Masacote
In timba (a Cuban music style related to salsa, but with stronger influences from funk,
Afro-Cuban rhythms, and jazz), a " masacote" typically refers to a powerful, rhythmic burst in the music.
It’s a short, intense moment where the instrumentation – especially the rhythm section – becomes extra groovy, syncopated, or funky.
Characteristics of a masacote:
Often instrumental, with a lot of space for the bass, piano (tumbao), percussion, and horns.
Used to build energy or to mark a transition in the song.
Can be accompanied by dance accents or "breaks" during a performance or social dancing.
It often feels like a kind of musical explosion or a funky groove-pocket that takes center stage.
In the context of dance, such as Rueda de Casino or timba solo, dancers may respond to a masacote with expressive or improvised movements, much like they would during a "break".
Example:
Listen, for example, to Los Van Van, NG La Banda, or Elito Revé y su Charangón – they regularly use masa-cotes as part of their arrangements.
When you hear it, you often recognize it immediately: a sudden burst of funky intensity that electrifies the dance floor.
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[4:29-4:57] Masacote gear: bass drops out piano and toms playing maybe congas too? (this is a timba gear because the bass drops out)
casino dance is a fun, social group dance often performed at gatherings where participants line up or form groups to follow simple, synchronized steps, usually to upbeat Latin or pop music.
Lees meer >In timba (a Cuban music style related to salsa, but with stronger influences from funk,
Afro-Cuban rhythms, and jazz), a "masacote" typically refers to a powerful, rhythmic burst in the music.
It’s a short, intense moment where the instrumentation – especially the rhythm section – becomes extra groovy, syncopated, or funky.
Lees meer >Piano
Origins
Inventor: Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731), an Italian instrument maker in Florence.
Date: Around 1700, Cristofori built the first instrument he called a “gravicembalo col piano e forte” — meaning harpsichord with soft and loud.
Reason for invention: Harpsichords (the main keyboard instrument of the 1600s) could not vary loudness by touch. Cristofori solved this by using hammers to strike strings instead of plucking them.
Mechanism: When a key was pressed, a felt-covered hammer struck the string, producing sound with dynamics depending on how hard or softly the key was played.
Timba, the explosive and rhythmically rich genre of Cuban dance music, transformed how the bass functions in popular music. In Timba, the bass is not just foundational — it’s fiery, funky, and free.
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