Descarga

A descarga ("discharge", "unloading") is an open, improvised part of the song: the band holds a simple, energetic groove and the soloists take over. Unlike presión, masacote or bomba it is not defined by which instruments drop out, but by its function: room to improvise and let off steam.

Where the term comes from

In Cuban music descarga has meant a jam session since the 1950s: musicians playing freely over a groove, with plenty of space for solos. The best-known example is Cachao's Descargas (1957), short studio jam sessions that later inspired Latin jazz and salsa.

Descarga in timba

  • Usually happens in the montuno, after the coros, as an instrumental or solo section.
  • The band keeps the groove simple and steady so a soloist can stand out: piano, trumpet, timbales or bass.
  • It often runs in a full-sounding gear, usually marcha arriba with the bells playing, but the band can still change gear during it, for example to a bomba as the climax.
  • The term is used loosely: some musicians simply mean a solo section, or the mambo / moña part of the song.

For dancers

  • The music is less tightly arranged, so it is a moment for free styling and shines.
  • Listen to the soloist: accents in a piano or timbales solo give you something to play with.
  • Expect a gear change at the end of a descarga; it is often the lead-in to a new coro or a bomba.

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