{"id":245783,"date":"2026-06-26T17:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/?p=245783"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:42:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:42:22","slug":"candombe-the-afro-uruguayan-drums-that-tell-the-story-of-montevideo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/candombe-the-afro-uruguayan-drums-that-tell-the-story-of-montevideo\/","title":{"rendered":"Candombe: the Afro-Uruguayan drums that tell the story of Montevideo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Montevideo, candombe belongs first and foremost to the street. It can be recognized by the sound of the drums, the movement of the comparsas<\/em>, the skins heated near the fire before the start, and the groups advancing through the neighborhoods of Sur, Palermo or Cord\u00f3n. For visitors, the encounter often takes place in February during carnival, at the Desfile de Llamadas. But candombe is not limited to this major event: it carries the memory of the country\u2019s Afro-Uruguayan history, family practices and neighborhoods. <\/p>\n\n

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An Afro-Rioplatense history<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Candombe takes root in the history of African and Afro-descendant populations in the R\u00edo de la Plata<\/strong>. During the colonial period, enslaved men and women were brought to the region of Montevideo <\/a><\/strong>and Buenos Aires<\/strong>. With them came rhythms, ways of gathering, songs, gestures and memories that found new forms of expression on both banks of the river. <\/p>\n

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\"Candoumbe,<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

In Uruguay<\/strong><\/a>, this tradition gained particular strength in the neighborhoods of Montevideo where many Afro-descendant families lived. There, the drum became much more than an instrument. It brought people together and accompanied celebrations, mourning and moments of protest. The word \u201cllamada<\/em>\u201d (call), now associated with the great carnival parade, preserves this idea: the drum warns, summons and brings others together. <\/p>\n\n

Today, candombe occupies a major place in Uruguay\u2019s cultural identity<\/mark><\/a>, but its roots go beyond the national framework: they belong to the Afro-descendant history shared between Montevideo and Buenos Aires.<\/p>\n\n

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Montevideo, city of drums<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Three neighborhoods always come up when speaking about candombe in the Uruguayan capital: Barrio Sur<\/strong>, Palermo <\/strong>and Cord\u00f3n<\/strong>. These are places where the comparsas <\/em>rehearse, go out and maintain a regular presence in public space, even outside the carnival period. <\/p>\n\n

Candombe is based on a cuerda <\/em>of three drums: the chico<\/em>, which maintains the base; the repique<\/em>, which introduces variations; and the piano<\/em>, deeper in sound, which gives depth. Together, they do not produce a simple rhythm: they build a dialogue, recognizable from the first measures. <\/p>\n\n

This music is played while walking. The drums are carried on the shoulder, tuned before departure with the heat of the fire, then adjusted through the experience of the musicians. The street is not an added backdrop to the practice: it is part of it. The sound moves, crosses fa\u00e7ades, changes the perception of the neighborhood and recalls that candombe was born in public spaces. <\/p>\n\n

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The Llamadas, and everything around them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The Desfile de Llamadas<\/strong> is today one of the major moments of Montevideo\u2019s carnival<\/strong>. The comparsas<\/em> parade with their drums, dancers, flags and traditional characters such as the Gramillero<\/em>, the Mama Vieja<\/em> or the Escobero<\/em>. These figures are not merely costumed characters: they refer to older roles, community imaginaries and a memory transmitted through the parade. <\/p>\n\n

To approach candombe outside this period, the Museo del Carnaval<\/strong>, Montevideo\u2019s cultural agenda and initiatives such as Latido Afro<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> help visitors better understand the places, history and actors of this scene, particularly by attending comparsa rehearsals throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n

This is perhaps where candombe is best understood: in the continuity between preparation, street, family, music and carnival. The parade attracts attention, but the tradition does not begin with it and does not end once it has passed. <\/p>\n\n

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Una publicaci\u00f3n compartida por Comparsa Barrica – Aires Puros (@comparsa_barrica)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n