Changüí (tres, marímbula, bongó)

Changüí is the rural music of Guantánamo, the eastern root that son grew out of, played by tres, marímbula (a box-sized thumb piano used as a bass), bongó, guayo (metal scraper) and maracas. There is no clave instrument and no piano; the tres guajeo and the marímbula carry the key pattern between them. The tres (here on guitar, in concert pitch) plays a two-note guajeo that lands on the and-of-2 and the and-of-4, the marímbula plays the ancestor of the tumbao on the and-of-2 and on 4, the guayo runs even eighths and the bongó improvises low tones on the ands. The anticipated bass, the offbeat guajeo and the drum that talks instead of keeping time are all habits son and salsa inherited from here.