Afro cuban dances
Grounded in rhythm and tradition, these forms connect dancers to African roots, Cuban culture, and sacred movement.
Afro-Cuban Dances by African Origin
| African Region / Ethnic Group |
Cuban Religions / Traditions |
Cuban Dances / Genres |
| Nigeria (Yoruba) |
Santería (Regla de Ocha) |
Orisha dances (to Shango, Yemayá, Ochún, Elegguá, etc.); staged folkloric Yoruba dances; influence on Rumba & Son movement |
| Nigeria (Igbo / Efik) |
Lesser-preserved lineages |
Ritual dances in some Afro-Cuban ceremonies, body isolations integrated into popular dance |
| Cameroon–Congo (Bantu/Kongo) |
Palo Monte (Regla de Palo), Congo cabildos |
Palo dances, Makuta, Yuka; Congo-style dances; major influence on Rumba ( Columbia & Guaguancó) |
| Dahomey (Fon/Ewe, Benin area) |
Arará religion ( Matanzas) |
Arará ritual dances, with distinctive footwork and body undulations |
| Carabalí (Calabar, SE Nigeria– Cameroon border) |
Abakuá society |
Secret society dances (ekón, plante), influence on male rumba styles |
| European (Spanish / French) |
Secular ballroom, Creole culture |
Contradanza, Habanera, Danzón, Cha-cha-chá, Mambo, etc. |
| Mixed Creole (African + European) |
Popular Cuban music & dance |
Son, Rumba, Salsa, Casino (Cuban salsa), Timba |
A Cuban popular dance music genre that emerged in the 1980s–90s
- emerged in the 1980s–90s
- influenced by songo, rumba, funk, blues, jazz, pop, rock and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
- Known for complex rhythm shifts, aggressive bass lines, and high energy that push dancers to improvise.
Lees meer >Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the " mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
Mambo
In Cuban music, especially in salsa and son,
the "mambo" section typically refers to a brassy, rhythmically intense instrumental break,
often featuring repetitive horn lines, call-and-response patterns, and building energy toward the climax of a song.
- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >Yemayá
Yemayá – several specific toques for Yemayá.
Rooted in Havana’s bustling 1950s dance halls, Cuban Casino mixes tradition and flair in a partner dance style that spread worldwide.
Lees meer >
- Son traditional
- Son urbano
- Son montuno
- Son moderno.
Lees meer >National dance of Cuba, evolved from danza.
Lees meer >A Cuban dance and music style created in the early 1950s by Enrique Jorrín, evolving from the danzón-mambo tradition in charanga orchestras.
Lees meer >Cuban rumba is an Afro-Cuban music and dance genre characterized by complex rhythms, call-and-response vocals, and expressive, often flirtatious movements, rooted in African and Spanish traditions.
Lees meer >Rumba columbia is the fastest of the Cuban rumba styles (alongside yambú and guaguancó). It’s a virtuosic solo dance—traditionally male, now often danced by women too—performed to a triple-pulse feel (12/8, often felt as fast 6/8). Its hallmark is a playful, competitive dialogue between the dancer and the lead drum (quinto).
Lees meer >The dance involves a flirtatious "chase" between a male and female dancer, with the male attempting a symbolic pelvic thrust called the vacunao,
and the female using body movements to evade or accept it.
Lees meer >Palo
Palo
Palo is an Afro-Cuban religion with various denominations that developed among Central African slaves and their descendants, particularly those of Congo and Bantu origin.
The Spanish word palo (“stick”) refers to the wooden sticks used in the construction of ritual altars—called la Nganga, el caldero, or la prenda.
Denominations (“Branches”) of Palo
- Mayombe (or Mallombe)
- Monte
- Briyumba (or Brillumba)
- Kimbisa
Practitioners
Priests and initiates of Palo are called:
- Paleros
- Tatas (male priests)
- Yayas (female priests)
- Nganguleros
Core Beliefs
The Palo belief system rests on two foundational pillars:
- Honor of the spirits
- Belief in natural / earth powers
All natural objects—especially sticks—are understood to contain spiritual power, typically connected to the spirits themselves. This differs from Santería and other Yoruba religions, whose orishas are more closely associated with human or anthropomorphic forms.
Distinctive Traits
- No deity-specific colors, clothing, or stylized dances (unlike Santería).
- Ritual emphasis on natural objects and the nganga.
Music in Palo Rituals
Palo music typically begins with wooden percussion, followed by drums and metal tools.
Wooden instruments:
Drums:
- Ngoma (conga-style drums)
Metal instruments:
Higher Deities and Syncretism
Nkuyu
Also known as: Mukudji, Nkuyu, Mañunga, Lubaniba, Lucero, Lucero Mundo, Remolino, Cuarto Vientos, Kbuyu
- Deity of forests and roads; a guide and balancer
- Guardian of cemetery entrances
- Associated with the moon
- Syncretized with Eleguá/Eshu (Yoruba) and the Holy Infant of Atocha
Kengue
Also known as: Mama Kengue, Yola, Tiembla Tierra, Pandilanga
- Sky Father and primordial creator
- Deity of knowledge and justice
- Equivalent to Obatalá (Yoruba)
- Syncretized with the Virgin of Mercy
Sarabanda
Also known as: Zarabanda, Rompe Monte
- Strong, forceful, willful deity
- Equivalent to Ogún (Yoruba)
- Associated with Saint Peter
El Christo Negro
- Black manifestation of Jesus Christ
- Considered all-powerful; all spirits bow to his authority
- Symbolically linked with black crows and black roosters
Mama Chola
- Goddess of fertility and love
- Equivalent to Oshún, the Yoruba orisha of beauty and love
Percussion Instruments
Instruments like conga, batá, and clave.
- Orisha of thunder, lightning, fire, drumming, kingship.
- Toques: Chachachá, Alujá, Obakoso.
- Strong, fiery, powerful rhythms — central to batá tradition.
Lees meer >The following dances have their origin in Matanzas:
Origin of:
Heritage of:
Bembé