Candombe

Mixture of resistance and spirituality, son of those first enslaved people brought from Africa, Candombe has traversed time to become the native rhythm of Montevideo.

We explain how it was born, what are its fundamental characters, the drums with which it is played and the different ways of doing it.

Origin and characters

Pedro Tabares, Afro cultural reference, tells us how the first freed slaves met and, recreating the ceremonies that evoked their roots, they created Candombe. The Old Mama (Mama Vieja), the Gramillero and the Broom-man (Escobero) were protagonists in those celebrations; Pedro reveals the birth of these characters and their meanings, which are still valid today.

The drum

In addition to being a musician and cultural reference, Fernando "Lobo" Núñez is a prestigious luthier and few know the essence of the drum as he does. In just over four minutes he gives us all his knowledge: how the drum has evolved since the first ones until today, which materials are used to create them, as well as the different types and the particular role and sound that each one has. He also alerts us to the true value of this instrument, not sufficiently recognized by the Uruguayan culture.

Mother Beats

In Uruguay, the typical Afro-descendant cultural expression called Candombe has three fundamental styles or ways of playing called "Mother Beats" (Toques madre), each one identified with a neighborhood or area of ​​Montevideo. Here is a brief sample of each of them.