Shows
The Clave Chronicles"El rumbero del piano": Paying tribute to Eddie PalmieriColumbia University professor and trombonist Chris Washburne joins Rebecca to pay tribute to "el rumbero del piano," Eddie Palmieri, one of Latin music's most significant pioneers. His music straddled salsa, Latin jazz, and other genres, and he was known for his innovative experimentation in form and harmony.Songs played:AzúcarEl día que me quierasBroken home & If (We had peace today), from the Harlem River Drive projectPuerto RicoSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this in...
2025-08-1954 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe latest in Cuban music with Rafa EscalonaCuban 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 Ag...
2025-04-231h 19The Clave ChroniclesA tribute to Paulito FGKevin 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!
2025-03-201h 00The Clave ChroniclesBreaking down Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más FotosFinally, 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 Ba...
2025-02-211h 28The Clave ChroniclesSend me your questions for a mailbag episode!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
2024-11-1204 minThe Clave ChroniclesA conversation with Cuban journalist Jesús Jank CurbeloCuban 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:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1El7dqfI2n-eTFs--dNryJI8OBsqXRhePszFu6I1P...
2024-11-021h 06The Clave ChroniclesRosa Marquetti part 2: Celia in CubaPart 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 Matancera...
2024-10-1843 minThe Clave ChroniclesCuban music historian Rosa Marquetti (part 1)Rebecca speaks with Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti Torres, author of several books, including one on Chano Pozo and another one on Celia Cruz's career in Cuba—the Celia book has just been released in a new edition! Part 1 of our conversation covers the challenges of conducting research in Cuba and her work on Chano PozoConversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WKJZoLnQJHo3t85_AMxsZ08p_nwPNZ_rZTBDTKmgoSQ/edit?usp=sharingSongs played:El pin pin, Chano PozoTin Tin Deo, Chano Poz...
2024-10-0456 minThe Clave ChroniclesCorneta china & Cantonese opera: The Chinese musical legacyEthnomusicologist 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...
2024-09-191h 05The Clave ChroniclesCuban fusion and transnational scenesEva 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. They have created new transnational musical scenes, with some traveling back and forth between Cuba and abroad, fusing jazz, Afro-Cuban folkloric music, nueva trova and other genres.Songs played:Levitando, Ramon ValleBolero Filin, Gema Y PavelCafé, InteractivoSe Feliz, Fernando Alvarez & Descemer BuenoThe Magic Danzonete, Dafnis PrietoBaba E...
2024-08-271h 01
The Clave ChroniclesFrom the Cuban Serenade podcast: Hilario Durán, The GeniusThis 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 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 Ap...
2024-08-1034 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe Cuban-Canadian musical diasporaFreddy 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 textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
2024-07-191h 00The Clave ChroniclesTimba then and nowAnthropologist 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' Prim...
2024-07-051h 04The Clave ChroniclesKrudxs Cubensi: Giving voice to Afro-Cuban queer & non-binary identityLegendary 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 textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by b...
2024-06-211h 11The Clave ChroniclesGoing deep on the concept of clavePercussionist 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 Sa...
2024-06-071h 06The Clave ChroniclesThe latest in repartoBack 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 f...
2024-05-241h 08The Clave ChroniclesPérez Prado in MexicoScholar 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 textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!If you like this podcast, pleas...
2024-05-101h 06
Pop Culture Makes Me JealousBetter Things with Rebecca BodenheimerHost Julia Washington and her guest Rebecca Bodenheimer discuss FX's original Better Things, starring Pamela Adlon, and how single motherhood is represented. Find our Guest: Rebecca Bodenheimer, Twitter
2024-04-3042 minThe Clave ChroniclesCuban art music before and after the RevolutionMusicologist 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 BlancoSend us a textSupport the show
2024-04-261h 07The Clave ChroniclesThe many musical lives of Roberto BorrellCuban 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 Aragón
2024-04-121h 13The Clave ChroniclesThe angst and rage of punk cubanoPunk 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 SoxialSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even...
