The Clave Chronicles

Cuban journalist Rafa Escalona joins Rebecca to talk about the latest trends in Cuban music, including how hard it is to track this information on the island and how recent out-migration has affected the evolution and definition of "música cubana." While contemporary Cuban music is of course dominated by reparto, the songs shared by Rafa provide a broader look into the latest trends.Songs played:Un Momentico + — Melanie Santiler & Dale PututiAndala Remix — Wildey, Musteerifa & Raydel El Q MandaSuite Para Isaac Oviedo — Jorge Iván Martín feat. Juan Carlos AguileraAmanacer Sin Ti — Albita & LenierTertuliando — Angel Toirac feat. LINKSNewness Cuba playlist (50 best songs in Cuban music from the past year): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gPyKTGHHQy16z7YO2lhHVCuba Tracklist (Instagram account with weekly lists of most popular Cuban tracks): https://www.instagram.com/cubatracklist/Rafa's Substack: https://divagacionesmusicales.substack.com/A recent piece Rafa wrote (in Spanish) about reparto and YouTube: https://revistaelestornudo.com/reparto-youtube-dicen-charts-musica-cubana/Send us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFind The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Kevin Moore is back to help us pay tribute to one of timba's brightest stars, Paulito FG (EPD), who died tragically on March 1.Songs played:El humo o la vida, Dan Den feat. Paulito FGY ahora que,Percussion and vocal track for Entre Dos AmigosNo te lo creas, Laura (demo track) El puntoSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFind The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Finally, we're back with a brand new episode, inspired by Bad Bunny's love letter to Puerto Rico, Debí Tirar Más Fotos! We get deep into the weeds of the Puerto Rican musical and political traditions that are referenced in Bad Bunny's wide-ranging, exquisitely produced album. Joining Rebecca are Puerto Rican musician and educator Hector Lugo (founder of the Bay Area Latin roots band La Mixta Criolla), and Puerto Rican writer, translator and Bad Bunny scholar Carina del Valle Schorske.Songs played:A Guayama, Desde Cero Si Yo Fuera Alcalde, Chuíto el de BayamónAires de Navidad, Hector Lavoe & Willie ColónLa Huelga, La Mixta CriollaSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFind The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Send us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFind The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Cuban journalist Jesús Jank Curbelo joins Rebecca to speak about a range of topics, including the legacy of El Taiger, one of Cuba's most popular artists who was killed recently in Miami. We also talk about Curbelo's career in Cuba reporting on the reparto movement, as well as the pain of leaving Cuba and challenges of building a new life in Texas.Curbelo has published several pieces at the Texas Observer and Palabra.Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here:Songs played:Coronamos (Remix), Taiger & J. Balvin (feat. Cosculluela, Bad Bunny & Bryant Myers) Hilito Rojo, El Taiger & DJ CondsSend us a textSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Part 2 of Rebecca's conversation with Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti. The second edition of her book Celia en Cuba (1925-1962) was recently published in Spanish, and will be translated into English next year. Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W8qgbzs7DHwP2JlTl3FDZfbCc2aLSFovv2SVxZSw3Xc/edit?usp=sharingSongs played:Quédate Negra, Celia con La Orquesta Leonard MelodyLa Sopa en Botella, Celia con La Sonora MatanceraSueños de Luna, Celia con La Sonora MatanceraSend us a textSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Rebecca speaks with Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti Torres, author of several books, including one on Chano Pozo and another on Celia Cruz's career in Cuba. In part one of our conversation, we discuss the challenges of conducting music research in Cuba and the career of Chano Pozo.Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here:Songs played:El pin pin, Chano PozoTin Tin Deo, Chano Pozo & Dizzy GillespieSend us a textSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Ethnomusicologist Edwin Porras joins Rebecca to speak about Chinese musical influences in Cuba, which date back to the mid-19th century. The double-reeded suona was adopted by Santiago conga groups around 1915, becoming an unmistakable musical signifier for conga santiaguera.**Fun fact: Cuba was the first destination for Chinese laborers in the Americas, before even the U.S.**Songs played:Example of Cantonese operaLion dancing musical accompaniment (field recording)Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong performing excerpt of Cantonese opera in Havana (field recording)De Oriente a Occidente, Diana FuentesPaso Franco en la loma de Tivolí, Conga Paso FrancoSend us a textSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Eva Silot Bravo joins Rebecca again to talk about her recently published book, Cuban Fusion: The Transnational Cuban Alternative Music Scene, which focuses on Cuban musicians who have migrated to New York, Madrid, and other major cities since the 1990s and created fascination fusions of jazz, Afro-Cuban folkloric music, nueva trova and other genres.Songs played Send us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

