Uruguay’s Candombe: A Rhythm of Resistance and Revival

Like the blues in the US, samba in Brazil, rumba in Cuba and plena in Puerto Rico, candombe—Uruguay’s Afro-descendent music—was once marginalized and even banned, yet it endured. Now, this powerful musical tradition is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, captivating audiences and bridging cultural divides across the nation.

From Suppression to Center Stage

Historically confined to Black neighborhoods of Montevideo, candombe is now spreading throughout Uruguay, reaching every corner of the country. Approximately 10% of Uruguay’s 3.5 million residents identify as Afro-Uruguayan, and their cultural heritage is increasingly taking center stage. The music’s roots lie in the traditions of the more than 200,000 enslaved Africans brought to Uruguay during 250 years of slavery, primarily from central Africa.

Its name, believed to derive from the Bantu language family, once simply denoted something “of Black people.” The spelling closely resembles that of candomblé, the Afro-Brazilian religion, though Uruguayan candombe is not a faith itself.

The Rueda de Candombe and a New Generation

The Rueda de Candombe, a Montevideo-based group, is at the forefront of this revival, drawing crowds of up to 2,000 people every Monday to experience its entirely national and deeply rooted Afro-Uruguayan rhythms. “I consider we are at a turning point,” said Claudio Martínez, 47, a singer and percussionist with the group.

Rueda de Candombe began performing in a bar about a year ago, but as audiences grew, the city council moved it to Plaza España, a public square. Martínez described the location as “a tremendously meaningful place,” noting its proximity to where candombe was once practiced in secret to avoid complaints from neighbors.

“It’s crazy, because when you look around, you realize that in this very place we’re dancing, singing and enjoying ourselves with some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who were denouncing us from inside the walls,” Martínez said.

Candombe in the Spotlight: Jorge Drexler’s ‘Taracá’

Candombe’s newfound popularity is such that one of Uruguay’s biggest singers, Jorge Drexler—the first Latin American artist to win an Oscar for best original song in 2005—has made it a central element of his new album, Taracá, released on March 12, 2026.

Rueda de Candombe features on three tracks, and the genre’s rhythms run through much of the album, including “Ante la duda, baila” (If in doubt, dance), which references the 1807 ban on candombe by Uruguayan authorities: “They considered it a lewd and impure dance / for the way it moved the hips.”

Drexler, 61, describes candombe as “a trance, a spiritual tool” and believes that “in a world in which polarization is only getting worse, candombe has the ability to build bridges between people.” He also noted that he has grown up in a country where candombe was often viewed with discrimination.

The Instruments and Essence of Candombe

Candombe is primarily defined by the use of three drums: piano, chico, and repique. “They each have a distinctive sound that corresponds to the human voice,” said researcher, writer, and artist Tomás Olivera Chirimini. “That is why candombe can be defined as a dialogue between ‘human’ voices.”

Recognition and Ongoing Challenges

Despite the ban, candombe gradually gained broader acceptance within Uruguayan society, particularly thanks to artists such as Rubén Rada. It was granted protection under national law in 2006 and, in 2009, was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Chirimini said: “And here we are now, in 2026, with candombe—which was born in a tiny part of Montevideo—having spread across the entire country.”

However, candombe’s success also presents challenges. Chirimini added: “It’s changing color: more than half of what is done today is by white people.”

Diego Paredes, 41, another musician with Rueda de Candombe, noted this shift when negotiating events or shows, stating that while they inherited the music’s spirituality, swing, and strength from their ancestors, they also inherited poverty. “So when an entrepreneur comes along, he is clearly not Black,” Paredes said.

Chabela Ramírez, 68, Paredes’s mother and a leading candombe artist and Afro-feminist, emphasized that “Uruguay is a very racist country.” She expressed concern that candombe could suffer the same fate as tango in Argentina, where the music’s Black roots are often overlooked.

Ramírez argues that candombe cannot be solely viewed as entertainment, given its origins in resistance and spirituality. “The drums take the place of the human voice, because singing was not permitted, nor were enslaved people allowed to speak to one another. Candombe had, and still has, a very important role in communication.”