2024-03-291h 00The Clave ChroniclesICYMI: The poetry and politics of nueva trova(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 n...
2024-03-221h 01The Clave ChroniclesTonada Trinitaria & GuarapachangueoEthnomusicologist 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 b...
2024-03-081h 08The Clave ChroniclesAfrocuba con Su Ritmo BatarumbaAfrocuba 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 MatanzasCari...
2024-02-2939 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe Afro-diasporic fusions of percussionist Michael SpiroGrammy-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,W...
2024-02-221h 20The Clave ChroniclesThe magic and artistry of Chucho ValdésAcclaimed 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 CarterSend us a textS...
2024-02-151h 11The Clave ChroniclesIda y Vuelta: Musical exchange between Cuba and EspañaEthnomusicologist 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, RosalíaM...
2024-02-0159 minThe Clave ChroniclesA working musician in Santiago (en español)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_LxXP...
2024-01-2545 minThe Clave ChroniclesDon't call it soukous: The many sub-styles of Congolese rumbaCongolese 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...
2024-01-1859 minThe Clave ChroniclesBad BunnyRebecca 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 B...
2024-01-1159 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe Haitian presence in CubaFranco-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:...
2023-12-071h 13The Clave ChroniclesThe Bay Area Cuban music sceneMulti-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 En...
2023-11-3056 minThe Clave ChroniclesConga santiagueraEthnomusicologist 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 ar...
2023-11-171h 06The Clave ChroniclesI'd love to hear from you!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. 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 Latin...
2023-11-1007 minThe Clave ChroniclesFundamento: The deep African essences of Cuban religion with Ned SubletteRebecca 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...
2023-11-031h 01The Clave ChroniclesFundamento: A conversation with Ned SubletteRebecca 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...
2023-11-021h 01The Clave ChroniclesDrumming and singing for the orishasThe 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 Oshu...
2023-10-2650 minThe Clave ChroniclesCongolese rumba: Cuban music goes back homeCuban 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 T...
2023-10-1959 minThe Clave ChroniclesChangüí, Cuban roots musicGrammy-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 a...
2023-10-121h 05The Clave ChroniclesA tribute to Tirso Duarte, QEPDTimba 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 TimbaSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a m...
2023-10-061h 05The Clave ChroniclesGloria Estefan, Queen of Latin crossoverGloria 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
2023-09-2739 minThe Clave ChroniclesWomen and feminism in salsa, from Celia to La IndiaEsteemed 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...
2023-09-201h 08The Clave ChroniclesCuban social dance: casino and ruedaMusicologist, 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 Simpson...
2023-09-0859 minThe Clave ChroniclesMás Timba: Pupy, Paulito, Bamboleo & RevéPart 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 CharangónSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this i...
2023-08-3054 minThe Clave ChroniclesTimba: NG La Banda & Charanga HabaneraFinally, 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...
2023-08-231h 16The Clave ChroniclesCuban reggaeton and repartoIn 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 ManuelB...
2023-08-161h 17The Clave ChroniclesLos Van Van in the Special Period & beyondPart 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 TodoSend 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 Podcasts
2023-08-0948 minThe Clave ChroniclesLos Van Van: Cuba's salsa trainLos 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....
2023-08-0342 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe poetry and politics of nueva trovaNueva 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 f...
2023-07-1959 minThe Clave ChroniclesRap cubano part 2Part 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 AldeanosSend 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...
2023-07-1228 minThe Clave ChroniclesRap cubanoWe'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. S...
2023-07-0653 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe 1950s dance crazes: mambo & cha-cha-chaCuban 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 S...
2023-06-2827 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe evolution of salsaPart 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 IndiaSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this...
2023-06-2141 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe birth of salsaRebecca 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 Ge...
