We start our dive into Uruguay with one of the country’s favorite musicians — candombe icon Rubén Rada.
Candombe is Afro-Uruguayan music that originated with African slaves who arrived in Uruguay starting in the mid 1700s. “Candombe” was the generic name for their dances; the Africans called their drums, and the place they gathered to perform their music, “tangó.” In the early 1800s the Uruguayan government tried to ban the genre, fearing the cultural expression would lead to insurrection. By the mid 1800s when Uruguay abolished slavery, African dancing had become an inextricable part of Uruguayan culture — candombe was here to stay! The genre adapted over time to include many types of both traditional and popular music. In the late 20th century, as you’ll see in this video — and good for us! — Uruguayan musicians like Rubén Rada had taken candmobe to the world.
