ABSTRACT
Kelly, a member of the TumbaFrancesaSociety, was on her way to the Municipal Department of Culture to pick up additional fabric to finish the dresses and accessories for the festivities of the carnival. Kelly could feel the sonic effervescence of the street. Approaching her final destination, drumming suddenly tickled her eardrums. Travelling in the air above the roofs and between the buildings, the sonic waves of the conga made her whole body vibrate and the rhythm echoed her heart beats. Congas are spontaneous parades happening in the streets, led by musicians and followed by participants joining the crowd along the way. She stepped up her pace and began searching for the conga amongst the narrow streets of the city centre. As she approached the tail of the parade, Kelly recognised the sound of La Conga Los Hoyos. Following the conga parade had brought her far away from home. Suddenly, she realised that it was too late to accomplish her task. Travelling above the roofs and through the interstices of the city, sonic vibrations made their way to Kelly and to the heart of the people living in Santiago de Cuba. After the conga passes, the sounds of cars, pregoneros—street vendors—music, and a few birds come back to create the everyday symphony of Santiago de Cuba.