2023-06-1440 minThe Clave ChroniclesJazz meets Afro-Cuban musicRebecca is joined by Raul Fernandez, author of Latin Jazz: La Combinación Perfecta, to discuss the musicians who created Afro-Cuban jazz in the 1940s, and the way this movement paved the way for Latin jazz. Songs played:Tanga, Machito & His Afro-CubansU-Bla-Ba-Du, Graciela with Machito's bandThe Peanut Vendor, Stan Kenton Manteca, Dizzy Gillespie and Chano PozoGuachi Guaro, Cal TjaderWatermelon Man, Mongo SantamariaAfro-Blue, Mongo SantamariaSend us a textSupport the showYou can support this independently produced podcast by beco...
2023-06-0752 minThe Clave ChroniclesArsenio Rodriguez and his musical legacyEthnomusicologist David Garcia speaks with Rebecca about the significance and musical legacy of Arsenio Rodriguez, the prolific Cuban composer, tres player and bandleader. He spent the later decades of his career in New York, and his music was foundational for the emergence of salsa in the 1960s.Songs played:No hay yaya sin guayacánMi china me botóLa vida es un sueñoDame un cachito pa' huelePa' huele, Eddie PalmieriQuítate tu, Fania All-StarsSend us a textSupport the showYo...
2023-05-3149 minThe Clave ChroniclesRumbaLearn about rumba, the quintessential Afro-Cuban music and dance genre that's sometimes referred to as the heart and soul of Cuban music. Rebecca breaks down the different rumba styles and dances, discussing the historical and social context of its emergence in the later 19th century, and its wider influence. Songs played:Conga Yambumba, Los Muñequitos de MatanzasMaria Belen, Yoruba AndaboOyelos de nuevo, Los Muñequitos de MatanzasRecuerdo a Malanga, Columbia del PuertoClips of guaguancó dancing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHRwiA7eoQkhttp...
2023-05-2450 minThe Clave ChroniclesA deep dive into danzón, with Robin MooreRebecca is joined by Cuban music scholar Robin Moore to delve into the long and deep history of the Cuban danzón, including its links with American jazz, the ways it was initially denigrated as too "African" by elites, how it was eventually fused with other Cuban popular music genres, and how it came to be one of the most beloved genres in Mexico. Songs played in the episode: El SungambeloLas Alturas de SimpsonCampoamor, Frank Emilio FlynnLa Patti Negra, Orquesta Pablo ValenzuelaEl bombín de BarretoAlmendra, Abel...
2023-05-171h 00The Clave ChroniclesThe Cuban origins of the boleroThis episode traces the Cuban roots of the quintessential Latin American romantic song, the bolero, which has been one of the most popular genres across Spanish-speaking countries for the past century.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.com...
2023-05-1037 minThe Clave ChroniclesThe roots of the Buena Vista Social ClubThe Buena Vista Social Club was a massive success 25 years ago, spawning numerous albums, Grammy awards, a documentary film, and decades of international tours. This episode traces the roots and evolution of the genre the Buena Vista Social Club project set out to revive, the Cuban son, which had its heyday from the 1920s to the 50s.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...
2023-05-0341 minThe Clave ChroniclesWelcome to The Clave ChroniclesAn introduction to The Clave Chronicles, a new podcast about the history of Cuban music and its global influences, hosted by Rebecca Bodenheimer.More about Rebecca's research on Cuban music: https://rmbodenheimer.comCheck out her book, Geographies of Cubanidad: Place, Race, and Musical Performance in Contemporary Cuba (2015, University Press of Mississippi):https://www.amazon.com/Geographies-Cubanidad-Performance-Contemporary-Caribbean/dp/1496813154Send 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...
2023-04-2413 min
Past PresentEpisode 288: The Protests in CubaIn this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the mass protests in Cuba. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: The streets of Cuba are filled with protestors enraged by the poor handling of the pandemic and the excesses of the police state. Natalia mentioned Cuba scholar Rebecca Bodenheimer’s Twitter account and this POLITICO piece. Niki drew on this NPR segment about the role of artists in the uprising. In our regular closing feature, What’s Making...
2021-07-2036 min