This week The Clave Chronicles is sharing an episode of Cuban Serenade, a podcast exploring the history of Cuban music in Canada that's hosted by Freddy Monasterio and Karen Dubinsky. This episode focuses on the genius of Cuban-Canadian pianist/composer/arranger Hilario Durán. Follow Cuban Serenade on your favorite podcast platform!Send us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Freddy Monasterio, a Cuban-born researcher, educator and arts administrator based in Toronto, joins Rebecca to talk about the Cuban musical diaspora in Canada. He also co-hosts a podcast on the topic called Cuban Serenade.Songs played:La Reina del Norte, OKANCry Me a River, Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big BandLa Ceiba de Mayuya, Luis Deniz GroupRebirth, Dee HernandezSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Anthropologist and prolific scholar Umi Vaughan, author of Rebel Dance, Renegade Stance: Timba Music and Black Identity, joins Rebecca to speak about his 25 years of research on timba and how the genre has changed in the past three decades. Vaughan has been conducting research in Brazil more recently, and will soon be publishing a book on the repression of Afro-Brazilian religious practice and music.Songs played:La bola, Manolín El Médico de la SalsaDe La Habana, Paulo FGNo estamos locos, David Calzado y Charanga HabaneraMi medicamento, Havana D' PrimeraLa chica del escenario, Havana D' PrimeraSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Legendary Afro-Cuban hip hop group Krudxs Cubensi (Odaymar Cuesta and Oli Prendes) join Rebecca to speak about their career and the particular challenges they've faced as artists who are Afro-Cuban, queer, non-binary, and immigrants. Their latest album, They/Them Les Elles, features collaborations with Greg Landau and many other Bay Area-based musicians.Songs played:Mi cuerpo es míoYou are not better than meThey/them les ellesJusticia y libertadSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Percussionist and educator David Peñalosa, author of the book The Clave Matrix, joins Rebecca for an in-depth discussion on the concept of clave, delving into its origins, variations and the way it works in various Afro-Cuban genres. If you've ever wondered what 3-2 or 2-3 clave means or what the difference is between "son clave," "rumba clave" and 6/8 clave, this episode is for you!Songs played:Eco (bembé-abakuá), Julito Collazo and Mongo SantamariaLos beodos, Los Muñequitos de MatanzasEra una gran señora, Alberto ZayasWanileilo (makuta), Cabildo Kunalungo de Sagua La GrandeAndule andule (makuta), Cabildo De Congos RealesChinatown (Philadelphia Mambo), Tito PuenteSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Back by popular demand, Mike Levine joins Rebecca again to speak about the latest happenings in Cuban reparto, including a recent controversy related to the genre's popularity in Peru.  Check out the new Buzzsprout option below to send Rebecca a message about the episode!Songs played:Reparto, DJ Yus, Wampi, Nesty, Wow Popy, Un Titico, JP El ChamacoPor Ustedes (Pornosotros), WampiToma que toma, JP El ChamacoBirribiri, HarrysonWampi live in Limahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVOxxbOe4Lo&t=4sOfficial video for "Reparto", the response to the controversy, with reparto dancinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TesmP7wL3wMSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Scholar and singer Hannah Burgé Luviano joins Rebecca to discuss the career of the "King of Mambo," Dámaso Perez Prado. Unable to achieve much acclaim in Cuba because of his unique compositional style, Pérez Prado struck gold after relocating to Mexico in the 1940s.Songs played:México LindoMi GalloMambo PolitécnicoPianolaSend us a Text Message.Support the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Musicologist Marysol Quevedo joins Rebecca to speak about Cuban art music composers of the mid-20th century, such as Harold Gramatges, Juan Blanco and Argeliers Leon. As she details in her recent book, although their works largely relied on classical music structures and forms, they brought in elements of Cuban popular and folkloric music. Pieces played:Tres preludios a modo de toccata, Harold GramatgesSonata a la Virgen