Cha Cha Cha - A brief look through the eye of a Dancer
Cha Cha Cha ~ Brief History
One of the most distinctive musical genres that originated in Cuba over the past century is Cha Cha Cha, its beginnings are closely related to the Danzon, as this musical style was developed from the influence of the danzon mambo, the popularity of this music has grown considerably since its genesis, as evidenced by the vast array of repertoire, the multitude of bands performing it, and its prevalence in popular culture.
The story of the Cha Cha Cha begins in the 1950s in the vibrant dance halls of Cuba. It emerged as a variation of the Mambo, infused with a syncopated three-step chasse, giving it a distinctive flair. The infectious rhythm and playful steps quickly gained popularity, transcending cultural boundaries, and making its way to the international dance scene.
In the early 1950s, a man named Enrique Jorrin worked as a violinist and composer with the charanga group Orquesta America. The group performed at dance halls in Havana where they played danzon, danzonete, and danzon-mambo for dance-orientated crowds.
Jorrin noticed that many of the dancers at these gigs had difficulty with the syncopated rhythms of the danzon-mambo, to make his music more appealing to dancers Jorrin began composing songs where the melody was marked strongly on the first downbeat and the rhythm was less syncopated.
When Orquesta America performed these new compositions at the Silver Star Club in Havana it was noticed that the dancers had improvised a triple-step in their footwork producing the sound "Cha Cha Cha" an onomatopoeia that’s supposed to imitate the sound of dancers feet sliding along the dance floor, thus, the new style that Jorrin had created and developed came to be known as "Cha Cha Cha" and became associated with a dance step where dancers perform a triple step.
Link: HISTORY of the CHA CHA CHA - ORIGIN of the Cuban DANCE between Prado and Neptuno in Old Havana, Cuba
Link: HISTORIA DEL CHA CHA CHA
Cha Cha Cha ~ The Dance
The basic steps of the Cha Cha Cha consist of a series of steps and chasses. The dance is performed to a four-beat, Cuban-style music with a strong emphasis on the second beat, which is also known as ‘quick, quick, slow’ timing as one important difference with modern day Cha Cha Cha is the Cuban-style starts with the chasse first rather than the step, in this way your first movement and steps are a lot quicker than coming on the slow steps of the 1 and 2.
There were also other names associated with the dance, like "triple mambo".
The Cha Cha Cha dance is performed in 4/4 time, the basic footwork pattern of Cha Cha Cha (one-two-cha-cha-cha) is also found in several Afro-Cuban dances from the Santeria religion. For example, one of the steps used in the dance for the orisha Ogun uses an identical footwork pattern.
These Afro-Cuban dances predate the development of Cha Cha Cha and were known by many Cubans in the 1950's, especially those of African origin. Thus, some have speculated that the step of Cha Cha Cha was inspired by these Afro-Cuban dances.
Cha Cha Cha ~ The Music
Cha Cha Cha is an outgrowth of the Danzon and previous years of music history in Cuba, it was Jorrin who created the bell and guiro patterns that made the Cha Cha Cha come to fruition.
While Enrique Jorrin was creating a new genre, another group was performing Danzones in Cuba, this group, under the direction of Rafael Lay Apesteguia of Cienfuegos, was named Orquesta Aragon, founded in 1939 by Orestes Aragon Cantero under the name Ritmo del 39, this group quickly gained popularity during the same period as Orquesta America.
It was not until Jorrin and Orquesta America travelled to Mexico in 1953 that Orquesta Aragon gained a foothold in popular Cuban culture, the group appeared on Cuban national television, performed at many well-known venues and became the most prominent Cha Cha Cha orchestra on the island.
Prior to Jorrin’s extended stay in Mexico, he met with the leader of Orquesta Aragon, Rafael Lay Apesteguia, and allowed Lay to copy thirty-five Danzones and Cha Cha Cha arrangements to add to the repertoire of Orquesta Aragon, Jorrin also composed Orquesta Aragon’s theme song.
With much commercial success and its main competition performing in Mexico, Orquesta Aragon flourished on the island of Cuba, even when Jorrin and his orchestra returned to Havana in the late 1950s, they never could regain their popularity in quite the same way, Orquesta Aragon had truly taken over the Cha Cha Cha scene and adopted the title of “Los Estilistas del Chachacha” and "Silver Star", on the Cuban record label Panart, these were the first Cha Cha Cha compositions ever recorded.
They immediately became hits in Havana, and other Cuban charanga orchestras quickly imitated this new style, when we look at the song La Enganadora, we notice that the percussion lead by the driving cowbell is largely unsyncopated, the melodies both in the flute and the violin and vocal lines usually resolve on strong downbeats.
In fact, the only instrument that plays a largely syncopated part is the guitar, or piano, in some versions of the song, this rhythmic simplicity meant that Cha Cha Cha was easier for non-Latin audiences to appreciate, which led to its huge popularity in United States, and Western Europe, following in the footsteps of the mambo, which had been a worldwide craze a few years earlier.
Link: Enrique Jorrin – La Engañadora
Link: Enrique Jorrin – Silver Star
Link: Orquesta Aragón – El Bodeguero
Link: Orquesta América - 50 Años de Cha cha cha
Cha Cha Cha ~ The Movement
The Cha Cha Cha is widely credited to Enrique Jorrin, a violinist and composer with the famed Orquesta America, founded by bandleader Ninon Mondejar in 1945. According to Cuban musicologist Leonardo Acosta, however, the two men had a falling out over who deserved credit for inventing this new dance style.
Either way, the Cha Cha Cha is definitely a child of the Orquesta America. The dance evolved in the late 1950s after Jorrín left another top band, Arcaño y Sus Maravillas, to join Mondejár’s group.
Various sources note that the new genre was created specifically as an easy alternative to the complicated mambo, which had preceded the Cha Cha Cha in popularity. One source, even adds a racial element to the analysis, asserting that the latest, easy-to-learn style was developed for whites who had trouble dancing the mambo. Be that as it may, the dance caught on quickly, both at home and abroad.
People familiar with the Buena Vista Social Club may be aware that the popular band borrowed it name from one of the many social clubs that were so integral to Cuban society in the 1940s, that system of social clubs also played a part in the development of the Cha Cha Cha.
At the time, Mondéjar was founder of the Federacion de Sociedades Juveniles, which were social clubs for young people located in neighborhoods throughout Havana. The band would play at club-sponsored events, performing danzones that had been written specifically for each group, adding lyrics to a style that had been strictly instrumental. The bandleader asked his musicians tossing the verses in unison, a collective approach that would become a trademark of vocals in the Cha Cha Cha.
Originally, Cha Cha Cha was played primarily by Cuban charangas, a type of band that featured a genteel, salon sound, in contrast to Afro Cuban conjuntos and orchestras with their bottom-heavy percussion and bright brass. The charanga was typically made up of piano, bass, violins, flute, and percussion, including timbales, maracas and guiro.
The new dance actually revived the popularity of the old charangas, which had been associated primarily with the instrumental danzon. In Cuba, this type of orchestra was historically called the Charanga Francesa, brought to the island in the early 19th century by refugees from Haiti’s war of independence.
Aside from Orquesta America, other charangas that helped popularise the genre include Fajardo y Sus Estrellas, the Orquesta Melodias del 40, and especially the Cha Cha Cha charanga par excellence, the Orquesta Aragon. The Aragon, which exists to this day, included two prodigious composers, director Rafael Lay and flutist Richard Eques, both of whom wrote Cha Cha Cha classics.
In the entire history of the Cha Cha Cha, “El Bodeguero” has perhaps the most famous of all chorus lines: “Toma chocolate, paga lo que debes.” Literally, it means drink the chocolate and pay what you owe. The phrase is used for the sheer, syncopated sound of the words, but it has nothing to do with the verses that come before.
The modern style of dancing the Cha Cha Cha came from the studies made by dance teacher Monsieur Pierre (Pierre Zurcher-Margolle), who partnered Doris Lavelle. Pierre, who at that time resided in London, visited Cuba in 1952. His aim then was to find out how and what Cubans were dancing at the time. The basis of the modern Cha Cha dance was laid down in the 1950s by Pierre & Lavelle and developed in the 1960s by Walter Laird, with other top competitors of the time.
Cha Cha Cha ~ The Musicians
Here are some of the most influential musicians in the creation and development of cha-cha-cha, as well as some of their key works. This list should serve as a listening list for those of you wanting to build a repertoire of cha-cha-cha music. It’s easier than ever before to find music these days and all of these musicians can be found on Spotify and YouTube. Enjoy!
Miguel Faílde (1852-1921) - musician and bandleader who composed one of the first danzónes “Las Alturas de Simpson.”
Link: born Dec.23, 1852 Miguel Faílde "Las Alturas de Simpson" (youtube.com)
Antonio Arcaño Betancourt (1911-1994) - flautist, bandleader, and prolific danzón composer. Arcaño led his own charanga band Arcaño y sus Maravillas in the 1930s and worked with the López brothers, Orestes and Israel (more commonly known by his nickname “Cachao”). Notable songs include “Soy el Matancero.”
Enrique Jorrín (1926-1987) - violinist and composer credited as the creator of cha-cha-chá. Jorrín’s important compositions include “La Engañadora” and “El Túnel.”
Link: El Túnel
Israel “Cachao” López (1918-2008) - bassist and composer who was a leading figure in the development of mambo music. Worked with Antonio Arcaño in his charanga and there began fusing danzón music with mambo, his own creation, to create danzón-mambo.
Richard Egües (1923-2006) - flautist, composer, and member of Orquesta Aragón. Egües composed a number of cha-cha-chá songs which have become standards within the style. Such songs include “El Bodeguero” and “La Cantina.”
Link: La Cantina
Rosendo Ruiz Jr. (1918-2009) - Ruiz Jr. was a prolific composer whose most well known songs include Rico Vacilón and Los Marcianos.
Link: Los Marcianos
Orestes Lopez (1908-1991) - brother of Israel “Cachao” Lopez. Cellist and composer who co-wrote a number of danzón-mambo tunes with his brother.
Enrique Peña (1880-1922) - Cuban cornet player and band leader. Peña’s orquestra was a good example of an orquesta tipica, the precursor to the charanga.
Antonio Maria Romeu (1876-1955) - Cuban pianist, composer, and bandleader. Romeu led his own band which is an example of an early charanga ensemble.
Orquesta America - the band in which Jorrín played when he began composing cha-cha-chá songs throughout the 1950s.
Link: Clases del Cha Cha Chá
Orquesta Aragón - perhaps the most influential and longest running of Cuba’s charanga bands.
Cha Cha Cha ~ The Final Thoughts
As a lover of Cuban music, I’m sure in years to come this blog I have put together will get longer as more information is revealed in my pursuit and thirst of wisdom, knowledge and understanding about the history of Cha Cha Cha. It’s often said that the Cha Cha Cha got its name from the sound of the dancers’ feet shuffling on the floor while doing the quick three-step section, which sounded to the musicians like a Cha Cha Cha.
However, in my research I noted a Cuban musicologist who also pays saxophone mentioning no names, calls that a myth, he says the name is definitely an onomatopoeia, but derived probably from the sound of the guiro, the gourd-like instrument that makes its distinctive rhythmic noise when scraped with a stick.
As with any new music style, it’s almost impossible to pin down an actual birth date because music is a process, always in flux. There is no doubt, however, that the first song in the genre to gain wide popularity was Enrique Jorrín’s “La Engañadora,” which became a big hit in 1953. Until the next time Live, Love, Life & Dance x
By Carlton Thomas
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