The Rhumba-box is an Mbira type instrument popular all over the Caribbean in the 1940's and '50's. In Africa this type of instrument is used to play some bass lines as well as high notes. While the Rhumba-box was developed solely to play bass lines. During this period it was very expensive to purchase an upright bass, whereas a Rhumba-box could be made from scrap wood, packing boxes, etc., and old clock springs served as the keys. Thereby, making it a very inexpensive alternative to the upright bass. Rhumba-boxes became quite popular in Jamaica in conjunction with guitars, hand drums, Maraccas and vocals in the churches, where it was known as "Church and Clap", in the nightclubs where it was known as "Jazz Jim" and among the various hotel performers, who played Mento music. It can still be found in use among Mento musicians today, such as the Jolly Boys, as well as the musicians of Puerto Rico and Cuba where it's also known as Marimbula, refering back to Queen Marimba of the Wakamba, creator of this type of instrument. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Marimbula MarÃmbula (a member of the Mbira family of instruments, first created by Queen Marimba of the Wakamba), pronounced mah-REAM-boo-lah, is a folk musical instrument of Caribbean Islands. ...
In the English speaking world, it is often called the "Cuban Rhumba" because of it's folk dance roots in the Cuban Guajira dance, while in the Spanish speaking world it is referred to as the Bolero-Rhumba.
In Rhumba rhythm, the 4th beat is accented.
While the RhumbaBox Step is repeatable from step #1, the 'Lead' has the option of adding a 1/8 turn to the left on steps 1 and 4.
The most comfortable position for playing the BASS BOX is to place the instrument on the floor and sit on the upper left hand corner with the right hand hanging over the keyboard.
On the BASS BOX for any chord you pick the blade directly to the right of the root note will be the fifth of that chord.
On the BASS BOX this is done by striking the blade with the middle part of the finger right before the "pluck"- the "boom chuck, boom chuck" becomes "ba-boom chuck, ba-boom chuck".
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