Women's drum troupe defies stereotypes about Uruguay's 'candombe'

Gulf Today Report

"Drumming was something that was performed by men, it was a space that was hard for us to conquer", says Julia Urruzola, drummer of the Uruguayan all-female drum troupe, Fermina Candombe.

The Candombe is a style of music and dance.

Every Tuesday night, this troupe marches through the streets of capital city Montevideo to give women a space of expression in the public sphere and defy gender stereotypes.

Traditionally, in 'candombe' —- a rhythm that emerged in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves — the role of the women was to dance while the percussion was performed by the men.

In 2009, the UNESCO inscribed candombe in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Fermina Candombe troupe is one of the three all-female candombe 'comparsas' or troupes in Uruguay. It was co-founded by seven friends three years ago and now gathers approximately 50 members in total.

The troupe is open to women and non-binary people. The name of the troupe comes from a dancer and one of the first stars of candombe.

The three types of drums are the chico (the highest), the repique (medium register) and the piano (low). The drums are traditionally tuned around a fire, even if today many musicians use mechanical tension systems.