del Cobre, No. 2, Argeliers LeonQuinteto No. 1, Juan BlancoCirkus Toccata, Juan BlancoSupport the Show.If you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Cuban dancer, musician, and educator Roberto Borrell speaks with Rebecca about his incredibly versatile career, spanning popular and folkloric styles. He talks about growing up hearing the legendary bands of the 1950s like Orquesta Aragón and Chappottín y Sus Estrellas, and attending the Black social clubs that were eliminated in the early years of the Revolution.Songs played:Linda cubana, Orquesta de Antonio Maria RomeuMambo, Arcaño y Sus MaravillasLa engañadora,  Orquesta América de Ninón Mondéjar El bodeguero, Orquesta AragónPare cochero, Orquesta AragónRoberto Borrell dance videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHSJFOefUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiwhNdxKndYSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Punk cubano emerged during the Special Period crisis, giving young disaffected Cubans an outlet to express their angst and rage, often toward the Cuban government. Carmen Torre Pérez joins Rebecca to speak about the counter-cultural genre and its DIY ethics.Songs played: Jodidos y perdidos, RoturaEres tú, EskoriaAzul, AkupunkturaEsta no es mi puta guerra, EztafilokokoRuido en el sistema, Pólvora SoxialSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

(Rerun of nueva trova episode, first aired in July 2023)Nueva trova is one of the few Cuban genres that is for listening and reflecting instead of dancing - it's sung poetry, much like other Latin American singer-songwriter genres, namely nueva canción. Rebecca has an in-depth conversation with independent scholar and former Cuban diplomat Eva Silot Bravo about the major figures of nueva trova and how it came to be closely identified with the ideology of the Cuban Revolution. The genre's relationship with the government shifted in the wake of the economic crisis of the 1990s, as newer artists began to openly critiqued the preferential treatment given to foreigners, as well as emigrate abroad.Songs played:Pablo Milanés, Mis 22 añosSilvio Rodríguez, Sueño con SerpientesXiomara Laugart, PariaCarlos Varela, Foto de FamiliaGema y Pavel, Se FelizSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Ethnomusicologist and percussionist Johnny Frias joins Rebecca to speak about one of the lesser known Afro-Cuban folkloric practices, the tonada trinitaria, from the central Cuban city of Trinidad. We then delve into the rumba percussion style that has become dominant in recent decades, guarapachangueo, created by a group of brothers from the outskirts of Havana known as Los Chinitos.Songs played:Una corona al General Maceo, Conjunto Folclórico de TrinidadPlegarias, Grupo Abbilona (Los Chinitos)Caridad, Pancho QuintoEl conflictivo, Humo + La Liga RumberaLearn more about guarapachangueo in Rebecca's book: Geographies of Cubanidad: Place, Race and Musical Performance in Contemporary Cuba Support the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Afrocuba de Matanzas is widely considered one of the best preservers of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and dance on the island, but the group also created one of the funkiest and most exciting musical innovations in 1973 when they blended rumba percussion and batá drumming to create batarumba. As the years went on, batarumba became even more complex and versatile, as Afrocuba musicians added in instruments and rhythms from son, Abakuá, Iyesá and adapted the songs of Celia Cruz to a batarumba format.Songs played:Tambor, Afrocuba de MatanzasBaila Mi Guaguancó, Afrocuba de MatanzasCaridad, Afrocuba de MatanzasRinkinkalla, Celia Cruz & Sonora MatanceraRinkinkaya, Ritmo y CantoLearn more about batarumba in Rebecca's book: Geographies of Cubanidad: Place, Race and Musical Performance in Contemporary Cuba Support the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Grammy-nominated percussionist, recording artist and educator Michael Spiro joins Rebecca to speak about his apprenticeship in Matanzas with masters of Afro-Cuban folkloric drumming, differences in drumming styles between Havana and Matanzas, and his innovative recordings, which fuse batá drumming with other Afro-diasporic traditions, such as Brazilian samba, Candomblé, and Zimbabwean mbira music. Songs played:Inspiración a Santiago, Los Muñequitos de MatanzasPara Clave y Guaguancó, Clave y GuaguancóOsain, Michael Spiro & guestsButsu Mutandari/Iyesa, Michael Spiro & guestsMaracambique, Michael Spiro, Joe Galvin & guestsStardust (El Encanto), Michael Spiro,Wayne Wallace & guestsSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Acclaimed pianist/bandleader/composer/author/educator Rebeca Mauleón discusses the long and incredibly versatile career of pianist/composer Chucho Valdés, who founded the groundbreaking jazz fusion group Irakere 50 years ago.  In 2018, Mauleón and Valdés co-authored the book Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz. In both his Irakere compositions and in his solo career, Valdés has often drawn from Afro-Cuban folkloric music—rumba, batá drumming—for inspiration.Songs played:Misa Negra, IrakereEl Tata Cimarrón, IrakereXiomara, IrakereOchún, Chucho Valdés featuring Regina CarterSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Ethnomusicologist and prolific scholar Peter Manuel joins Rebecca to speak about the many centuries of musical exchange between Cuba and Spain, which birthed genres like the Cuban punto and contributed to the evolution of flamenco in Andalucía. Author and editor of numerous books on Caribbean and Indian popular music, including an important anthology of Cuban musicology, Manuel's newest book is Flamenco Music: History, Forms, Culture. Songs played:Fandango, Antonio SolerControversia, Justo Vega & Adolfo AlfonsoCorazón Tu Eres Mi Amigo, Luis GómezGuajira, Pepe MarchenaJuro Que, RosalíaMe Voy Contigo, Remedios AmayaSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

In our first episode en español (!!!), Rebecca interviews Mario Seguí Correoso, a Santiago-based percussionist who has worked with various groups over the course of his career: an innovative rumba group (Kokoyé), a son/salsa group (Sonora La Calle), and currently a more traditional son group (Los Jubilados), as well as a percussion-based group (Los Tambores de Enrique Bonne). We talk about how difficult the situation has been for musicians since the pandemic.**IF YOU DON'T SPEAK SPANISH, CHECK OUT A TRANSCRIPT OF THE CONVERSATION TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QfvV7JelKB2tDjsNFkT_LxXPwOgUO89anRFCIAMMtMI/edit?usp=sharingSongs played:Manigueta, Los Tambores de Enrique BonneCalle Enramada, Los Jubilados(title unknown), Grupo Folklórico KokoyéSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Congolese scholar Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse joins Rebecca to speak about the many sub-styles and evolutions within Congolese popular music over the past 60 years. While many in the West refer to the music as "soukous," that's only one specific style of rumba, which also includes rumba chachacha (Joseph Kabasele & African Jazz), rumba odemba (Franco Luambo & OK Jazz), rumba cavacha (Zaiko Langa Langa), and ndombolo (Wenge Musica, Koffi Olomide, Papa Wemba). Dr. Nzeza also explains the significance of the seben, the improvisatory second section of a rumba song featuring virtuosic guitar playing.Songs played:Madre Rumba, La Sonora Matancera featuring Celia Cruz and Celio GonzalezAfrica Mokili Mobimba, Joseph Kabasele & African JazzAlimatou, Franco Luambo & OK JazzNzinzi, King Kester EmeneyaMulolo, Wenge MusicaAn homage to Grand Kallé (Joseph) Kabasele by Cuban artists and musicians:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY-BVoI93Q4Support the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Rebecca is joined by reggaeton scholar Petra Rivera-Rideau, who co-created the Bad Bunny Syllabus to provide historical and social context for Bad Bunny's music. His massive hit Un Verano Sin Tí  was the most globally streamed album of 2022 and the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. We speak about what makes him such a unique, versatile artist, and then delve into the ways Cuban and Puerto Rican music have diverged in recent decades. Songs played:Controversia, Ismael RiveraEl Apagón, Bad BunnyTiti Me Preguntó, Bad BunnyYo No Soy Celoso, Bad BunnySupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Franco-Haitian cultural influences in Cuba date back over two centuries, beginning with the "refugees" from the Haitian Revolution who fled to eastern Cuba in the early years of the 19th century. However, a much larger wave of Haitian migrants arrived in the first decades of the 20th century to fill labor shortages on sugar plantations, and most stayed. Anthropologist Grete Viddal joins Rebecca for an in-depth conversation on this history, the musical and religious practices migrants brought with them (like Vodou), and the ways Cuban descendants of Haitian migrants carry on their traditions today.Songs played:Camagüey, Tumba Francesa La CaridadYamvalú, Ballet Folklórico CutumbaHaiti Namizé, Grupo BaraguáNeg Anwo, The Creole Choir of CubaSe Lavi, The Creole Choir of CubaGagá, Ballet Folklórico CutumbaSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and educator Dr. John Calloway joins Rebecca to speak about the Cuban music scene in the Bay Area. Calloway has written for Grammy-nominated projects and recorded several of his own albums. He has spent 35 years as a music educator in San Francisco public schools and at San Francisco State University, founding the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble and the Afro-Cuban Ensemble at SF State.Songs played:Aprovecha que me voy, John CallowayDime si te gusta, Jesús Díaz y Su QBAAsere Ko, John CallowayGeneraciones, Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San FranciscoSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Ethnomusicologist and event producer Lani Milstein joins Rebecca to talk about Santiago de Cuba's quintessential musical practice: conga, an Afro-Cuban percussion and song genre linked to the city's famed Carnival celebrations. It involves mass participation by people parading along with the mobile percussion ensemble and continues to be a major symbol of santiaguero identity. Songs played:Abre, Conga de Los HoyosVa a llover, Conga de San AgustínAñoranza por la conga, Sur CaribeLa mujer del pelotero, Baby Lores, Insurrecto & Clan 537Desi Arnaz performing "Babalu" - at around 0:50, he starts dancing the side-to-side conga step commonly seen in comparsa parades https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAV3bOJaQuYSur Caribe video for "Añoranza por la conga" - you'll see footage of people arollando with the congahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC6Vjr0i9swSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

No new episode this week, but a quick note from Rebecca, followed by a slow, juicy  yambú from the legendary Havana rumba group Clave y Guaguancó.  Support the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Rebecca speaks with musician/producer/historian Ned Sublette, author of the most comprehensive history of Cuban music in English, Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo. Sublette is leading trips to Cuba through his organization, Postmambo, and in January will embark on La Ruta de los Fundamentos, a tour focusing on Afro-Cuban sacred sites in western Cuba (email postmambo@gmail.com for more info). We talk about the dense and entangled networks of Afro-Cuban religious practice and play a few fieldwork recordings from rural western Cuba.Tracks played:Song for Ochosi, recorded in the 1950s by Lydia Cabrera in the province of MatanzasYuka drumming, recorded by Sublette in the province of Pinar del RíoBembe de sao, recorded by Sublette in the province of MayabequeSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

The most well-known African-derived religion in the Americas is La Regla de Ocha or Lucumí, more popularly known as Santería. The music used to accompany rituals and ceremonies involves complex, polyrhythmic drumming and a huge repertoire of songs for the different orishas (Yoruba-derived deities), like Yemayá, Oshún and Changó. Rebecca breaks down some basic features of the religion and its diverse musical ensembles, as well as its widespread influence on Cuban popular music.Songs played:Elegua, Jesus Díaz y Su QBAA Elegua, Merceditas Valdés y Yoruba AndaboGüiro for Oshun, Afrocuba de MatanzasOgun, Bobi CéspedesY Que Tú Quieres Que Te Den (1991), Adalberto Álvarez Y Su SonY Que Tú Quieres Que Te Den (2005), Adalberto Álvarez Y Su SonSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Cuban son, under the label "rumba," became incredibly popular following the success of "El manicero" in 1930, including in the two Congos (at the time colonized by Belgium and France). Congolese musicians heard echoes of their own traditional music and began creating a new genre (Congolese rumba) largely based on son, mambo and cha cha cha and sung in a mix of Spanish, French and Lingala.  French historian Charlotte Grabli joins Rebecca to talk about the bi-directional musical exchanges between Cuba and the two Congos.Songs played:El manicero, Don Azpiazu & His Havan Casino OrchestraMarie Tchebo, Manuel D'Oliveira & Georges EdouardEl que siembra su maiz, Trio MatamorosEl que siembra su maiz, Joseph Kabasele & African JazzIndependence Cha Cha, Joseph Kabasele & African JazzCha Cha Cha del Zombo, Brazzos & O.K. JazzMwanga, Franklin BoukakaMuanga, Orquesta AragónSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Grammy-nominated musician, ethnomusicologist, and professor Benjamin Lapidus joins Rebecca for a deep dive into the eastern Cuban roots music called changüí, considered to be one of the antecedents of son. Songs played:Nengón, Kiriba y Nengon de BaracoaAsí Es El Changüí, Grupo Changüí de GuantánamoFiesta en Cecilia, Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo21 de Mayo, La Orquesta RevéQuiriba, Los Universales del Son Ochún, Las Flores de ChangüíCuidemos La Capa de Ozono, Popó y su Changüí Documentary, Orígenes del Changüí - clips of changüí dance at 20:30:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn2yYJUZ7wgSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Timba star Tirso Duarte (pianist, singer, arranger, songwriter) passed away tragically on Sept. 29 in Colombia. Timba.com creator Kevin Moore, who worked closely with Duarte and wrote a book about him, joins Rebecca to pay tribute to "el angel negro" and discuss what made him so special as a musician.Songs played:El bla bla bla, La Charanga Habanera Iala, Tirso DuarteAquí Están, Los Ases de la TimbaSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Gloria Estefan walked so Shakira and Ricky Martin could run. She's the OG Latin crossover star, the artist who broke through to the mainstream with Miami Sound Machine and their massive hit "Conga" in 1985. She was also one of the best female balladeers of the 1980s, with songs like "Anything For You" and "Don't Wanna Lose You." In 1993 she released her first solo Spanish-language album, Mi Tierra, an homage to Cuban music. It spent a whopping 58 weeks at the top of the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, only overtaken in 2020 by Bad Bunny.Songs played:CongaCan't Stay Away From YouVolverásMi TierraNo Hay Mal Que Por Bien No VengaTradiciónSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Esteemed scholar of Latino/a popular culture and identity  Frances Aparicio joins Rebecca to speak about the most significant women in salsa, beginning with the Queen herself, Celia Cruz. We talk about the many struggles female salsa musicians have faced in the music industry over the decades and the different strategies they've used to speak/sing back to the patriarchy and claim space.Songs played:Yerbero Moderno, Celia Cruz with La Sonora MatanceraBurundanga, Celia Cruz with La Sonora MatanceraPuro Teatro, La LupeUsted Abusó, Celia Cruz and Willie ColónLa Voz de la Experiencia, Celia Cruz and La IndiaQue Manera de Quererte, AlbitaBasta, Choco OrtaAn amazing clip of La Lupe on the Dick Cavett show, 1973https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wCPNvP2osgSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Musicologist, dancer and educator Sarah Town joins Rebecca to speak about the history and evolution of Cuban social dance, specifically casino and a particularly intricate and complex style called rueda de casino, danced in a circle. These styles of dance have become a global phenomenon since the 1990s and the rise of timba, and there are many local scenes across the U.S. and around the world.Check out this incredible clip of a rueda de casino group:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZAjkXAhlXUSongs played:Las Alturas de SimpsonRock Around the Clock, Bill Haley & His CometsAbre Que Voy, Gonzalo Grau y La Clave SecretaEsa Soy Yo, Elito Revé y Su CharangónPara Bailar Casino, Adalbero Álvarez y Su SonLa Bailarina, Habana D' PrimeraSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Part 2 of Rebecca's conversation with Kevin Moore focuses on several major timba groups and their unique styles: Pupy Y Los Que Son Son, Paulito y Su Élite, Bamboleo and Elito Revé y Su Charangón.Songs played:De La Timba a Pogolotti, Pupy Y Los Que Son SonLa Borrachera, Pupy Y Los Que Son SonEnredadera de Amor, Paulito FGYa No Hace Falta, BamboleoDale Agua al Dominó, Elito Revé y Su CharangónSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Finally, a timba episode! Rebecca speaks with Kevin Moore, the mastermind behind Timba.com, the largest Cuban music website in the world, who explains what makes timba unique and how it revolutionized Cuban dance music. This episode focuses on the pioneering innovations of NG La Banda and La Charanga Habanera. Check out Kevin's book Beyond Salsa For Beginners for an incredibly comprehensive musical breakdown of timba.Songs played:Los Sitios Entero, NG La BandaPicadillo de Soya, NG La BandaNube Pasajera, La Charanga HabaneraCharanguero Mayor, La Charanga HabaneraEl Temba, La Charanga HabaneraSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

In the past two decades, reggaeton has become the soundtrack of Cuba, eventually resulting in the birth of a more localized genre called reparto. Ethnomusicologist Mike Levine speaks with Rebecca about how reggaeton took hold first in the eastern part of the island, where Jamaican and Caribbean influences are much stronger, and how artists in Havana have transformed it into a uniquely Cuban genre that represents their contemporary lives.Songs played:Señor Oficial, CandymanSoy Cubanito, Cubanito 2002Bailando, Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente de ZonaEl Ditu, Elvis ManuelBajanda, Chocolate MCSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Part two of the Los Van Van series, where Rebecca covers the band's evolving lineup, sound, and song themes in the 1990s and 2000s.Songs played:Disco AzúcarUn SocioLa FrutaSoy TodoVen, Ven, VenDespués de TodoSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Los Van Van has been Cuba's premier dance band since its formation in 1969, with its longevity earning the band the nickname El tren de la salsa (the salsa train). Rebecca covers the band's first two decades and the innovations of Los Van Van's founder/bassist Juan Formell, as well as other musicians like drummer Changuito and pianist Cesar "Pupy" Pedroso, such as the group's signature rhythm (songo). With its charismatic lead singer Pedro Calvo, in the 1980s Los Van Van achieved an almost-perfect synthesis of catchy, danceable music and satirical commentary on diverse social issues and controversies.  