Rhythm as Duration of Sounds in Tumba Francesa

Abstract

n July 1976 the Center for Research and Development of Cuban Music did fieldwork to compile additional information on a number of aspects of the research we were doing on the tumbafrancesa societies of Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo.1 The main objective was to make recordings of various toques which tumba francesa drummers play for each of the dances that are used in their festivities, in order to be able to copy them down in score form.2 Our intention was to make special recordings that would facilitate the transcriptions. Aside from the toques, we recorded the songs of the composes and filled in four questionnaires prepared especially for the occasion.3 The recordings of the drums were done at the tumba francesa society's premises in La Pompadu, Guantanamo. We had all the doors and windows opened in an attempt to reduce the hall's resonance, which was loud enough to cause interference, particularly when they played the premier, which produces a deep bass sound.4 We had to make several recordings of each sample until we got one that was clear enough. First we made recordings of the ensemble as a whole, playing for each one of the dances. Then we made individual recordings from each of the drums using the catd as a guide, because without the rhythm of the cata the other instruments simply could not play.5 Thus the only completely individual recording was the one for the cata. We recorded a total of more than sixty songs and all the toques that the present tumba francesa drummers know.

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