Street Rhythms and the Revolution

On the Meanings and Melodies of Cuba’s Ambulant Vendors

Abstract

Cuban street vendors use pregones, high-pitched rhymes and rhythms, to promote their goods and services. This ambulant form of small-scale commerce has been part of the urban soundscape since the early years of Spanish colonization. While often celebrated as a vibrant addition to the nation’s identity, the pregón has sometimes been regarded as a nuisance that must conform to the regulations and preferences of elites or stay silent. This paper explores the shifting circumstances under which street vendors have operated in Cuba, specifically since the 1959 Revolution. The drive to establish communism on the island during the 1960s resulted in the partial decline of street traders and their tunes. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s brought about social conditions that led to their resurgence in a new form. Presently, Cuban street vendors confront an expanding legal framework aimed at regulating their activities, as well as popular critique that their sales jingles lack musical creativity. Nevertheless, the musical-commercial expressions of Cuba’s ambulant vendors persist. They continuously adapt to their social circumstances, finding new ways to draw attention to their goods and services.

Photo: Ingrid Evensen