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Posted On: January 31st 2025, 10:16 am
🌟 BACHATA MUSICALITY: MAMBO CONFUSION 🌟
I’ve seen a lot of Bachata musicality videos and workshops recently where the teachers are talking about the rhythms of Bachata - which is great! - but, unfortunately, a lot of teachers seem to be confusing the Mambo RHTYHM with the Mambo SECTION.
The word “Mambo” has many different meanings in Latin music - and, in Bachata, it has 3 different meanings.
MAMBO
A “mambo” in Bachata is any unique riff played by the lead guitar. These riffs can happen at any time during the song - intro, verse, chorus, bridge ... literally anywhere.
MAMBO RHYTHM
This is one of the 3 rhythmic frameworks used in Bachata music (along with Derecho and Majao). It is characterised by the “a caballo” rhythm played by the Guïra, which sounds like a galloping horse.
MAMBO SECTION
This is the section of the song where the singer takes a break, and the lead guitarist does a solo. However, during the Mambo Section, the music may use any or all of the 3 rhythmic frameworks - derecho, majao, and mambo - in the majority of Bachata songs, the Mambo section is played over the Majao rhythmic framework.
A lot of teachers will say that the Mambo section is the highest energy - but that’s not strictly true. The Mambo RHYTHM is the highest energy of the 3 rhythmic frameworks, but as already discussed, the Mambo SECTION could be using any or all of those 3 frameworks. The Mambo SECTION in DERECHO is less energetic than a Chorus in MAJAO.
When teaching a complex subject like musicality, you need to have a deep understanding of the subject matter. You can’t rely on a basic understanding - passing on incorrect information can have a profound effect on subsequent generations of teachers and dancers.
The video gives an example of the lead guitar playing a unique series of MAMBOs, during the MAMBO SECTION of the music, over all three RHYTHMIC FRAMEWORKS of DERECHO, MAJAO and MAMBO.
Teachers, por favor, if you don’t understand the difference between these three uses of the word “mambo”, you’re not ready to teach Bachata musicality.
I’ve seen a lot of Bachata musicality videos and workshops recently where the teachers are talking about the rhythms of Bachata - which is great! - but, unfortunately, a lot of teachers seem to be confusing the Mambo RHTYHM with the Mambo SECTION.
The word “Mambo” has many different meanings in Latin music - and, in Bachata, it has 3 different meanings.
MAMBO
A “mambo” in Bachata is any unique riff played by the lead guitar. These riffs can happen at any time during the song - intro, verse, chorus, bridge ... literally anywhere.
MAMBO RHYTHM
This is one of the 3 rhythmic frameworks used in Bachata music (along with Derecho and Majao). It is characterised by the “a caballo” rhythm played by the Guïra, which sounds like a galloping horse.
MAMBO SECTION
This is the section of the song where the singer takes a break, and the lead guitarist does a solo. However, during the Mambo Section, the music may use any or all of the 3 rhythmic frameworks - derecho, majao, and mambo - in the majority of Bachata songs, the Mambo section is played over the Majao rhythmic framework.
A lot of teachers will say that the Mambo section is the highest energy - but that’s not strictly true. The Mambo RHYTHM is the highest energy of the 3 rhythmic frameworks, but as already discussed, the Mambo SECTION could be using any or all of those 3 frameworks. The Mambo SECTION in DERECHO is less energetic than a Chorus in MAJAO.
When teaching a complex subject like musicality, you need to have a deep understanding of the subject matter. You can’t rely on a basic understanding - passing on incorrect information can have a profound effect on subsequent generations of teachers and dancers.
The video gives an example of the lead guitar playing a unique series of MAMBOs, during the MAMBO SECTION of the music, over all three RHYTHMIC FRAMEWORKS of DERECHO, MAJAO and MAMBO.
Teachers, por favor, if you don’t understand the difference between these three uses of the word “mambo”, you’re not ready to teach Bachata musicality.
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