   mambo is a musical form and dance style that developed originally in cuba, with further significant developments by cuban musicians in mexico and the usa. the word "mambo" means "conversation with the gods" in kikongo, the language spoken by central african slaves taken to cuba. ==history== modern mambo began with a song called "mambo (1938 song)" written in 1938 by brothers orestes and cachao lÃ³pez. the song was a danzÃ³n, a dance form descended from european social dances like the english country dance, french contredanse, and spanish contradanza. it was backed by rhythms derived from african folk music. ===origins (contradanza and charanga)=== contradanza arrived in cuba in the 18th century, where it became known as danza and grew very popular. the arrival of black haitians later that century changed the face of contradanza, adding a syncopation called cinquillo (which is also found in another contradanza-derivative, argentine tango). by the end of the 19th century, contradanza had grown lively and energetic, unlike its european counterpart, and was then known as danzÃ³n. the 1877 song "las alturas de simpson" was one of many tunes that created a wave of popularity for danzÃ³n. one part of the danzÃ³n was a coda which became improvised over time. the bands then were brass (orquestra tipica), but was followed by smaller groups called charangas. the most influential charanga was that of antonio arcano, who flourished in the late 1930s. arcano's group, arcano y sus maravillas, was the first to call a part of a popular cuban dance a mambo. his group was already saying vamos a mambear, which translates to "let's mambo", in the mid-to-late 1930s.sublette, ned. cuba and its music: from the first drums to the mambo. chicago: chicago review press, 2004: 508 it was arcano's cellist, orestes lopez, whose "mambo" was the first modern song of the genre. however, the first mambo that was actually recorded was called "rarezas" by his brother, bassist and composer [[cachao lÃ³p
Dance_music Latin_dances Mambo