charanga

American  

[chuh-rahng-guh, chah-rahng-gah] / tʃəˈrɑŋ gə, tʃɑˈrɑŋ gɑ /

noun

1. a type of Cuban dance music performed by violins, flutes, timbales, simple percussion instruments, piano, double bass, and vocalists.

---

charanga British  

/ ˌtʃæˈræŋɡə /

noun

1. a type of orchestra used in performing traditional Cuban music

---

Etymology

Origin of charanga

First recorded in 1925–30; from Latin American Spanish (Cuba, Puerto Rico), shortening of charanga francesca “French band, Haitian Creole band,” from Spanish charanga “brass band, informal orchestra” + francesca “French.” Refugees from Haiti fleeing the Haitian Revolution in the early 19th century introduced the music and dance form into Cuba; see origin at charango ( def. )

Example Sentences

However, he was not too fond of the emerging term, which seemed to cram different styles like mambo, charanga, rumba, guaracha and danzón into one single category.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025

In 1975, Cuba’s Orquesta Ritmo Oriental released a relentless charanga whose title makes a bold claim: “Yo bailo de todo.”

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2021

He formed his first group, Pacheco y Su Charanga — charanga is a Cuban term for a musical group — in 1960.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2021

From Cuba came meringue, mambo, son, guajira, and charanga.

From Slate • Feb. 19, 2016

For the past decade, Klezmerson have been fusing traditional Jewish culture sounds with some Mexican roots like charanga and huapango dressed up with rock and jazz.

From The Guardian • Aug. 17, 2011