HAVANA'S RUMBA ALLEY

Barely 200 meters long, Callejón de Hamel bursts every week with the movement of hips and shoulders, jiving to the rhythmic pounding of the conga. The alley itself is a wild and colourful backdrop to the music. Its most famous resident, artist Salvador González, has decorated the entire block with murals and sculpture.

The street owes its name to Fernando Belleau de Hamel, an arms dealer of French-German descent, who smuggled weapons during the American Civil War. In the early 20th century he settled down in Havana with his dubious gains. He opened a foundry and built houses for his workers along the alley.

Callejón de Hamel became famous during the 1940s and 50s when the home of local trovador Tirso Díaz became the gathering place for a group of singers and composers. These were the founding members of filin (a loose translation of “feeling”), a renovating movement in Cuban song which introduced novel harmonies from jazz.

Rumba
Born in the poor neighbourhoods of the province of Matanzas, a couple of hours from Havana, the rumba involves aggressive attitude on the part of the man faced with a defensive attitude on the part of the woman. Several soloists sing melodies of 8 bars in 2/4 meter, repeated over and over again— which alternate with a chorus. At first, it was accompanied by everyday utensils turned into musical instruments such as wooden boxes, spoons and bottles. Later the rhythm was provided by a percussion set made up of congas, cowbells, claves and bongos, or three congas with low, medium and high registers, and a wooden beat box with sticks.

Rates;
walking tour in old Havana(aprox. 3 hours) 30 US dollar /30 € per person.

HUMBERTO LINARES
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