Owen Kunselman
LAS 208 – B
October 17, 2021
The Rumba Craze
‘The Rumba Craze’ by Robin Moore
Q1:
Explain how commercial rumba emerged from marginalized to “accepted” in public spaces
in Cuba
.
It was a commodification of culture. Rumba had to lose a lot of authenticity to become a form of
entertainment in Cuba. That was how it became ‘accepted’.
Q2: Where was rumba developed in Cuba?
Rumba was developed in the northern regions of Cuba. Mainly heavy population dense areas like
Havana and Matanzas, during the 19
th
century.
Q3: What were the touristic interests of the different U.S. travelers coming to Cuba? How were
they classified?
Tourists initially came because of travel restrictions during the first World War. Tourists that
came during the winter months wanted to escape cold temperatures. While during the off-season
more single men arrived interested in gambling, drinking, and prostitution.
Q4: Explain Moore’s phrase “despite the ideological impact of the rumba craze in Cuba and the
gradually increasing prominence of percussion-only accompaniment in mainstream Latin dance
repertory, traditional rumba remains a marginal genre...”
Moore believes that even though rumba is increasing in popularity because of its percussion
backed style of music, the genre of traditional rumba stills seems marginal in his opinion.
Q5: Based on the reading, how do you see the role of the rumba and its relation to
Cuban national expression?
Rumba was a protest to an extent. It was a form of self-expression for other people that were
denied their freedoms. As rumba began to evolve, many dancers started to develop different
styles of rumba.
Q6:
What is your personal take on the reading?
What did you learn from this reading? Explain
I believe that rumba was and still is an important part of Cuban history and needs to be
appreciated more. I learned that rumba was a way for Cubans to protest their right for freedom
until slavery was abolished in 1886.
