Just recently Cuban rumba has made it to the World Intangible Heritage by UNESCO list and was declared a National Cultural Heritage. Co-sponsored by UNESCO’s Regional Office of Culture for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Timbalaye Festival take place every August near Havana and in other Cuban cities.
Timbalaye Rumba Festival Highlights
Huge rumba parties, street fiestas as well as panel discussions, dance classes, and spiritual tribute to the Yemaya goddess of the Yoruba religion will make this festival unforgettable.
The festival features three main Cuban rumba styles—“guaganco”, “columbia” and “yambu.” Join one of the numerous gatherings at famous Havana's clubs and venues and let the rumba rhythms fill your body and soul.
Rumba History
Rumba is a musical and dance genre of Afro-Spanish origin that emerged in Cuba at the end of the 19th century. It developed significantly after the abolition of slavery when freed slaves left the fields to settle in the outskirts of cities, particularly in Matanzas and Havana, and in the so-called "Solares," to begin a new chapter in their lives.
For these individuals, who gathered in neighborhoods and public squares, dance and music became integral to their way of being, living, and expressing themselves, whether on a religious, social, or emotional level.
