The Clave Chronicles

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 [email protected] 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 Matanzas
Yuka drumming, recorded by Sublette in the province of Pinar del Río
Bembe de sao, recorded by Sublette in the province of Mayabeque

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Intro 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 QBA
A Elegua, Merceditas Valdés y Yoruba Andabo
Güiro for Oshun, Afrocuba de Matanzas
Ogun, Bobi Céspedes
Y Que Tú Quieres Que Te Den (1991), Adalberto Álvarez Y Su Son
Y Que Tú Quieres Que Te Den (2005), Adalberto Álvarez Y Su Son

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Intro 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 Orchestra
Marie Tchebo, Manuel D'Oliveira & Georges Edouard
El que siembra su maiz, Trio Matamoros
El que siembra su maiz, Joseph Kabasele & African Jazz
Independence Cha Cha, Joseph Kabasele & African Jazz
Cha Cha Cha del Zombo, Brazzos & O.K. Jazz
Mwanga, Franklin Boukaka
Muanga, Orquesta Aragón

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Intro 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 Baracoa
Así Es El Changüí, Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo
Fiesta en Cecilia, Grupo Changüí de Guantánamo
21 de Mayo, La Orquesta Revé
Quiriba, Los Universales del Son
Ochún, Las Flores de Changüí
Cuidemos 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=bn2yYJUZ7wg

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Intro 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 Duarte
Aquí Están, Los Ases de la Timba

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Intro 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:
Conga
Can't Stay Away From You
Volverás
Mi Tierra
No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga
Tradición

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Intro 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 Matancera
Burundanga, Celia Cruz with La Sonora Matancera
Puro Teatro, La Lupe
Usted Abusó, Celia Cruz and Willie Colón
La Voz de la Experiencia, Celia Cruz and La India
Que Manera de Quererte, Albita
Basta, Choco Orta


An amazing clip of La Lupe on the Dick Cavett show, 1973
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wCPNvP2osg

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Intro 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=_ZAjkXAhlXU

Songs played:

Las Alturas de Simpson
Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley & His Comets
Abre Que Voy, Gonzalo Grau y La Clave Secreta
Esa Soy Yo, Elito Revé y Su Charangón
Para Bailar Casino, Adalbero Álvarez y Su Son
La Bailarina, Habana D' Primera

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Intro 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 Son
La Borrachera, Pupy Y Los Que Son Son
Enredadera de Amor, Paulito FG
Ya No Hace Falta, Bamboleo
Dale Agua al Dominó, Elito Revé y Su Charangón

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https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com

Intro 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 Banda
Picadillo de Soya, NG La Banda
Nube Pasajera, La Charanga Habanera
Charanguero Mayor, La Charanga Habanera
El Temba, La Charanga Habanera

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https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com

Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions