American countries worldwide. Unfortunately, however, a differentiation of the styles is lost. Thus, among other things, the dominant styles such as the Cuban came to be given a delimiting designation: timba . It is often points of contact with the Cuban culture that can explain the nature of the timba for the first time, because it can only be more precisely understood and determined from its history, which is how it represents its own image and creates a certain atmosphere in the field of "Salsa". I also claim that many people who are involved in the timba scene themselves, especially outside of Cuba, are given the image of the timba but do not know the historical context or understand the musical demands behind it too little. At least that's how it felt for me before I started to delve deeper into the subject. With this work I am trying to arouse interest in the concept of the timba and to educate those interested about this topic. Behind the special musical phenomenon of the timba is a fusion of the most diverse musical cultures of Africa and western nations, especially Spain, which has led to the creation of a rich and varied music. From today's point of view, there is probably little popular live music that has such a large cast as in the timba. Around seventeen musicians enter the stage with the larger bands. Even if the music is enriched with new sounds and instruments, the style works little with virtual instruments. Compared to other styles of popular music, electronic music has received relatively little recognition, or rather it became a trend in timba mainly due to synth. sounds of the 80's and 90's and is today influenced by reggaeton . The first two large chapters in my diploma thesis give an overview of the Timba with all its facets. While the first part provides basic, scientific information on this area, such as a general understanding, the historical context and a comparison to the often compared "salsa", I will deal with and analyze the musical properties in more detail in the second part. I will then end the musical concept with an enumeration of important Timba bands that made the style what it is today. With this prior knowledge, I turn to the various currents that have particularly shaped the Timba and present their obvious effect in selected song examples. Starting with the son as a foundation, I will then describe the relevant music and dance influences on the Timba in chapters introduce, and show analytically how these are embedded. There are: that of the rumba , that of the santería religion and that of reggaetón . A very defining characteristic of the timba, which can be considered a certain evolution of "salsa", is its rhythmic complexity, which I will elaborate on in another chapter using the break structures of an entire piece. I will formulate an appropriate final word on the subject of Timba in the chapter “Timba Today – Is the Timba Era at the End” in my impressions that I experienced in Cuba myself. A crucial question that I asked myself in this section is whether the timba, which already had its heyday in Cuba in the 90s, will be supplanted by new music trends or whether it will hold its own due to the interest of western cultures?
1.1 What is Timba?
Timba is the name of a popular Cuban style of music that is very closely associated with the world-renowned genre of Cuban " salsa ". The Timba is practically a new creation and a further development of the Cuban "Salsa" that was in the offing at the beginning of the '90s. The art of Latin American rhythms spread by the "Fania" label and the widespread term "salsa" in the 1970s led to a boom in newly formed "salsa" bands around 20 years later, with formations of Cuban origin now calling their music timba. Historically, there are several reasons for the emergence of the Timba movement. On the one hand, the sales brand "Salsa" was only reluctantly tolerated, since the roots of this music come from the strongly influenced son cubano , whose origins can be classified in the mid-19th century and most popular forms of Cuban music arose from it, such as the cha-cha-cha , the afrocuban rumba and the mambo . In a later episode also the " salsa " and the timba . Although the Son Cubano is understood by Cubans as the original sound and regarded as the mother of rhythms, from today's point of view the unfree historical roots are perceived more as a surprise and an abuse of the Cuban musical tradition. Local bands therefore use the term timba to define their regained musical identity. On the other hand, the Timba has changed musically from "Salsa" in that way that folklore and other popular stylistic elements have been included in the music. Likewise, the Afro-Cuban rumba, especially the guaguancó , and the religious music of the santería played with batá drums had a formative influence on the timba, whereby the musical style once again underlines its justification. While musical influences from other cultures, including Western cultures, were added later, the music was equipped with synth sounds and the drum set used in many musical genres, among other things. The bands that are considered pioneers of Timba are Los Van Van, Irakere and NG La Banda , although in their heyday in the 70s and 80s they are seen retrospectively as precursors of Timba. In view of the fact that the characteristics of the timba only emerged in the course of the 90s, Adalberto Alvarez with "Son 14" and Elio Revé with "Orquesta Manzanillo" are considered important role models.
To this day, a relatively smooth transition from "Salsa" to Timba can be observed. The timba is characterized above all by the integration of current music trends, as well as extended instrumental formations, which bring rhythmic complexity and energy to expression. The dance in the Timba has also committed itself to new standards due to its increased emotionality and complexity. New forms of movement alongside the well-known casino (Cuban dance style of salsa) were mixed in, which now greatly loosen the rules of dancing and promote free dancing.
More information about the Timba can be found in the PDF:
Diploma thesis "Timba - a form of Cuban popular music", Christian Thomas Lee Kettner