Percussion instrument, made of a metal case on which a skin is tight . In the 19th
century, the paila criolla was used in Cuba by the street
musicians, before being adopted by the danzón bands.
PARACUMBE
Afro-Spanish dance, practised in Cuba during the 17th and 18th centuries ; probably, a
variant - or another name - of cumbé.
PASEO
Slow figure of the contradanza. The dancers are aligned
in two files, one gathering the men, the other bringing the women together. The man at the
one of the ends puts his arm round his partner’s waist and passes with her through
the passage formed between the two files ; then the couple separates and the two partners
come to line up at the other end of the files.
PREGON
Song (or part of song) formerly used by the street singers in Cuba, and intended to praise
their merchandise.
PUNTO
This singing form of poetry is frequent in the Cuban countryside and has a lot of local
variations.
Its structure (decima metre) is found in many American musical traditions. Because of the
rich possibilities of its rhythm, punto is an ideal basis, used in popular music and in
concert music.
