Montuno

The Montuno (Spanish: from the mountain wise) is named an instrumental part in the Cuban music; furthermore also a dance style of son

Origin

The term Montuno refers to the eastern traversed by mountain ranges part of Cuba: Sierra Maestra, which runs between Cabo Cruz and the port of Santiago along the south coast and north to the valley of the Rio cauto borders, and extends further east in the Sierra de Cristal, in the area between al Sur, Guantánamo and Baracoa with the highest elevations of Cuba ( Turquino, Pico and La Gran Piedra Martí ). What is meant not so much the mountain ranges, but the remote mountain regions and rugged land, where only isolated campesinos live in the real sense. Montuno - quiet - so is in contrast to Urbano (Spanish: city ).

Importance

Montuno is a Cuban word creation which are not existing in Spanish. The particular semantics of the word becomes clear if one listens in the different connotations:

• The first settlers who settled in the east of the island were mostly of Spanish origin; either they came from Andalusia or the Canary Islands. At the same time the eastern Cuba is geographically close to Haiti. In the uprising against the French colonial power in 1791, many black farm workers in Haiti fled to the neighboring island of Cuba and brought their drum rhythms with the associated customs, songs and dances with it. These mixed with the passage of time with the guitar music of the Spanish farmer. Here emerged as significant Cuban rhythms such as the Danzon and Son Montuno The thus stands for origin and originality. Here in the east we find the traditional family structures with their community festivals; here are the genuine roots of Cuban music.
• A rural instrument group that was dedicated to the Son, consisted of three with Tres, Güiro and bongos through the country attracting musicians. This despised Cuban city dwellers as poor. Only in the urban salons they were jazzed to stately Conjunto. While dancing is the urban Urbano for elegance and style. Subtly the man leads the woman with sensual movements around them. In contrast, Montuno is danced with the whole body: shoulders, head, knees, and much upper body and arm movements. He seems playful. Dance figures are often called montunos if they contain jump elements. The Montuno is often perceived as pure and unrefined while dancing.
• In Danzon, the fourth and final part is called montuno. This consists of an accelerated final, where again all themes and quotes from the previous parts are jumbled. In the 1930s, Cuba was a hybrid of Danzon and Son, the Son montuno. It consists of only two parts, a vocal part with chorus and verses and a instrumental and rhythm part. The latter is the Montuno. Here the rhythm is turned up and the audience once again been heated up properly. The instruments to improvise in free solos. Montuno stands for vitality and free musical games.
• Montuno refers to the pattern of Cuban music in the piano part.

• Music ( Cuba)
• Couple dance
• Cuban Dance