The Contradanza and Danza in Cuba and Puerto Rico

By Elias Barreiro
During the 19th century the contradanza and the danza developed in the Caribbean, particularly in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Developing with it were some of the best composers in Latin America: Manuel Saumell, Ignacio Cervantes, Juan Morel Campos. Many other composers from throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and South America had success in composing in these same forms. The origin of the danza is believed to be from England and the word contradanza translates as country dance. However, there is speculation that the danza may have begun in Normandy and then adopted by the English. The contradanza consists of two sections of eight measures which are repeated, for a total of thirtytwo measures. The first section is called the paseo or promenade where the people would stroll around the dance floor. The second part is faster and couples would start dancing. This second part is better defined than the first and shows the true character of the danza. The contradanza is written in 2/4 and 6/8 time and belongs to the so-called square dance, a style of dancing where couples collaborate to form diverse figures. The culture of Cuba is a wonderful mixture of Caribbean, Spanish, and African influences, which provides the foundations of Cubas music. This created an extraordinary and varied culture heritage from which to draw inspiration, creating a unique and rich setting for music. The city of Havana supported Italian Opera, Spanish Zarzuela, theaters, movies, and military bands providing aspiring musicians many opportunities. Spanish contributions to the music of Cuba are melodic and harmonic while the rhythmic African influence supplies it with its most distinct traits. The contradanza was brought to the Caribbean by the British and French around 1750, and by 1762 the contradanza was firmly established in Cuba. It was accepted by ah the elegant dance clubs as well as by the musical Cuban Creoles who placed their own mark on the danza. For instance, the tempo of the danza began to slow down probably due the hot and humid climate of the Caribbean. The Cubans are very rhythmic people and it is the influence of the creative African rhythms that form the foundation of the folk music of Cuba and it is this rhythmic element that developed a distinct Cuban or Criollo qualities. The joining of Spanish melodies and African rhythms put a wonderful new twist on the danzas. The first contradanza was published in 1803,San Pascual Bailn, by unknown composer. This music soon made its way to the rest of Latin America. The greatest composer of the contradanza in Cuba in the 19th century was Manuel Saumell. Manuel Saumell (1817-1870), Father of the Cuban Danza or The Father of nationalism in Cuban music, was born to a poor family and had few opportunities for formal music training, though he managed to study piano with Juan Federico Edelmann and theory with Mauricio Pyke. His natural talents and ambitious nature soon achieved him recognition as a pianist, organist, cellist and composer. He earned a living by playing in orchestras at theaters, concerts, and dances, as well as arranging and orchestrating music wherever his skills were needed. He would often substitute for any missing musician. Despite his dedication to the art of music he was never able to obtain financial security. It was in the form of the contradanza and the danza that Saumell found his inspiration. His compositions of over fifty contradanzas and danzas show his inexhaustible imagination. Most of his works bear titles that recognize the source of inspiration such as creole humor, a fleeting, colorful vignette, or merely a play on words. Within these contradanzas he never once had to repeat himself, for he was capable of amazing rhythmic and melodic invention. His creative rhythmic ideas developed into new distinctive dance forms such as

the habanera, guajira, clave, danzon, and criolla. The danza grew out of the evolution of the contradanza. While it was popular in countries throughout Latin America, it was most prolific and achieved the greatest success in Cuba and Puerto Rico. In Cuba, just as its predecessor the contradanza, the danza is of binary form, each section containing sixteen measures and written with sudden contrasts of 6/8 and 2/4 meter. A short stylized piano piece meant for dancing. Once again it is the second half of the danza that portrays more character of the danza than the first. It began as a square dance with many couples but gradually it came to be danced by independent couples. The first half of the danza was used as a paseo or promenade and the second half was for dancing. The greatest composer in Cuba of the danza was Ignacio Cervantes (1847-1905). Cervantes, a child prodigy, had all the opportunities for musical training which Saumell had lacked. He first studied piano with Juan Miguel Joval, who was so impressed with the boys talent that in 1854 he introduced Cervantes to Gottschalk, one of the most influential figures in music in the Western hemisphere. Upon hearing young Cervantes play, Gottschalk took him as a student and urged the boys parents to prepare him for a career in music. At the age of ten Cervantes composed his first contradanza. In 1859 Cervantes became a pupil of Nicolas Ruiz Espadero, Cubas most famous teacher and celebrated pianist and composer. In 1866 he was admitted to the Paris Conservatory and within six months he received first prize in a prestigious piano competition and was received into the Parisian inner circle where he became friends with the likes of Rossini, Gounod and Liszt. One day when Cervantes was practicing in his home he heard someone knocking at the door. He opened the door and was shocked to see Liszt standing in his doorway. Apparently Liszt who was walking through the streets by his home had noticed the playing and wanted to find out who was the creator of such beautiful music and requested entry to watch Cervantes practice; the young Cervantes happily agree. While in Paris he became the preferred accompanist for the best bel canto singers. He returned home in 1870 and soon, realizing that the island could not provide the opportunities he wished for, he became severely depressed. Cervantes was more successful than any other composer in the 19th century at combining the romantic European harmonic vocabulary with rhythms that are distinctly Cuban. His compositions gave a rich sophistication to the danza and raised it to universal status. While never straying from his Cuban roots. On the island of Puerto Rico the danza took on a definitive form around. 1840. It was a salon piece in 2/ 4 meter with four sections. First the paseo, solemn in character, is an introductory section consisting of eight repeated measures that ends on the dominant chord. The next two sections would be Merengues, the true body of the danza. The fourth section would be a contrasting section or Trio. If the piece was for orchestra, generally there would be a brilliant solo for the bombardino (saxhorn), but if it were written for the piano it would usually involve crossing of the hands. After this trio section there was a recap of the merengue. The form is very flexible and literally hundreds of different rhythms can be found in these danzas, and can be categorized into two types: 1. Danza Festiva, festive danza, is fast and light in character. 2. Danza Afectiva, affective or emotional danza, is slower and lyrical. Juan Morel Campos (1857-1896) is the most important Puerto Rican composer of the 19th century, composed more than five hundred works, most of which are danzas. He was born on May 16, 1857 in the city of Ponce and began studies in music at the age of six with Antonio Egipciaco learning solfege and flute, and

