Various Cuban music, as a result of ethnic mixture till the previous century, started to rise from the 18th century. We can say so-called "Cuban music " started to form this period.

First of all, a dance music named Guaracha emerged in Havana. This music became popular during 1850s, thanks to its uptempo rhythm, racy lyrics, and lascivicious choreography. As musica, generally consists of a four- to eight- bar introduction, and singer improvised refrain part. Guaracha was also the first Cuban music which guitar accompanied with song.
In 1930s, many Cuban groups had come to use Guaracha style.
Today no specific Guaracha exists- the word refers to the "medium tempo and tropical music".

In the end of the 19th century, Danzon, which may be an easy example of black & white musical mixture in Cuban history, appeared.
This genre originated from British countrydance, which introduced to French court and became popular as contredanse. As origin shows, this music is originally European one. In late 18th century, French planters brought this dance to Cuba, and was tranformed into the creolized contradanza.
The contradanza added gradually black elements, and developped as danzon- instruments like guiro or timbales. People also started to improvise dance at will (not stricted in original European manner).
Danzon, which people regarded as vulgar music in the beginning, accepted by high society later. In this process, danzon was further simplified: from four- sixteen section to two- 32 bar sections: also the time changed from 2/4 to 6/8. As musical style, danzon existed till around 1930s.

Rumba brava (means "authentic rhumba". This name is used to differenciate from rhumba, which became popular in the U.S. and in Europe during 1930s, with the world wide hit of "El Manisero") also formed during this period.
Originally the music played by black slaves in plantations, rumba brava started to take shape in the 18th century, and started to have more complicated rhythm. Also, from the 18th century, people started playing rumba brava not only rural areas, but also cities- in Havana or in Matanza. At the turn of the 20th century, mutual-aid societies started playing rumba brava and started to make up rumberos, rhumba groups- also appeared star-group such as Los Congos de Angunda, La Violencia, and Bando Azul etc.
Rumba brava was also a music from Cuba, which spread worldwide: in Spain, gypsy guitarists still play rumba, with the name rumbas flamencas.

Rumba dance derives from Congo dance. Congo tribes used to dance with the out-thrusting choreography of pelvis ,to pray for fertility. Spanish government banned this choreography, as sexual gesture: to elude the censorship from the Spaniards, they introduced many characteristic moves to Rumba choreography. Booty-shaking, handkerchief as metaphor, and characteristic move of hands or feet. In some region, they added Brazilian/ Trinidadian flavor, to emphasize local character.
The heyday of Rumba was 1920s-1930s, and by those days people could listen to this call-and-response style music (lead-singer and chorus sing in turn) even at theaters.

Rumba contains several sub-genre. Followings are brief description of representative genre.

*Guanguanco, which formed between the end of the 19th century- the beginning of the 20th century, directly sings/dances sexual posession. (Vacunao, the pelvis contact choreography, is the most famous example). Always danced as male-female pair, and dance in a circle.
Three kinds of drum, Quinto, segundo, and tumbadora, forms fundamental rhythm, and sometimes percussion player hit the edge of drum with sticks, to cover the rhythm. Stringed instruments play melody, and chorus sing with 6/8 times.
A guanguanco song starts with introduction part, then refrain part comes, followed by dance.

*Yambu imitates old people's dancing- in fact, this dance has the slowest tempo among rumba variation. Yambu doesn't have vacunao, pelvis thrust. Elegant character is more noticiable instead.
A Yambu song starts with lamento or llorao, which sounds like an aminal voice/lamentation. Short melody in a major code with improvisation by the lead-singer follows, then refrain part (chorus part in unison) comes- and dance.
Usually they play cajon as rhythm instrument, instead of drums.

*Columbia can be described as the most dynamic dance with the fastest tempo in Rumba. In columbia, a dance regarded as male-one, a dancer must move each parts of body separately (back, shoulders, and feet). Columbia is also more dance-oriented genre: its lyrics are consisted of short-phrases, call-and-response chorus with traditional voice.


Bolero, which appeared in Oriente region in 1810s has been considered as the most typical romantic music of Latin America.
Having its roots from Spanish three counted dance, originally bolore was sung by trovadores (minstrels) accompanied with guitar. Adding black musical elements such as syncopation, and changing its beat to 2 times, bolero became Cuban music in the end of the 19th century.
Nowadays they tend to play bolero in middle tempo- faster than boleros in other countries.