Philly Rumba

The rhythms of rumba originate from West Africa and accompanied enslaved Africans to Cuba when they were forcibly abducted from their homeland.

Rumba is not just a musical style; it’s a means of gathering. Afterall, rumba means “party” in Spanish. Several percussionists can play rumba at a time, and audience members also participate by singing the chorus and dancing. Rumba is meant to bring people together, to express joy, anger and everything in between.

Most of the rumba you’ll hear in this documentary is not rumba in its pure form but Philly rumba. Fifty years ago, musicians in Philly — African American, Latin American and others — were inspired to form groups like Little Afrika and the Rumba Brothers when they first heard the addictive rhythms of rumba. They replicated the sounds, wrote their own lyrics in English, and sometimes played with no vocals at all. As time went on, formal elements of rumba such as specific rhythms, traditional songs and instruments like the clave rightfully found their way into the music.

As time goes on, the mainstay of rumba musicians are becoming elders. While there is a new generation picking up the baton, this film documents the folklore of this tradition in order to preserve local history and pass it down to future generations.