Candombe & UNESCO

Candombe is a percussion musical form and socio-cultural space recognized by UNESCO in 2004 as an intangible world heritage asset.

According to the UNESCO citation:

Every Sunday and on many holidays, the llamadas de tambores de Candombe or Candombe drum calls enliven the Sur, Palermo and Cordón districts in southern Montevideo, Uruguay, home to a population of African descent. The practice of the Candombe begins around communal fires as people gather to tune their drums and socialize before beginning their march. Once underway, the drum-call parade is led by the most prestigious members, from families recognized by the community for their drumming for many generations; other drummers are organized behind them in rows, and informal participants, dancers and spectators march alongside or watch from balconies. The beat of the largest and deepest drum, the piano, is distinctive to each of the three neighborhoods, so that the organized call and response structure of the Candombe both unites the districts and signals their individual identities. Transmitted within families of African descent, the Candombe is recognized as an expression of resistance as well as a Uruguayan musical celebration and collective social practice deeply interwoven in the daily life of these neighborhoods. It is also a symbol and manifestation of the memory of the community, drawing former residents back on special days to the historical nucleus of Candombe.

Unfortunately, Candombe is largely unknown outside of Uruguay – even though it’s an intangible world heritage asset recognized by UNESCO. Plus, Candombe is not linked to the larger histories and art forms that came before and after it. Candombe is embraced and celebrated locally but not globally promoted.

We recently visited to Uruguay to learn more about Candombe and Afro-Uruguayan history and culture. From research and discussions with locals, we witnessed a vibrant Candombe arts community and local love and appreciation for Candombe and its importance to Uruguayan culture.

Candombe carries the soul, strength and survival spirit of the legacy of slavery. It is important to world cultural history. It is one of the foundations of current western music. It In the 16th and 17th centuries, European immigrants brought rich measured and harmonic (polyphonic) musical traditions (like Candombe) to the Americas and Caribbean. At the same time, African slaves brought rich, organic polyrhythmic percussion traditions. Over centuries they converge to create a new foundation of music, dance and celebrations in the Americas that we call the rhythm of the Americas.

That convergence in the United States produced ragtime, gospel, rock-n-roll, jazz, broadway, the blues and more styles. In the Caribbean, that convergence produce Afro-Cuban jazz, reggae, steelpan, calypso and mombo. All of these contain those African polyrhythmic beats and the European measured harmonic melodies.

The convergence in South America produced well-known music and dance styles, including rumba, samba, maractu, cumbia, currulau and more. Yet, the polyrhythmic beats brought from African are unknown and underappreciated. This story is rarely told; it’s time we tell it.

By working with local musicians, historians and community members, we hope to change that and tell the larger story of the origins of the Rhythm of the Americas. In this project, we seek to document importance of the polyrhythmic beats brought from Africa, explore the African-decendent communities that are the current stewards of Candombe, create digital assets that those communities can use to promote Candombe and sustainable tourism to Uruguay.