Congolese slaves arriving in Cuba in the late eighteenth century brought with them non-religious rhythms, melodies and dances that influenced the rumba's development. Scholars Peter Manuel, Kenneth Bilby and Michael Largey describe the rumba as a "distinctly Cuban creation," although Congolese slaves provided the roots.
The modern rumba has a celebratory character, thanks to the black lower classes of Cuba who first performed the dance in the late nineteenth century. The Spanish word "rumba" actually means "party."
Musicologist Ned Sublette names the Bantu people and religious "bata" music as other African influences on the rumba genre. In the 1930s, Cuban-born bandleader Desi Arnaz influenced the style and popularity of the rumba---by then spelled "rhumba"---in the United States.