History & Cultural Context
Mambo is an energetic Cuban dance that emerged in the late 1930s and 1940s. It began as the danzon-mambo, a syncopated form of the danzon that incorporated guajeos (montunos) from son cubano; bandleader Damaso Perez Prado later recast it for jazz-influenced big bands.
Sources & Further Reading
Cultural & Historical Context
Mambo emerged from Cuba during the 1940s—present day. Understanding the cultural roots, musical traditions, and social circumstances of this era enriches appreciation for the dance's characteristics and significance.
Primary Source Documents
The Library of Dance contains public-domain primary sources for dance history. Copyrighted modern syllabi are indexed with purchase links to their respective copyright owners. Search by dance name or codifier to discover primary source documents.
Last reviewed: August 2026 — This dance profile synthesizes historical research, cultural documentation, and contemporary practice knowledge to provide authoritative context.
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Haitian Rara
Rara is a processional festival of Haiti performed during the six weeks of Lent and peaking in Easter Holy Week. Bands of musicians, singers, and dancers parade through towns and countryside playing bamboo and tin trumpets (vaksin), drums, and percussion, stopping to perform at crossroads and cemeteries. The tradition is rooted in the Afro-Haitian religion Vodou and also serves as a vehicle for social and political commentary. Rara's origins lie in the colonial period of Saint-Domingue, before Haitian independence in 1804. It draws on West and Central African processional and religious traditions carried by enslaved Africans, and scholars connect its Holy Week timing to the labor respite granted under the 1685 Code Noir. Precise dating is not possible and scholarly accounts of its early development vary (see Sources). Rara is distinct from pre-Lenten Carnival (Kanaval), which it follows in the calendar.
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