Vicente Juan taught him to play the bombardino.The most important influence on Campos was the pianist and composer Manuel Gregorio Tavrez. It was Tavrez that fostered Campos interest in the danza. When Tavrez died in 1883 Campos took over as the director of the Music Department of Bazar Otero, a store selling pianos, musical instruments and scores. This gave Campos access to the works of the most famous composers of Europe. Bazar Otero was the first to publish the danzas of Juan Morel Campos, most of which were originally composed for orchestra. He died in his hometown on May 12, 1896. Most Puerto Rican danzas are traditionally not played as notated. This discrepancy, due to the phenomenal known as the elastic triplet, a peculiar practice in the performance of eighth-note triplets. The term elastic triplet first appeared in 1915 in Msica y msicos Puertorriqueos by the music historian Fernando Callejo Ferrer. The elastic triplet takes place over a span of two measures. The way it appears in the published score:

Example 1

2 4
3 3

Can be interpreted and traditionally performed as:

2 4
Another way of describing elastic triplet might be:

, 3 3 , 2 4
This in effect creates the cinquillo, a rhythm that is of African origin and is common in the Caribbean. It is very possible that the natural tendency of the tied triplets together with the influence of the African rhythms altered the performance of the danza thus creating the elastic triplet. Another example of the elastic triplet would appear in the danzas as:

Example 2

2 4
3

Can be interpreted as:

2 4

This does pose an intriguing question, particularly when contrasted with danzas of the other countries of Latin America which do not use the elastic triplet. Not all the danzas in Puerto Rico use the elastic triplet rhythms and for those that do it is left up to the discretion of the performer whether or not use this particular device. In my arrangement of danzas by Juan Morel Campos, I used the elastic triplet in Un Dilogo. It is incorporated in versions for one and two guitars. Also in T y Yo by Angel Misln, for solo guitar, in my book Guitar Music of Latin America. A comprehensive collection of contradanzas and danzas by Cuban composers Manuel Saumell (18171870), and Ignacio Cervantes (1847-1905), and by Juan Morel Campos (1857-1896) of Puerto Rico, are published by Mel Bay Publications in guitar arrangement by Elias Barreiro. Other composers of contradanzas and danzas whose works are also featured in guitar arrangements by Elias Barreiro are: from Cuba, Jos L. Fernandez de Coca (1830-?), Toms Buelta y Flores (1794-1844), and Victor Moreno (1860s-?); from Puerto Rico, Lus R. Miranda (1879-1945), Angel Misln (1862-1911), Manuel G. Tavrez (1843-1883), and Braulio Dueo Coln (1854-1934); from Chile, Isidora Zegers (1803-1869); from Mxico, Toms Len (18261893), and from Dominican Republic, Mariano Arredondo (?-?). Mel Bay Publications proudly presents this rich legacy of 19th century and early 20th century contradanzas and danzas in eight separate volumes, which features versions for solo guitar, two guitars, and flute and guitar: For solo guitar: Guitar Music of Cuba Music of Latin America Danzas of Puerto Rico by Juan Morel Campos For two guitars: Danzas of Puerto Rico 12 Contradanzas by Manuel Saumell 20 Danzas MB 95575 by Ignacio Cervantes For flute and guitar: Five contradanzas by Manuel Saumell Eight danzas by Ignacio Cervantes MB 95707 MB 95706 MB 98910 MB 95576 MB 96178BCD MB 97843BCD MB 98352 book/CD set book/CD set