The Clave Chronicles

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