Rumba Flamenca music is often referred to as a “cante de ida y vuelta” (roundtrip songs) as it is a type of Spanish music that influenced the music in the new world which in turn influenced the Spanish music itself. In this sense the description “Rumba” for this type of music as a reference to the original Cuban Rumba complex is certainly more justified than some of the other western products this description has been used for. However, the specific influence of Flamenco on Rumba is highly debated and minimal at best when comparing it with the influence of Flamenco on other Cuban musical elements. Similarly, while Rumba Flamenca contains some traces of Rumba as well as Son Cubano, musicologists agree that this type of music was predominantly influenced by Guaracha rather than Rumba.
The dance that became known as Rumba Flamenca is essentially of Catalan origin although it is more flirtatious and sexual than other styles of flamenco so this is often seen as the Cuban influence on this style possibly from Rumba.
Whichever way one looks at the history of Rumba Flamenca, the categorization of this music and dance form as “Rumba” is once again regrettable and misleading when it contains at best minor influences from the original Cuban Rumba complex and is more closely related to other Cuban musical and dance styles such as Guaracha. Many Spaniards refer to this genre simply by the term “Rumba” rather than “Rumba Flamenca” adding to the confusion as people quickly believe this form to be the original form of Rumba when they hear it without a modifier. The descriptions gypsy rumba and Spanish rumba may also be heard in this context but this creates further ambiguity as they are more widely used to mean Catalan rumba as discussed in the next post of this blog series.
