Afro-Cuban

American  

[af-roh-kyoo-buhn] / ˈæf roʊˈkju bən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Black people of Cuban origin and African ancestry.

   an Afro-Cuban movie director.

2. combining elements of Black African culture with those of Cuban culture.

   Afro-Cuban religion.

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noun

1. a Black person of Cuban origin and African ancestry.

   an engineering scholarship for Afro-Cubans.

2. percussive Latin music originating in Cuba and showing strong African rhythmic influence.

   a distinctive blend of jazz, Afro-Cuban, and hip-hop.

Afro-Cuban British  

adjective

1. of or relating to a type of jazz influenced by Cuban variants of African rhythms Compare Cu-bop

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Etymology

Origin of Afro-Cuban

First recorded in 1890–95; Afro- ( def. ) + Cuban ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Afro-Cuban

They tapped into the island’s deep, syncretic, Afro-Cuban culture, criticized harsh living conditions and gave voice to people’s resentment of daily censorship and the pain of families whose loved ones emigrated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Born in Cuba’s working-class neighborhoods — known colloquially as repartos — this hyperkinetic fusion of reggaetón, timba and Afro-Cuban rhythms has become the island’s score.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025

Things get weirder and more delightful with a bobcat and bear band, where instruments are fashioned out of logs and vegetation, and later some Afro-Cuban frogs jamming out with acorns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2024

The man is Carlos Martiel, an Afro-Cuban performance artist known for putting his body through grueling, painful trials while audiences watch.

From New York Times ● May 23, 2024

The families in our building are a mix of Sephardic Jews from Turkey and Afro-Cubans, and Teresita’s family is Afro-Cuban.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

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