lucumí

Yoruba/Cuban composer

Definition

The Afro-Cuban name for the Yoruba people and their language, brought to Cuba through the slave trade. Lucumí music is characterised by call-and-response patterns, polyrhythm, and ceremonial intensity.

Interpretive Guidance

In Danza lucumí, the syncopated melodic figures suggest chant-like repetition. Keep the rhythmic pulse absolutely steady — the drive comes from the pattern, not from dynamic swells.

Context

Scope Used by Ernesto Lecuona
Language Yoruba/Cuban

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