Songs played:MariluLlegadaDale dosLa Habana No Aguanta MásSandungueraNo Soy de la Gran EscenaSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Nueva trova is one of the few Cuban genres that is for listening and reflecting instead of dancing - it's sung poetry, much like other Latin American singer-songwriter genres, namely nueva canción. Rebecca has an in-depth conversation with independent scholar and former Cuban diplomat Eva Silot Bravo about the major figures of nueva trova and how it came to be closely identified with the ideology of the Cuban Revolution. The genre's relationship with the government shifted in the wake of the economic crisis of the 1990s, as newer artists began to openly critiqued the preferential treatment given to foreigners, as well as emigrate abroad.Songs played:Pablo Milanés, Mis 22 añosSilvio Rodríguez, Sueño con SerpientesXiomara Laugart, PariaCarlos Varela, Foto de FamiliaGema y Pavel, Se FelizSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Part 2 of a conversation with Pablo Herrera on Cuban hip hop, including a discussion of the relationship between rap cubano and repartero, or Cuban reggaeton.Songs played:Madre Tierra, Las KrudasTengo, Popy y La ModaEl Rap es Guerra, Los AldeanosSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

We've got an amazing conversation with Pablo Herrera, an anthropologist and one of Cuba's most influential hip hop producers. Pablo speaks about how he got interested in hip hop and the ways Havana's scene of the 1990s sought to emulate American hip hop, especially east coast styles, before becoming more localized and grounded in Cuban culture. The Special Period, Cuba's deep economic crisis, was the backdrop for the emergence of Havana's hip hop scene, and we discuss its influence on Cuban rap lyrics, as well as the continuing racial inequality that the Cuban Revolution never successfully eradicated. Songs played:Primera Base, Igual que túAmenaza, Achabon cruzaoInstinto, Kirino con su tresOrishas, A lo cubanoHermanos de Causa, TengoPopy y la Moda, TengoUnfortunately it's very difficult to find translations of the lyrics of these songs online, but if you're interested in translations, send us a message and we may be able to send you some translated lyrics. @clavechronicles on Instagram/Twitter/FacebookSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Cuban dance genres of the 1950s, specifically mambo and cha-cha-cha, were hugely popular in the U.S. and all over Latin America. Both were outgrowths of the danzón, but each had its own distinct sound. Different styles of mambo are discussed, including the original style that emerged in Antonio Arcaño's band in the late 1930s and the vastly more well-known style of the "King of Mambo," Pérez Prado, who partnered with Benny Moré and popularized the mambo globally. In New York, it was Tito Puente's band that reigned supreme.Songs played:Mambo, Arcaño y Sus MaravillasMambo #5, Pérez PradoLocas por el mambo, Pérez Prado and Benny MoréLa engañadora, Orquesta AméricaMambo gozón, Tito PuenteSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Part 2 of Rebecca's conversation with ethnomusicologist Chris Washburne, author of Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York City, and professor at Columbia University. This episode discusses salsa's evolution away from the Cuban son, the ways it became a symbol of pan-Latin identity, and the different ways Celia Cruz and La India navigated the genre's heteronormative gender politics.Songs played:La Murga, Willie Colon and Hector LavoeLa Negra Tiene Tumbao, Celia CruzEse Hombre, La IndiaSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Rebecca is joined by ethnomusicologist Chris Washburne, author of Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York City, and professor at Columbia University. As a professional trombonist, he played with Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Ruben Blades, La India, and many others.  We discuss the influence of Cuban music in New York in the first half of the 20th century, the controversy around the term "salsa," and the way Puerto Rican and other Latinos built on this foundation to create a new musical style. Songs played:I Like It Like That, Pete RodriguezMi Gente, Hector LavoeCalle Luna, Calle Sol, Hector Lavoe and Willie ColonSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions