Los Rumberos

Those who participate in the Cuban rumba, whether through music playing, singing, or dancing, are members of a folk group called los rumberos: those who performer the rumba. A folk group is defined by folklorists as a group of people who share tradition and the expression of cultural practices or values (Sims and Stephens 2011). Since the early nineteenth century, la rumba Cubana and its various styles have been central to the Cuban identity, particularly for Cubanos of color. Derived from several cultural and geographical backgrounds, performance of the rumba has become both a national symbol and an expressive tool for negotiating political agency among Cuba's minorities (Bodenheimer 2013; Daniel 1991).

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