Intro Structure – Music

This is the opening section of the song, which sets the mood and introduces the musical motifs. It often features a horn section and can include elements from the song's main themes.

🎺 What does a timba intro sound like?

  • Instrumental: the band often starts with an arranged passage for horns, piano or the full band.
  • Vocal: sometimes the singer opens with a diana, a free vocal call that sets the mood.
  • A preview: the intro often already plays a motif that comes back later, for example in a mambo or in the coda.

➡️ What comes next?

After the intro the cuerpo begins: the actual song with the verses. Only after that, in the montuno, comes the groove that people dance to most.

💃 For dancers

Use the intro to listen: what is the tempo, where is the beat, what kind of song is it? Many dancers wait until the groove has settled before they start.

📝 Sources