Afrocuba de Matanzas is widely considered one of the best preservers of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and dance on the island, but the group also created one of the funkiest and most exciting musical innovations in 1973 when they blended rumba percussion and batá drumming to create batarumba. As the years went on, batarumba became even more complex and versatile, as Afrocuba musicians added in instruments and rhythms from son, Abakuá, Iyesá and adapted the songs of Celia Cruz to a batarumba format.

Songs played:

Tambor, Afrocuba de Matanzas
Baila Mi Guaguancó, Afrocuba de Matanzas
Caridad, Afrocuba de Matanzas
Rinkinkalla, Celia Cruz & Sonora Matancera
Rinkinkaya, Ritmo y Canto

Learn more about batarumba in Rebecca's book: Geographies of Cubanidad: Place, Race and Musical Performance in Contemporary Cuba 

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Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions