THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CLAVE IN SALSA MUSIC

by

Muhammad Taufik Azri Bin Md Tarip

B.A., B.Sc., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2012

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF ARTS

in

THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES

(Music)

THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

(Vancouver)

April 2016

© Muhammad Taufik Azri Bin Md Tarip, 2016

Abstract

Salsa music incorporates clave—a five-onset rhythmic gesture that exists in Afro-Cuban

and Latin American music—as a primary rhythmic “skeleton,” meaning that the music must “fit”

within clave’s rhythmic, metric, and rhetorical principles. However, several salsa genres, such as

mambo, do not feature the clave explicitly. Instead, the clave is translated into other musical

elements, such as melody and accompanying figures. This thesis investigates the operation of

clave in mambo songs that do not explicitly present it. It first examines the rhythmic fabric and

metrical structure of short introductory musical examples, and considers ways that they do and

do not correspond to the clave’s rhythmic and metric processes. It then applies the theoretical

apparatus to sections of “La Malanga” by Rudy Calzado and Eddie Palmieri and “Bilongo” by

Guillermo Rodríguez Fiffé and Tito Rodríguez. The investigation reveals how each of a song’s

elements reflects the clave pattern either strictly or loosely, and if there is any ambiguity. It

shows how changes in the conformance with clave can give large-scale shape and direction to

the sectional form.

ii
Preface

This thesis is original, unpublished, independent work by the author. Pitches in musical figures

that are taken from the original sources are not transposed or recomposed. Pitchless, percussive

figures adapted from Peñalosa and Mauleon, in particular, Figure 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, and 1.14 are

reduced into one single layer.

iii
Table of Contents

Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii

Preface ........................................................................................................................................... iii

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vi

List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vii

List of Symbols ............................................................................................................................. ix

Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................x

Chapter 1: Theoretical Examination of Clave in Salsa Music...................................................1

1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Motivations and Basic Concepts ..................................................................................... 2

1.3 Notation........................................................................................................................... 9

1.4 Rhythmic and Metric Properties of Clave .................................................................... 11

1.5 Other Rhythmic Patterns: Cascara, Montuno, and Tumbao ......................................... 21

1.5.1 Percussive Pattern: Cascara ...................................................................................... 22

1.5.2 Piano Montuno .......................................................................................................... 25

1.5.3 Tumbao ..................................................................................................................... 28

1.6 Preliminary Assessment of Melody: Two Examples .................................................... 32

1.7 Summary: The Process of Template Matching ............................................................. 35

Chapter 2: Song Analysis – “La Malanga” by Eddie Palmieri ...............................................37

2.1 Introduction: Overlapping 3-side’s and 2-side’s Formal Function ............................... 39

2.2 Refrain: Subliminal Clave Flip ..................................................................................... 45

iv
 2.2.1 SLSL Motive; Call-and-Response Sequence ............................................................ 47

2.3 Montuno and Tumbao Replacing Clave as Groove Pattern.......................................... 50

2.4 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 58

Chapter 3: Song Analysis – “Bilongo” by Tito Rodríguez .......................................................60

3.1 Introduction: Ambiguity of the 2-side .......................................................................... 61

3.2 First Verse: Ambiguity of the 3-side ............................................................................ 64

3.3 Second Verse: Ambiguity of Both Sides ...................................................................... 67

3.4 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 71

Chapter 4: Conclusion .................................................................................................................75

Discography ..................................................................................................................................79

Cited YouTube Videos.................................................................................................................80

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................81

v
List of Tables

Table 1.1 List of metrical character and corresponding clave onsets ........................................... 20

Table 3.1 Notated and implied clave in mm. 12-19, first verse .................................................... 66

Table 3.2 Notated and implied clave in second verse, mm. 24-31 ............................................... 71

vi
List of Figures

Figure 1.1 Clave in two measures of 4/4 meter .............................................................................. 3

Figure 1.2 Other representations of clave ....................................................................................... 3

Figure 1.3 Bombo drum in conga de comparsa .............................................................................. 5

Figure 1.4 Obi-apá drum in Abakuá music ..................................................................................... 5

Figure 1.5 A “with-” and “counter-clave” pattern, Rumba guagancó tumba pattern ..................... 5

Figure 1.6 3-2 Clave ....................................................................................................................... 9

Figure 1.7 2-3 Clave, same labels ................................................................................................... 9

Figure 1.8 3-2 Clave, 4/4 time in alternative notation .................................................................... 9

Figure 1.9 Pulses in various metrical levels.................................................................................. 11

Figure 1.10 Total accent in the whole-note meter ........................................................................ 12

Figure 1.11 Total accent of clave on half-note beats .................................................................... 13

Figure 1.12 An excerpt from “El Manicero” by Moises Simmons............................................... 17

Figure 1.13 Two grouping conflicts in 2-3 clave .......................................................................... 18

Figure 1.14 Cascara in 3-2 clave................................................................................................... 22

Figure 1.15 Total accent and metrical analysis of cascara and clave ........................................... 22

Figure 1.16 Piano montuno in 3-2 clave and its implied harmony in C ....................................... 25

Figure 1.17 Piano montuno in 2-3 clave and its implied harmony in C ....................................... 26

Figure 1.18 Total accent and metrical analysis of montuno (pitchless) and clave ....................... 26

Figure 1.19 Several locations of motive α in clave alone (2-side), clave and cascara, and clave

and montuno.................................................................................................................................. 27

Figure 1.20 Standard tumbao pattern in C .................................................................................... 28

Figure 1.21 Excerpt from “Ran Kan Kan” by Tito Puente ........................................................... 30
vii
Figure 1.22 An excerpt from the opening of “Yay Boy” .............................................................. 33

Figure 1.23 “El Manicero,” from Mauleon ................................................................................... 34

Figure 2.1 “La Malanga,” mm. 1-8. .............................................................................................. 39

Figure 2.2 Total accent of mm. 1-2............................................................................................... 41

Figure 2.3 Conflicting groups in between the melody and the clave............................................ 43

Figure 2.4 Metrical analysis and the ranking of the total accent of the same passage ................. 43

Figure 2.5 Section A, mm. 9-12 .................................................................................................... 45

Figure 2.6 Three layers of phrasing and grouping asynchrony in mm. 9-12 ................................ 46

Figure 2.7 SLSL motive in mm. 11, 13, and 15............................................................................ 47

Figure 2.8 Mm. 12-15 ................................................................................................................... 48

Figure 2.9 A subliminal flip of clave from 2-3 to 3-2 shown by the arrow .................................. 49

Figure 2.10 Vocal solo section, rehearsal D of “La Malanga,” mm. 33-34.................................. 50

Figure 2.11 Two different montuno patterns ................................................................................ 52

Figure 2.12 Montuno and tumbao in mm. 33-34 .......................................................................... 53

Figure 2.13 Possible formal phrases of mm. 33-34 ...................................................................... 54

Figure 2.14 Vocal solo, “La Malanga,” Superimposition ............................................................. 56

Figure 3.1 “Bilongo,” introduction, mm. 1-11.............................................................................. 62

Figure 3.2 First verse, mm. 11-19 ................................................................................................. 65

Figure 3.3 Second verse, mm. 24-31 ............................................................................................ 67

viii
List of Symbols

/ anacrusis

| beginning

\ continuation

/ →| anacrusis reinterpreting a beginning

D durational accent

ix
Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I thank Dr. John Roeder for his support, assistance, and endless

feedback in in completing this thesis. I also thank Dr. Michael Tenzer for additional help and

response, enlarging my vision in the rich field of ethnomusicology. In addition, it was a

tremendous pleasure working in the world music research group, and this thesis represents a

small percentage of the knowledge and experienced I have gained throughout. Special thanks to

Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada for the grant support. I

also thank UBC and particularly to the School of Music for all the financial supports given to me

in these past three years.

I also would like to thank my friends from the salsa dancing scene: Lisa Fermanto, Sonia

Meyer, Jonas Teeberg, Rob Veerman, and others I may have missed, who had exposed me to the

rich world of Latin American music and dance, and made me fell in love to them. Since then, I

have grown myself into other dancing scenes, and I am excited to expand my horizons.

I also thank my dear friends and colleagues who have made my life in Vancouver

bearable. Since the day I landed in Vancouver, life has been challenging, but I have grown so

much over these past three years that I was not expected to see myself the way I am now, and I

am very grateful to know them: Joe Gilchrist, Camille Desmares, and Michael Huynh. This

thesis is a tiny representation of my large passion in music theory and my desire to be more

successful in the future. This is just the beginning of the rest of my life.

x
Chapter 1: Theoretical Examination of Clave in Salsa Music

1.1 Introduction

What is now called salsa music stems from the 1940s-50s, when immigrants from the

Caribbean islands and other parts of Latin America filled the music and dancing scene in New

York City with an eclectic mix of their cultures' sounds, styles, and instruments. A single

rubric—salsa—was used to characterize all of these styles, such as cha chá, salsa romántica,

mambo, and guaracha. Although distinct from each other, they incorporated a common Cuban

rhythmic gesture called son clave (henceforth clave),1 a five-onset stroke on a woodblock, as

their basic rhythmic “skeleton,” or better, as a timeline.2 This pattern is no stranger to many

Latin musicians, music scholars, and even regular salsa dancers and listeners. It was brought in

by the western African diaspora to Cuba, along with other African traditions that were cultivated

and embedded in the rich Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian traditions. I call clave a timeline

because it is the primary rhythmic pattern that is adhered to by salsa composers and musicians.3

It is described as consisting of two measures, a "3-side" and a "2-side", and must constantly

persist from the first to the last measure of a song. However, in some genres such as mambo,

which was popularized by Puerto Rican musicians in New York during the so-called Palladium

1
They are two other types of clave–rumba clave and Brazilian clave. These two are not covered in this thesis as they
are rarely featured in salsa music. By default, salsa music uses son clave.
2
The terminology “timeline” is defined by Nketia as “as constant point of reference by which the phrase structure of
a song as well as the linear metrical orientation of phrases are guided.” Clave, as will be discussed later, fulfills this
function. See J.H. Kwabena Nketia, African Music in Ghana (Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 1962),
78.
3
Gerard states the importance of clave to the musicians as “a sort of grammar with fixed rules.” See Charley Gérard
and Marty Sheller, Salsa: The Rhythm of Latin Music (Tempe, AZ: White Cliffs Media, 1998), 45. Sublette
describes the function of clave as “providing an organizational spine for the rhythm.” See Ned Sublette, Cuba and
Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo (Chicago: Chicago Press Review, 2004): 95. In the music of
Santeria, clave is more than just a rhythmic ostinato—it provides a set of rhythmic rules. See John Amira and Steven
Cornelius, The Music of Santería: Traditional Rhythms of the Bata Drums (Crown Point, IN: White Cliffs Media,
1992), 23.
1
era of the 1960s, clave is either hardly audible or not played at all. Nevertheless I can hear some

onsets or fragments of clave’s pattern being played by the melody or accompanying instruments.

In other words, they subliminally embed the clave pattern.

This thesis will investigate the operation of clave in mambo songs that do not explicitly

present it. To do so, I will examine the rhythmic fabric and metrical structure of some

representative musical examples, and consider ways that they do and do not correspond to the

clave’s rhythmic and metric processes. Part of this consideration will be to theorize some of

those processes in terms that will later be applied to actual musical utterances. The investigation

will reveal how each of a song’s elements reflects the clave pattern either strictly or loosely, and

will reveal if there is any ambiguity. I will apply this analytical method in examining “La

Malanga” by Rudy Calzado and Eddie Palmieri, and “Bilongo” by Guillermo Rodríguez Fiffé

and Tito Rodríguez.

1.2 Motivations and Basic Concepts

The motivation to pursue this topic stems from the important position that clave holds in

the composition of salsa and in the culture that embeds it. Salsa composers assert that the melody

and accompaniment’s rhythmic pattern must be written in a way that “fits” with clave.4 This

notion of “fit” suggests a general principle that salsa rhythms are made and perceived in relation

to—either coinciding with, or counteracting—clave. For instance, David Peñalosa’s observation

of several Afro-Cuban genres characterizes their rhythmic patterns in terms of their “with-clave”

4
This statement is made based on Fernandez’s description of the compositional aspect of salsa, which states that
playing “en clave is essential for the music to ‘sound right’.” See Raul Fernandez, From Afro-Cuban Rhythm to
Latin Jazz (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006), 15, italics in original.
2
onsets and “counter-clave” onsets, 5 where a “with-clave” onset coincides with a clave onset,

while a “counter-clave” onset does not. Some patterns contain mostly “with-clave” onsets, some

patterns contain mostly “counter-clave” onsets, while some patterns can have both. These two

aspects generate what Peñalosa describes as “a cycle of tension-and-release.”6 He does not

specify which type of onset generates which motions (tension or release), but the alternation

between “with-clave” and “counter-clave” onsets ensures that this motion exists as a result of the

interaction between clave and the rhythmic pattern.

Figure 1.1 Clave in two measures of 4/4 meter

Figure 1.2 Other representations of clave

To understand this concept better, let us first consider the clave pattern in two measures

of 4/4 meter, the most common way to represent it, shown in Figure 1.1.7 The two sides of the

5
David Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix – Afro Cuban Rhythm: Its Principles and African Origins (Redway: Bembe
Books, 2009), 92.
6
Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix, 113.
7
Toussaint states that there are eight ways to notate clave. His notations include standard western notation, TUBS
(Time Unit Box System), binary notation, and IOIs (interonset intervals). See Godfried Toussaint, “The Geometry of
3
pattern are labeled. The 3-side takes its name from the three onsets that occupy its measure,

while the 2-side has two onsets during its measure. Figure 1.2 shows other representations of

clave in different meters. Depending on the meter of the music, the clave may be represented in

any of these ways, but that does not change the fundamental concept of clave, which is a binary

opposition of its two sides.

With reference to these representations we can see specifically what Peñalosa means

when he says that a rhythmic pattern can be mostly with-clave, counter-clave, or both. Figure

1.3 shows an example of a bombo (bass) drum pattern in conga de comparsa, a popular street

genre in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.8 All of its onsets except the third one coincide

with the onsets of clave. We can conceive this pattern as generating very little amount of tension

and release. Figure 1.4 shows more tension in obi-apá drum pattern in Abakuá music.9 Three of

its onsets are counter-clave. Figure 1.5 shows a pattern that cycles between tension and release: a

low tumba drum pattern played in rumba guagancó, a traditional genre from Cuba.10 It is

composed of a two-beat pattern that is repeated over four beats of clave. In the 3-side, three of its

strokes coincide with clave, but in the 2-side, only one stroke does, leaving the three other

strokes as counter-clave. Peñalosa does not provide a specific analytical interpretation for these

tension profiles, but they justify further investigation into the metric and rhythmic relationship

between a rhythmic pattern and each side of clave.

Musical Rhythm,” in Discrete and Computational Geometry, ed. Jin Akiyama, Mikio Kano, Xuehou Tan, vol. 3742
(Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2006): 198-212.
8
Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix, 94.
9
Ibid., 97. For a brief history of Abakua music, see Patrick Taylor and Frederick Case, The Encyclopedia of
Caribbean Religions: Volume 1 A-L, (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2013), 210.
10
Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix, 97.
4
 Figure 1.3 Bombo drum in conga de comparsa
(adapted from Peñalosa)

Figure 1.4 Obi-apá drum in Abakuá music

(adapted from Peñalosa)

Figure 1.5 A “with-” and “counter-clave” pattern, Rumba guagancó tumba pattern
(adapted from Peñalosa)

Christopher Washburne also discusses how actual music relates to clave. However,

unlike Peñalosa, who focuses on the rhythmic relationship between clave and a single rhythmic

layer, Washburne, drawing on his study of salsa music in New York City, examines full textures.

He describes several rather different senses in which a musical phrase is “in clave”: (1) if the

clave onsets align with “one or all of the accented notes;” (2) if some strong accents align with

clave onsets, especially if there are also strong accents that do not align with clave onsets, so as

to provide balance; (3) if the music alternates in between “syncopated beat” measures and “on

the beat” measures, just like both measures (sides) of clave; and (4) if a rhythmic tension created

5
by non-alignment with clave onsets is eventually resolved to alignment with clave onsets.11 This

guideline is based on his observation on the adaptation of clave from early salsa music, which

strictly adheres to clave, to modern salsa and other American popular music, which loosely

adheres to it. This guideline raises some interesting theoretical questions that I would like to

explore, such as how the accents may be distributed and ranked, and how many aligned onsets

are needed before one can judge a rhythm to be “in-clave.”

From a different perspective, scholars of Latin and salsa music have asserted that clave is

not just a rhythmic pattern, but also a symbolic index of an Afro-Cuban tradition that was

brought to the Americas. It is the token of a culture that permeates every element of this music.

For instance, Washburne explains that how clave is a constituent of Cubans’ cultural identity.12

Musicians who migrated from Cuba to New York City maintained the presence of clave in their

performances not only to achieve certain compositional purposes but more generally as a

constant reminder of their heritage. They also used clave as a way to distinguish their music from

other genres at that time, especially jazz, even though they were borrowing jazz elements

heavily.13 From this perspective, going cruzado (cross-rhythm), meaning going against the clave

ostinato, was not just a rhythmic error but also an affront to their culture.14

From such discussions, it is clear that clave consists of concepts, precepts, and paradigms

that transcend theoretical and analytical features. The sources of them abound, from Afro-Cuban

11
Christopher Washburne, “The Clave of Jazz: A Caribbean Contribution to the Rhythmic Foundation of an
African-American Music,” Black Music Research Journal 17, no. 1 (1997): 67. Also see Christopher Washburne,
“Salsa in New York City: A Musical Ethnography,” (PhD diss., Columbia University, 1999), 75.
12
Washburne, “Salsa in New York City,” 91-92.
13
Fernandez provides extensive details in the history of incorporation of Jazz into salsa. See Fernandez, From Afro-
Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz, 61-160.
14
Washburne provides extensive details about the polemic and controversy of cruzado in newer Latin genres. See
Washburne, “Salsa in New York City,” 87-90.
6
and Western African rhythmic epistemology to the phenomenological sensation of popular

music. As a pattern is that is rooted in Western African musical tradition, clave constitutes what

Agawu refers to as “topos,” a memorable rhythmic figure that is “rich in associative meaning for

cultural insiders” as well as serving “as point(s) of temporal references.”15 A good demonstration

of this referential function is featured in the study of Cuban batá drumming by Moore and

Sayre.16 Batá drummers associate each drum stroke, vocal pitch, and other sorts of event to the

clave in a certain culturally distinctive way. The same situation occurs in salsa music, too.

Musicians learn to associate common rhythmic patterns and melodies with the 3-side and 2-side

of clave. However, musicians must also consider the typical processes of Western popular song

such as melody, harmony, and verse-chorus form, which operate in tandem with clave too. To

the extent that these processes either influence or are influenced by clave, they raise several

questions regarding rhythmic and metrical principles that govern their relationship with clave.

Alongside these theoretical questions, clave also raises a phenomenological one. Based

on a broad survey of salsa music, Tozzi provides a chart that quantifies the relationship between

clave and onsets that fall on the various quarter-note and eighth-note beats in a 4/4 meter.17 He

postulates that an onset at a given metric position may be related to the 3-side or the 2-side with

three different qualities: strong, medium, or weak. For example, he says that in a 4/4 meter, an

onset on beat 2& relates strongly to 3-side clave, but it also relates weakly with the 2-side. He

mentions in passing that the correlation depends on the accentual strength of each onset as well

15
Kofi Agawu, Representing African Music: Postcolonial Notes, Queries, Positions (New York: Routledge, 2003),
73. Also quoted in Christopher Stover, “A Theory of Flexible Rhythmic Space for Diasporic African Music” (PhD
diss., University of Washington, 2009), 9.
16
Robin Moore and Elizabeth Sayre, “An Afro-Cuban Batá Piece for Obatalá, King of the White Cloth,” in
Analytical Studies of World Music, ed. Michael Tenzer (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), 120-60.
17
Wolfgang Tozzi, “Kubanische Rhythmen im Jazz” Jazzforschung / Jazz Research 31 (1990), 149-83.
7
as instrumentation and register. Unfortunately, he does not provide complete details of

phenomenal sensation for every onset, and only mentions a few of them. Even so, his account

suggests that there are varying degrees of “fitness” of each side of clave to these onsets.

Other work that treats the phenomenology of clave is a thesis by Bertram Lehmann. He

describes it as a background pattern that manifests “a particular kinetic energy and contrapuntal

organization, extending into both temporal and tonal organization.”18 He refers to the 3-side as

an “active” phase and the 2-side as a “rest” phase.19 The syncopation of the onsets on the 3-side

create the active energy while the synchrony of the clave onsets with the beats on the 2-side give

the sense of resolution or rest.20 To me this account suggests that clave has an intrinsic grouping

structure, where the 3-side functions as beginning while 2-side functions as ending. Even when

the clave is flipped from 3-2 to 2-3, this formal structure remains intact, hence creating a formal

conflict between the boundaries of clave and of musical grouping structure. As will be discussed

section 1.4, however, melodic and harmonic grouping mitigate against this formal structure. I

will provide more details about this conflict in the ensuing analysis.

It is evident from this brief review of the literature that clave raises theoretical,

sociological, and phenomenological questions. My motivation to study it largely comes from my

curiosity to understand the theoretical aspects of clave and my desire to explore the rich rhythmic

fabric of salsa music. I will integrate the research and analysis of the scholars I cite above,

alongside others, in unraveling the metric and rhythmic properties of clave that are relevant to

the context of salsa music. I will focus on “La Malanga,” a mambo song in which the clave is

18
Ibid., 13.
19
Bertram Lehmann, “The Syntax of ‘Clave’ – Perception and Analysis of Meter in Cuban and African Music”
(Master’s thesis, Tufts University, 2002), 58.
20
While clave only has one syncopated onset on the 3-side, readers will see later that other patterns that are deemed
to be aligned with the 3-side contains more than one syncopated onset.
8
mostly inaudible and at times not literally present. I will also provide a brief analysis of

“Bilongo,” another mambo song. I hope that this analysis, and the methods I employ, will be

applicable to larger projects that aim to appreciate the role of clave in other Latin and Afro-

Cuban genres.

1.3 Notation

To facilitate the analysis, I will consider clave in its simplest and most common

context—4/4 time. Figure 1.6 shows the pattern in its 3-2 form while Figure 1.7 shows it in its

other form, 2-3. I have labeled each onset and rest with a specific name to which I will refer

throughout the thesis. The nomenclature reflects Lehmann's view of the 3-side as a beginning.

Even when I am referring to 2-3 clave, the rest on the downbeat of the first measure will still be

referred to as third rest.

Figure 1.6 3-2 Clave

Figure 1.7 2-3 Clave, same labels

Figure 1.8 3-2 Clave, 4/4 time in alternative notation

9
 Figure 1.8 shows another way to notate clave, representing each side separately as

interonset intervals (IOIs). The advantage of this notation is that it shows how the beginning of

the 3-side can also be construed as the beginnings of a dotted-quarter-note pulse, like we would

hear in compound meter, hence working against the perception of written 4/4 meter. I decided

not to use this notation for two reasons. First, my survey of many transcriptions of salsa music

shows that their melodic, harmonic, and percussive rhythms are notated in 4/4. This implies the

presence of a quarter-note tactus that informed listeners to tap even when listening to clave

alone. Second, clave is typically played on a woodblock. Its sounding duration is short, no longer

than a quarter note, and the silences before the attacks seem salient. This notation is also

consistent with David Peñalosa’s and Rebecca Mauleon’s notation.21 Granted, when clave is

imitated by the melody and other instruments, the notes may be held through these rests, and the

notation will change to reflect their modified duration. However, in the analysis of clave alone,

the short duration highlights the gap (rest) in between the onsets. It gives us the opportunity to

analyze these gaps and to see how they affect or are affected by the surrounding clave onsets.

Throughout this thesis, I often refer to quarter-note beats as beat 1, 2, 3, and 4. There will

be numerous occasions where I have to refer to an onset on an eighth-note offbeat, such as the

second onset of clave. Because it falls after beat 2, I label this off-beat eighth as beat 2&, which

may read as “the and of two.” The other eighth-note off-beats will be referred to similarly as beat

1&, 3& and 4&.

21
Peñalosa says that salsa and Latin Jazz often represent clave in two measures of 4/4 or cut time. See Peñalosa, The
Clave Matrix, 91. Mauleon also states that the 4/4 is the “contemporary notation” for salsa music. See Rebecca
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Ensemble (Petaluma: Sher Music, 1993), 47.
10
1.4 Rhythmic and Metric Properties of Clave

The objective of this section is to describe the pattern’s rhythmic behavior and metric

structure by characterizing the rhythmic quality and phenomenological sensation at each onset.

The description of these properties will be useful in the analysis of salsa song in the next chapter.

As explained above, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, I will analyze the pattern in 4/4 meter.

Figure 1.9 Pulses in various metrical levels.

Figure 1.9 shows the clave embedding a quarter-note pulse and other pulses at higher

metrical levels. The quarter-note pulse is heard to persist as the tactus throughout the entire two

measures. On the basis of these equally spaced quarter-note beats, we can establish a metric

hierarchy including half-note, whole-note, and breve (double whole-note) levels that define the

strong beats in the meter. The whole note duration and the strong beats it creates divide the clave

into two sides, one with three onsets and one with two onsets. How does clave affect our

sensation of this meter, and how does the meter affect our sensation of the onsets and rests of

clave?

One avenue towards answering these questions is to devise a measurement of total accent

that takes into account both metric and phenomenal accent. Metric accent is the stress on a strong

beat within a meter. Phenomenal accent, following Lerdahl and Jackendoff’s definition, is “any

11
event at the musical surface that gives emphasis or stress to a moment in the musical flow.”22

Considering both types of accent, metric and phenomenal, will assist us in distinguishing the

qualities of rhythmic difference in between each onset, and how each of them affects the way we

listen to it.

Figure 1.10 Total accent in the whole-note meter

Figure 1.10 shows the whole-note downbeats. While both of them are metrically

accented, I hear the first downbeat as having a greater amount of stress than the second one

because the first onset of clave appears then. For the same reason, the breve (double-whole-note)

beat also begins in m. 1 instead of m. 2 because the onset in m. 1 places a greater metric accent

than the empty downbeat in m. 2. That itself gives a greater metric accent to this downbeat.

Hence, I rank their relative degree of accent as “1” and “2” respectively, where “1” means

greatest. This ranking is solely my perception, and I will not dismiss other interpretations.

However, the influence on onsets on the perception of strong beats is reflected in Lerdahl and

Jackendoff’s Metric Preference Rule (MPR) 3, which states that strong beats preferably occur at

22
Fred Lerdahl and Ray Jackendoff, A Generative Theory of Tonal Music (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996), 17.
12
an onset rather than at a rest.23 Later, I will discuss the implication of this analysis in the whole-

note meter and double whole-note meter.

Figure 1.11 Total accent of clave on half-note beats

D refers to the interonset durational accent.

I have asserted that the first downbeat in 3-2 clave is stronger than the second downbeat

because the latter is not supported by any onset. We can also apply the same idea to the half-note

metrical level. Figure 1.11 shows a ranking of the total accent on each half-note beat. Only the

first and the last half-note are supported by an onset. The first onset is strong because it is clearly

a downbeat, but the last onset is also strong because there is an interonset durational accent (the

duration from the fifth to the next first onset, a half note, is substantially greater than the quarter

note duration from the fourth to the fifth onset). It is much greater than the interonset durational

accent on the third onset (the duration from the third to the fourth onset, a half note, is greater

than the dotted quarter note duration from the second to the third onset). Hence, I maintain that

the first and the last onset’s accents are ranked highest. This, perhaps, counterintuitive hearing

reflects my perception and awareness of each onset and its relation to the 4/4 metric structure,

23
Ibid., 76.
13
and also of its function within a periodic directionality that spans from the first onset to the last

one. I will explain this idea in more detail when I discuss the grouping structure of clave.

Let us now consider the total accent on the other half-note beats. They both have rests,

and the third beat takes metric accent. However, although the second half-note beat is not a

downbeat, I perceive some extra degree of stress on it that is “derived” from syncopated quality

of the second onset.24 I can account for this sensation partly through referring to Wallace

Berry’s theories of accent.25According to him, among various factors that can place an emphasis

in a particular beat, anacrusis may be one of them. He stated that “a metric initiative is

significantly enforced in its accentual properties by a preceding anticipative (anacrustic)

impulse.”26 What he means is that an anacrusis may create a strong accent on the succeeding

beat, to such an extent that it can even cause the listener to “rebar” the meter. For instance, in a

passage from the second movements of Mozart's “Jupiter” Symphony No. 41 in C, he hears the

duration on notated beat 1 to act as an anacrusis to the onset on notated beat 2, causing notated

beat 2 to be perceived as a downbeat. In a different publication, he states that an anacrusis,

together with pitch, duration, and dissonance, can inform one’s sensation of the strength of a

downbeat.27 However, we have to make a clear distinction between Berry’s theoretical

discussion of meter and our assumption about accent. Berry conjectures that the meter of a

particular passage may be shifted as a result of one’s perception of its accent. But I do not intend

24
One may question upon why I am not calling this onset as a loud rest. I avoid this notion because it does not work
well in the clave. According to London, a loud rest occurs when there is a contextual mismatch against the already-
defined metrical structure. For instance, when a motive is repeated several times, we can expect that the motives will
occur again. When the succeeding beat is replaced by a rest instead of an actual note, a loud rest occurs. It is a beat
that is expected to contain an onset but instead it is filled with nothing. In the analysis of clave, I do not expect any
onset to land on beat three. In fact, I expect that beat to be a rest. See Justin London, Hearing in Time:
Psychological Aspects of Musical Meter, 2nd Ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), 107.
25
Wallace Berry, Structural Functions in Music (New York: Dover Publications, 1976), 325.
26
Ibid., 342, italics in original.
27
Wallace Berry, “Metric and Rhythmic Articulation in Music.” Music Theory Spectrum 7 (1985), 7-8.
14
to make any claim about the fluctuation of the metrical structure in clave. I am simply using his

theoretical reasoning to support my claim that an anacrusis can affect one’s sensation of a beat’s

accentual strength.28 While Berry discusses a very different music than I am—Western classical

music, we can conceive a similar the rhythmic structure in between salsa and classical music

because they are written in a conventional meter and rhythmic notation. Indeed, salsa music

borrows Afro-Cuban and African timeline and instrument, but it has the same structure as

popular music, composed and arranged a musical sheet. Improvisations commonly occur, but to

some extent, its performance still relies on a lead sheet. The examples in Chapter 2 and 3 rely

heavily on it. I think that applying Berry’s theory to salsa music does not pose any contextual or

methodological problem. In other words, it is acceptable to analyze Afro-Cuban and even

African music using conventional western theory. An article by Temperley uses Lerdahl and

Jackendoff’s generative theory of tonal music to understand the rhythm and meter of Ewe music

from Ghana, solely based on transcriptions from A.M. Jones.29 Temperley acknowledges the

skepticism about using conventional western theory to analyze African music, stating that his

study might “imposes a framework on African rhythm which has no direct support in what

African listeners and performers say they are doing,” but defends his analysis by stating that “to

fully understands the role of rhythm in African music, and the role of music in African society,

28
One may also hear the second onset as accented. Temperley states that syncopation “involves a deviation from the
‘normal’ placement of an accent …. a weak beat is accented.” It also entails a displacement of accents from a strong
beat to a weak one. In his discussion, the syncopated onset in popular music, such as stressed syllables, creates an
accent on a weak beat. In popular music, one can easily hear that the syncopated onsets are accented because they
are influenced by the poetic structure. This idea does not really apply to clave because there is no text that
accompanies clave. Hence, I hardly hear the syncopated second onset as accented, but certainly I can hear the same
quality on the following beat three. See David Temperley, “Syncopation in Rock: A Perceptual Perspective,”
Popular Music 18, no. 1 (1999), 20.
29
David Temperley, “Meter and Grouping in African Music: A View from Music Theory,” Ethnomusicology 44, no.
1 (Winter, 2000): 68-76. See also A.M. Jones, Studies in African Music (London: Oxford University Press, 1959): II,
1 and II, 16.
15
the ethnomusicologist’s broader perspective is crucial.”30 I apply the same motivation to this

analysis, in a hope to shed light to the interesting and compelling rhythmic properties of clave in

salsa music.

Specifically, in Figure 1.11, this reasoning supports my sensation of stress on the second

half note beat: I perceive the second onset as giving anacrustic support to it. Borrowing a symbol

from Hasty's theory of meter, I notate this sensation as an anacrusis that is reinterpreted as a

beginning, shown by the symbol / → |.31 As for the third onset, I hear it as a continuation, and

hence I label it with \.32

This analysis provides us with a perceptual template that can help us identify the presence

of clave in songs where it is not explicitly played. Given a pattern of accentual strength in the

melody and the accompaniment, we can match it with both sides of clave, and see if it fits the

accentual profile of 3-2 or 2-3. However, more importantly, this analysis reveals that the

grouping structure of clave is better conceived as beginning with the 3-side and ending with the

2-side—from the strongest half-note beat through two weaker beats to another strong half-note

beat. This means that even when a song employs a 2-3 clave with respect to two-bar melodic

groups, I can still hear the clave grouped as 3-2 across those melodic boundaries, as I will now

explain.

My analysis of the whole-note level asserts that the 2-side’s downbeat is accentually

weaker than the 3-side’s downbeat. If we move one level higher to the double whole-note level,

30
Temperley, “Meter and Grouping in African Music,” 91-3, italic in original.
31
The symbol “/ → |” is utilized by Matthew Butterfield, which he describes as “virtual realization of projection in a
syncopated context.” See Matthew Butterfield, “The Power of Anacrusis,” Music Theory Online 12, no. 4 (2006),
accessed January 7 2016. He quotes David Temperley’s idea about “syncopation shift” in African music. See David
Temperley, “Meter and Grouping in African Music” 82-86. For Hasty's original discussion about projection and
anacrusis, see Christopher Hasty, Meter as Rhythm (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 120-29.
32
For details about continuation, see Hasty, Meter as Rhythm, 104.
16
we must still characterize the 3-side’s downbeat as stronger than the 2-side’s downbeat because

according to MPR 3, a strong beat is preferably located in an event or an onset rather than a rest

or a continuation of an event. Therefore, when we have to choose the strongest downbeat of the

clave, it should begin in the first onset in the 3-side, and not in the third rest in the 2-side. There

is some practical validation for this theoretical conjecture. According to Stover, musicians prefer

to begin on the 3-side to avoid the empty downbeat in the 2-side.33

Figure 1.12 An excerpt from “El Manicero” by Moises Simmons

© 1993 Sher Music Co.34

33
Stover, “A Theory of Flexible Rhythmic Space,” footnote 49, 221.
34
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 160. For a brief history of Moises Simmons, see Helio Orovio, Cuban Music from A
to Z (Durham: Duke University Press, 2004), 202. The famous recording of “El Manicero” was made by Justo
“Don” Azpiazú. For a brief history of him, see Helio Orovio, Cuban Music from A to Z, 22. For sound recording, see
Moises Simmons, “El Manicero,” Don Azpiazu and His Havana Casino Orchestra, performed by Don Azpiazú,
recorded May 13 1930, Harlequin, 1991, compact disk HQ CD 10. Also available in YouTube. See “DON
AZPIAZU El Manicero,” YouTube video, 3:28, posted by “Juan R,” March 7 2009,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QzpKmZPWR0.
17
 Figure 1.13 Two grouping conflicts in 2-3 clave

When the music employs 2-3 clave, meaning that the first measure of a passage or a verse

begins with 2-side, how would it alter the sensation of the beginning and ending of clave that we

have just claimed? Typically, melody, harmony, and percussive patterns will articulate group

beginnings on the 2-side. For instance, in Figure 1.12, an excerpt of “El Manicero” by Moises

Simmons, the melodic motive is organized by repetition into two 2-measure groups: mm. 1-2,

and mm. 3-4. This grouping is clearly aligned with 2-3 clave. However, in the clave alone, the

downbeat of 2-side contains weaker metric and phenomenal accent if compared to 3-side. It is

much more intuitive to perceive the clave groups beginning with the 3-side because it contains a

stronger downbeat. If one hears the clave as a group of 3-2 against the rest of the music as 2-3,

one will experience a conflict of grouping structure in between the 2-3 and the 3-2, represented

in Figure 1.13.35 The degree of this conflict depends on one’s perception of the tactus and

35
For readers who are interested to explore theories of metrical conflict, Krebs provides an interesting concept
called “displacement dissonance.” It occurs when layers of equal cardinality do not align with each other. In one
18
metrical level that the clave and the music operate. In “El Manicero,” I can hear a higher level of

pulse as a double whole-note, that is, every two 4/4 measures. This means that each measure is

the first of a two-measure group in one dimension and the last of a two measure group in another

dimension. However, if one hears the highest level of pulse to be only the whole-note, then each

measure has a downbeat, which means that both of the 3-side and 2-side are the beginning and

ending of its own, and clave is clearly isolated in between these two sides.

Whether one clearly hears this grouping conflict or not will depend on the musical

context, but clearly, based on the notation alone, one can see a grouping conflict. I think at the

very least, a subliminal grouping conflict occurs when a song employs 2-3 clave, at least in the

transcription or in rhetoric, if not in actual hearing. This is true in the analysis of “La Malanga”

and “Bilongo,” where the clave is inaudible. Hence, when the melody and harmony punctuate

the beginning in the 2-side of 2-3 clave, the conflict becomes subliminal. However, in other salsa

music where the clave is clearly audible, the conflict is surely substantial.

In summary, the analysis of the total accent of clave shows how clave’s onsets affect our

perception of the strength and the weakness of certain beats. What we have not done is to

characterize the onsets in terms of their metrical function. This is important as we move into the

song analysis in the next chapter. Let us put this in a scenario: suppose that in a measure, there is

an onset which we are not sure on which side of the clave it belongs or “fits.” What we can do is

describe its metrical quality and then match it with the closest corresponding clave onset. Table

layer, two or more metrical groups, for example, two groups of three quarter notes do not have the same beginning
with another layer. One layer may begin on the downbeat of the notated measure, while the other may begin on beat
3 on the same notated measure throughout. Krebs’ theory is aimed in discussing metrical conflict, while my analysis
is aimed in discussing motivic conflict among two rhythmic segments, the 3-side and the 2-side. See Harald Krebs,
Fantasy Pieces: Metrical Dissonance in the Music of Robert Schumann, (New York: Oxford University Press,
1999), 33.
19
1.1 below lists my interpretation of some metrical qualities and the onsets that can have them.

We can use this list to refer to the corresponding clave onsets when the clave is ambiguous.

Metrical character Corresponding clave onsets

Falls on a quarter-note beat First, third, fourth, or fifth onset.
Falls on beat four Third onset
Falls on a downbeat First onset
Syncopated followed by an empty beat Second onset
Preceded by an empty downbeat Fourth onset
Two consecutive quarter-note onsets Fourth and fifth onsets (motive α)
An onset with interonset durational accent Fifth onset36
Table 1.1 List of metrical character and corresponding clave onsets

Not all of these characters are relevant to the Mambo examples I discuss below, but some

of them are, and they are especially helpful in determining the 2-side of clave. For instance, as

readers will encounter later, in the analysis of the introduction of “Yay Boy” there is a quarter

note that falls on beat four. It seems that it might belong to the third onset, but because it is

preceded by another quarter note, it is better perceived as a displaced fifth onset. In another

instance, in the analysis of the introduction “La Malanga,” there is an onset that falls on a

downbeat, but at the same time it also has interonset durational accent. I deliberate between

referring it either as first or fifth onset. I conclude that it belongs to the 2-side, perhaps as fifth

onset because it has interonset durational accent and, moreover, the next measure contains a

syncopated onset, which better belongs to second onset on the 3-side.

36
The third onset has the same interonset durational accent as the fifth onset. However, the IOI from the fourth onset
to the fifth onset is a quarter note, whereas the IOI from the second onset to the third onset is a dotted quarter note.
Because the IOI from the fourth onset to the fifth onset is shorter, the interonset durational accent on the fifth onset
is greater than on the third onset.
20
 Back to the analysis of clave, this method of measuring accents would surely get more

complex if clave is replaced with other rhythmic ostinatos or fragmented into smaller motives.

However, at least, we have gained an understanding of the metrical quality and the accent of the

onsets in the 3-side and the 2-side. In the song analysis, when clave is not audible, we can

determine whether it is 2-3 or 3-2 based on similarities to this schema. We can also determine the

location of beginning and ending of each group more accurately.

1.5 Other Rhythmic Patterns: Cascara, Montuno, and Tumbao

This section will study two paradigmatic rhythms that are prevalent in salsa music—

cascara and montuno. They are discussed by David Peñalosa37 and also by Rebecca Mauleon,

who explores salsa, rumba, and other Afro-Cuban genres.38 Cascara is derived from the gua-gua

rhythm in the traditional music of the people of Matanzas, a city on the northern shores of Cuba,

and catá rhythm in the music of the people of Santiago de Cuba, a city in the southeastern part of

the same island.39 Cascara is notable because it is commonly played on timbales, one of the most

acclaimed and celebrated instruments in mambo music. But it can also be played by pitched

instruments. In contrast, montuno is played exclusively by pitched instruments, commonly on

piano. It is paradigmatic because it is the most widely-played vamp or ostinato pattern.

Historically it was played in contradanza and danzon music in Cuba, two genres that were

derived from France.40 It was incorporated into salsa and is featured in many solo sections,

which is why some of them are simply called “montuno.” The following sections will analyze

these two patterns in more detail.

37
Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix, 131-42.
38
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 76-79 and 117-27.
39
Charley Gerard, Salsa: The Rhythm of Latin Music, 42.
40
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 117. For a brief history about the influence of French music into Cuban traditional
music, see Gerard, Salsa: The Rhythm of Latin Music, 92-98.
21
1.5.1 Percussive Pattern: Cascara

Figure 1.14 Cascara in 3-2 clave

Figure 1.14 shows the cascara pattern in two measures of 4/4 and its corresponding clave.

This pattern is fixed to each side of clave, so if clave is flipped from 3-2 to 2-3, cascara follows

suit. But unlike clave, where the downbeat on the 3-side is clearly marked with an onset,

cascara’s downbeat has no onset. Instead, the first onset appears on the second quarter-note beat.

The last onset, the eighth-note on beat 4& in m. 2, can be perceived as an anacrusis to the

downbeat of m. 1. Hence, we can certainly say that the cascara strengthens the sensation of the

downbeat at the beginning of m. 1. When clave is not explicitly played, this anacrusis can be a

hint to the underlying clave pattern.

Figure 1.15 Total accent and metrical analysis of cascara and clave
D refers to interonset durational accent.

22
 Let us analyze the juxtaposition in between cascara and clave, assuming they are played

together. Figure 1.15 shows the ranking of the total accent of specific beats which I will discuss

below. I would like to clarify some specifics about the beginning, continuation, and the anacrusis

that might seems peculiar at first. In this analysis, I hear cascara as a composite pattern together

with clave. This is not saying that cascara is always played with clave. Often, clave is omitted,

and cascara is assumed to suggest clave in its absence.41 However, I am interested to consider

how clave and cascara together affect the sensation of meter. First, the downbeat on m. 1

contains an onset from the clave, and is preceded by an eighth note anacrusis from the cascara.

The anacrusis does not change the fact that a downbeat exists. Therefore, I interpret them as an

anacrusis followed by a beginning. On the other hand, in beat 2&, the anacrusis is succeeded by

an empty beat. Therefore, a reinterpretation of the beginning is necessary to reflect the role of

anacrusis emphasizing that downbeat. I interpret them as /  |. Second, in beat 4 of m. 2, there is

an empty beat in the cascara, similar to beat 3 of m. 1. The preceding eighth-note, however, does

not carry the same anacrustic quality as the one in beat 2& of m. 1. The latter is weaker than the

earlier, because the one earlier coincides with an eighth note from clave, whereas the one latter

does not. I hear it as a continuation rather than an anacrusis. As such, it does not reinterpret the

beat 4 as a beginning, but I can still hear a beginning then. Therefore, I mark beat 4 with a

parenthesized beginning symbol, (|).

One significant difference is the strength of the downbeats of mm. 1 and 2. In the analysis

of clave alone, the downbeat of m. 2 (2-side) is weaker than the downbeat of m. 1. When cascara

is played, though, both downbeats are equally strong, because the downbeat of m. 2 contains an

41
Gerard states that cascara may inform the musicians about the clave when it is absent. See Gerard, Salsa: The
Rhythm of Latin Music, 42.
23
onset from the cascara, strengthening the metrical accent that exists in the first place.

Furthermore, it receives an anacrustic support from the preceding eighth-note onset, marked with

an anacrusis label above the note. Similar anacrustic support is given to the downbeat of m. 1 as

well. I posit that both of these downbeats have the strongest total accent, and so rank them first.

Remember that this analysis assumes clave and cascara as a composite layer. It means that we

hear both parts as equally important.

In the analysis of clave alone, an interonset durational accent occurs at the fifth onset (on

beat 3 of its 2-side.) When we combine clave with cascara, clave’s last onset does not contain

such accent anymore because it is succeeded by an eighth note on beat 3&. Hence, regarding

total accent, I rank it as second. It is still metrically accented because it falls on the half-note

beat. Furthermore, it coincides with an onset from cascara, which thickens its timbral density,

strengthening the phenomenal sensation of that beat.

An interonset durational accent does appear in the combination of clave’s and cascara’s

2-sides, but on beat 1 instead of on beat 3. It occurs as cascara plays two on-beat quarter-notes on

beat 1 and 2, an important rhythmic/metric gesture that I label as motive α. In clave alone, the

second attack of motive α articulates the end of the group and strengthens the accent on beat 3.

However, cascara plays this rhythmic motive earlier, on the downbeat. It seems that the sense of

ending comes a little earlier than before. Then, when clave’s fifth onset arrives in beat 3, cascara

propels the rhythmic activity with two eighth-notes in beat 3 and 3& and a syncopated onset in

beat 4&. It counteracts the sense of ending from clave by propelling the pattern’s momentum

towards the downbeat of m. 1. This sensation is clear if we can hear the last onset on beat 4& as

an anacrusis towards the beat 1 in m. 1.

24
 The change of rhythmic pattern and total accent that cascara imposes on the 2-side of

clave is crucial, as we will analyze a melody or a passage that may feature cascara but not clave.

If it presents the cascara pattern explicitly, we can assume that the clave exists implicitly, and

determine its orientation as 3-2 with respect to cascara. If the rhythm does not appear to be

exactly like cascara, we can determine its accentual quality. Consider a given two measures with

an equivalent degree of accentual strength on both of their downbeats. We can suppose that it

resembles cascara, and listen for a secondary accent to determine which measure is the 2-side.

We assume that these two measures resembles cascara, together with a clave, whether actual or

implied, because our analysis above yields the same total accent on both measures.

1.5.2 Piano Montuno42

Figure 1.16 Piano montuno in 3-2 clave and its implied harmony in C

42
Some scholars referred to this pattern as guajeo. See Peñalosa, The Clave Matrix, 133. See also Gerard, Salsa:
The Rhythm of Latin Music, 52-58.
25
 Figure 1.17 Piano montuno in 2-3 clave and its implied harmony in C

Figure 1.18 Total accent and metrical analysis of montuno (pitchless) and clave

Figure 1.16 shows an example of a 3-2 montuno pattern in C Major adapted from

Mauleon’s discussion.43 Figure 1.17 shows the montuno in 2-3 clave. Figure 1.18 shows my

analysis of the meter and the total accent of the combination of 3-2 montuno and clave. This

analysis shows that montuno, in combination with clave, has an effect similar to the combination

of cascara and clave, analyzed in Figure 1.15. The downbeat of m. 2 (2-side) is as strong as the

downbeat of m. 1 because it is supported by an onset from the montuno and an interonset

43
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 120.
26
durational accent. As with the combination of cascara and clave, clave’s fifth onset in its

combination with montuno is not as strong as in the analysis of clave alone. It no longer takes an

interonset durational accent because it is succeeded by an eighth-note onset from the montuno.

However, unlike cascara, where the interonset durational accent in the downbeat of m. 2 is

succeeded by another quarter-note onset, in montuno, the interonset durational accent is

succeeded by an eighth note. Hence, if we insist on locating the motive α, we can claim that this

motive is truncated from two beats to one beat. I feel that this motive is important because it is a

key character of the 2-side. The two on-beat onsets (or one in the case of montuno) only occur in

this side, and not in the 3-side. They counteract the syncopations and anacrusis that occur in the

3-side.

Figure 1.19 Several locations of motive α in clave alone (2-side), clave and cascara, and clave and montuno.
All patterns are composited into a single layer. Brackets show motive α.

Figure 1.19 compares motive α in clave, cascara, and montuno. We see that it may fall on

beat 2, or fall on beat 1, or be cut short by a beat. A salsa song may employ any one of these

three versions of motive α. Its melody may only outline clave, or cascara, or montuno, or it may

allude to any combination of the three patterns. In the detailed analysis of a song the location and

the length of motive α may indicate the existence and orientation of underlying clave. One may

question if the sole quarter-note in montuno may still serve as motive α. I think it does because

its duration its substantially different from its neighboring eighth-note onsets. In this pattern, the

quarter-note onset provides a sense of rhytmic cessation or stasis, and so do from the same
27
motive in clave alone and cascara. Readers will see that in later examples, this motive plays an

important role in locating the 2-side.

I have yet to consider harmonic rhythm in the analysis of the total accent of montuno

because it can get too complex if we try to associate the harmony with each side of clave. I am

not implying that harmony is less important than melodic durational patterns, but I think that it is

more useful for grouping and formal analysis, which will come in handy when we analyze the

song in the next chapter. In Figure 1.16, m. 1 implies tonic, while m. 2 implies dominant and

supertonic. However, when the clave and montuno are flipped from 3-2 to 2-3, the harmony does

not necessarily follow suit. As seen in Figure 1.17, the tonic stays in the 2-side, and the dominant

and supertonic stay in the 3-side. The 2-3 formal function will create a conflict in between the

grouping based on harmony against the grouping based on the 3-2 beginning-ending function.

While this conflict may affect the grouping structure of the clave and montuno, it does not affect

much of our sensation of the rhythmic accents. As long as we can locate the motive α, we can

determine each measure’s correlation with each side of clave.

1.5.3 Tumbao

Figure 1.20 Standard tumbao pattern in C

Besides montuno and cascara, salsa music often features tumbao, a bass ostinato that is

played either on a stringed bass or a piano. Figure 1.20 shows a standard tumbao pattern, taken

28
from Mauleon.44 Unlike montuno and cascara, both measures repeat the same rhythm, and only

differ in their melodic contour. The repeated measure resembles the clave’s 3-side, except that

the first onset is tied from the previous measure.

I think that tumbao itself, in this form, is insufficient to determine the clave in salsa

music.45 Because it only repeats the 3-side rhythm, we do not know which measure corresponds

to the 2-side. What is the importance of this rhythm if it is insignificant to the clave orientation?

Perhaps, due to this reason, some composers alter this pattern to reflect the difference in 3-side

and 2-side. For instance, Tito Puente features a different tumbao pattern in “Ran Kan Kan.”46 A

transcription of the introduction to this song in The Latin Real Book, Figure 1.21, shows that the

clave sequence is indicated as 2-3. The example is complicated by the rhythm of the brass

melody, which can overwhelm the montuno and the tumbao. Also, in Tito Puente’s recordings

(on the albums On Broadway and El Rey), the montuno is significantly softer than tumbao,

44
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 106.
45
One may wonder how tumbao became such an important rhythm if it provides no significance to clave. The usage
of tumbao rhythm in salsa music can be traced as early as in the music of Arsenio Rodríguez, one of the most
prominent figures of son, the predecessor of salsa. In his compositions, among several of his bass rhythms, the
tumbao, so-called then the “anticipated bass,” was among one of them. There is no clear evidence of how tumbao
gradually became prominent popular in salsa, but Garcia mentions some re-recordings of Arsenio Rodríguez’s
original song that replace his original bass with anticipated bass. See David Garcia, Arsenio Rodríguez and the
Transnational Flow of Latin Popular Music (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006), 44 and 127-28.
46
Transcription featured in The Latin Real Book: The Best Contemporary & Classical Salsa, Brazilian Music, Latin
Jazz (Petaluma: Sher Music, 1997).
29
almost inaudible. 47 Nevertheless, we can easily hear how the tumbao affects our sensation of

accents and how it may shift the grouping segments against the melodic phrase.48

Figure 1.21 Excerpt from “Ran Kan Kan” by Tito Puente

Tumbao outlines two elided phrases. © 1997 Sher Music Co.

The modified tumbao gives us a better idea of the underlying clave sequence. Unlike the

standard tumbao pattern shown in Figure 1.20, the two measures of Tito Puente’s tumbao have

different rhythms: mm. 1 and 3 contain on-beat onsets, correlating with clave's 2-side, but mm. 2

and 4 contain syncopated onsets, the latter closely resembling the original tumbao and clave’s 3-

side.

47
Tito Puente, “Ran Kan Kan,” On Broadway: Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble, Concord Records, 1983, vinyl
CJP-207. Re-released in Mambo on Broadway, RCA Victor, 1989, compact disk ND 71992. Also see Tito Puente,
“Ran Kan Kan,” El Rey: Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble, Concord Records, 1984, vinyl JUN-5103. Re-released
by Fania Records, 2010, compact disk. For a brief history on the recording of “Ran Kan Kan,” See Kurt Garner,
“Analysis of the Stylistic Development of Selected Tito Puente Timbales Solo in the Mambo Style,” (DMA Diss.:
University of Northern Colorado, 2001), 116.
48
For a YouTube clip of the recording featured in On Broadway, see minute 0:09 in “Tito Puente – Ran Kan Kan -
Mambo,” YouTube video, 2:57, posted by “Liam’s Rekkids,” October 23, 2013,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d86m8hZEu44.
30
 This variation of tumbao enables us to hear the contrast between 3-side and 2-side more

clearly. In the last beat of m. 2, the tumbao descends to D3, which is the tonic pitch of the

passage. Because it falls on a weak beat, it suggests closure, similar to the rhetoric of the 2-side.

But also, because it falls a beat early, one might hear motive α of the 2-side as arriving too early.

One can also hear it as an anacrusis anticipating the downbeat in m. 3.

Furthermore, being the lowest point of the contour (nadir), this pitch contains a fair

amount of accent. It also has an interonset durational accent because it is the longest duration

among other onsets in the tumbao. These accentual qualities provide a degree of stress, but how

does it affect the perception of the meter? I hear it as an anacrusis anticipating the downbeat of

m. 3, the downbeat of the 2-sides of clave. As a result, the sense of the downbeat of the 2-side is

stronger than the downbeat of the 3-side. Moreover, the peak of the melodic contour, D4, is not

as strongly accented as the nadir. If we use this aspect as a comparison, then we can say that the

2-side has a stronger downbeat than the 3-side. As a result, the grouping structure begins from

the 2-side, and not in the 3-side. I hear the descent to D3 as both the ending and the beginning of

the melodic phrase, in other words, the successive phrases overlap. Unlike the grouping structure

of 3-2 clave, where we can perceive the beginning in the 3-side and the ending in the 2-side, in

this example, the beginning and the ending occur at the same point.

In this hearing, then, Tito Punte’s altered tumbao solidifies the grouping structure of the

music as 2-3. With the absence of the clave, and with the montuno softened by other instruments,

the tumbao becomes the key referential rhythm. The tumbao emphasizes the 2-3 clave in a

slightly different way, making the composition more interesting.

Note that both of Puente’s tumbao and the original tumbao are contour-shaped. If the

nadir of Puente’s tumbao contains an accent, then the original tumbao should have it too. In
31
Figure 1.20 the C3 should carry a greater accent than the C4. Does it help to determine the clave?

Unlikely. If we claim that the nadir itself can serve as the point of beginning in the 3-side, this

claim is contestable. In Puente’s tumbao, the D3 contains an interonset durational accent, and it is

unique within the entire two measure pattern. The nadir helps in addition to affirm the sense of

ending and beginning on that point. While the C3 in the original tumbao may also provide the

same sense, the uniformity of the rhythm on both measures complicates the correlation in

between tumbao and clave. Both of C3 and C4 contain interonset durational accent. Furthermore,

the accentual strength contributed by the nadir is not strong enough. Therefore, the original

tumbao pattern does not clearly punctuate the rhythmic profiles of clave, and the variant

exhibited in “Ran Kan Kan” fulfills this role.

1.6 Preliminary Assessment of Melody: Two Examples

So far, we have examined the metric and phenomenal quality of strong beats in the

combined presence of clave and cascara or montuno. Although these two paradigmatic rhythms

are rather different from clave, we have seen that they have a fixed orientation with respect to it,

and produce a distinctive pattern of accentual strength. In this section, I would like to provide a

preliminary analysis of several ways that the accentual pattern of clave (with or without these

other rhythms) can be manifested in vocal or instrumental melody. This analysis will help to

substantiate Washburne's claim that “all musical and dance components in salsa performance are

governed by clave,”49 which I take to mean that clave influences not only the rhythm of the

accompaniment layer but also of the melodic line. Let us consider two examples, one that

outlines 3-2 clave and another one that outlines 2-3 clave. The first is the opening of “Yay Boy”

49
Washburne, “Salsa in New York City,” 73.
32
by a group called Africando. The second is a melodic excerpt that we have discussed earlier, “El

Manicero” by Moisés Simmons. The melodies I will analyze both occur in the earlier sections of

the song—in the introduction or the first section and so function as the primary or initiating

motive for the rest of the song. Succeeding verses become more complex, but still resemble them

to a certain degree.

Figure 1.22 An excerpt from the opening of “Yay Boy”

Figure 1.22 shows an excerpt from the opening of “Yay Boy.” 50 The melodic line is

structured in two groups: an antecedent in mm. 1-2 followed by a rhythmically identical

consequent in mm. 3-4. Let us look at the antecedent group. The rhythm of m. 1 closely

resembles montuno, while the rhythm of m. 2 is taken directly from the 2-side of clave (motive

α). The rhythmic contrast between them—a more syncopated active measure followed by a more

metrically consonant, relaxing second measure—clearly reveals the underlying clave as 3-2. We

can easily hear m. 1 as the beginning and m. 2 as ending. The melodic contour ascends in m. 1,

which depicts departure from the focal pitch E4, a member of tonic triad A. It descends stepwise

in m. 2 to E5, yields a sense of return to the original focal pitch. This sensation is substantiated

when, after arpeggiating the E dominant 7th chord, the melody changes to the third of the tonic

harmony, C5 in m. 4. Furthermore, there is a clear gap between the syncopated rhythm in m. 1

50
“Yay Boy,” Sabador, Vol. 2, recorded by Africando, Syllart Production, 1994, compact disk 38133.2. Also
released in Volume 2: Terra Tradicional, recorded by Africando, Stern’s Africa, 1994, compact disk STCD 1054.
For YouTube clip, see “Africando, Yay Boy,” YouTube video, 4:12, posted by “onlyashesfool,” March 28 2011,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDk1_TAp58Y.
33
and the two quarter notes in m. 2. Although this gap, a two-beat rest, displaces the motive one

beat later, we can still see that m. 2 correlates with the 2-side of clave because it features the

quarter-note motive, even if that does not occur exactly on beats 2 and 3.

Figure 1.23 “El Manicero,” from Mauleon

© 1993 Sher Music Co.

But not every salsa melody shows a clear clave, montuno, or cascara rhythm, or even a 3-

2 beginning-ending structure. This is especially true in 2-3 clave. Similar to “Yay Boy,” “El

Manicero” features rhythmically identical antecedent and consequent groups with two measures

in each of them.51 However, unlike “Yay Boy,” where there is a gap between in mm. 1 and 2, in

“El Manicero” the line runs continuously across mm. 1 and 2. According to Mauleon, “El

Manicero” is written in 2-3 clave. At first glance, the resemblance is weak. To be sure, the rest at

the first downbeat may fit more with clave’s third rest, hinting at a correlation with the 2-side.

However, the succeeding stream of eighth notes does not depict any sense of closure or similarity

with the α motive. Indeed its increasing energy better matches the profile Lehmann ascribes to

the 3-side. However, this ambiguity is resolved in m. 2, where the melody’s accentual pattern—

the quarter notes in beat 1 and 4, the eighth note on beat 2&, and rests on beat 3—shows a closer

resemblance to the 3-side.

I think the ambiguity in m. 1 arises because the melody avoids the sense of closure that is

associated with the 2-side of clave. Instead, it functions better as a beginning, leaving m. 2 to

51
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 160.
34
function as an ending. The ascending line from B4 in m. 1 to D5 in m. 2 yields a sense of

departure, followed by a descending melodic motion from D5 to C4, which suggests arrival back

to the tonic. When mm. 1 and 2 are reiterated in mm. 3 and 4, the sense of closure can be felt

even stronger as the melodic line descends to G4, denoting an implied cadential motion back to

tonic in G Major.

Thus the 2-3 grouping structure we hear in the melody is not due to perfect correlation

with the clave’s rhythm, for m. 1 lacks resemblance with the 2-side. We determined that the

corresponding clave is 2-3 only because m. 2 is clearly correlated to the 3-side. That is, our

process of determining the clave is achieved not simply by matching accent patterns in both

measures, but also by a rather broader perspective of the grouping structure.

While the two examples above give some sense of the range of congruency between salsa

melodies and clave’s rhythm, there may be melodies in which their alignments are rather

ambiguous, especially when the accent pattern of the melody does not match an apparent clave

pattern. Mauleon states that a melody’s accent and the phrase structure can be used as a point of

reference for the orientation of clave.52 The process of identifying them may include the

possibility of having both sides of clave to fit nicely in the melody. However, surely one

direction fits better than the others, and this determination may be made through a judicious

balance of theoretical analysis, cultural context, and phenomenological sensation.

1.7 Summary: The Process of Template Matching

As we move into the analysis of “La Malanga” in the next chapter, we should expect to

see the cascara and montuno in different variations. Identifying each of their measures with each

52
Mauleon, Salsa Guidebook, 159.
35
sides of clave is a process of matching them with the patterns discussed in this chapter. This

process seems easy if we only look at rhythm, but such a restriction risks ignoring other informal

theoretical or non-hierarchical elements, such as instrumentation and register. In the next

chapter, the process of the template matching will include musical processes that were not

emphasized in this chapter, such as harmony, phrase structure, and formal function.

36
Chapter 2: Song Analysis – “La Malanga” by Eddie Palmieri

In the previous chapter, we explored a relative quantification of the total accent on the

half-note beats of 4/4, as they are affected by clave. We observed the changes that occur in the

accentual profile of the 2-side as a result of the interaction between clave and cascara, montuno,

and tumbao. Also, we observed how the accentual profile of clave can be manifested in the

melodic line. Those brief analyses are particularly pertinent to this chapter, where we will

analyze the operation of clave in “La Malanga” as performed by Eddie Palmieri. The purpose of

this analysis is to identify various ways that the clave is employed, manipulated, and altered from

its written form. Although the discussion will not consider the songs in their entirety, it will

focus on those sections in which clave and the musical events are interwoven in interesting ways.

“La Malanga” was actually composed by Rudy Calzado, but re-composed by Eddie

Palmieri.53 The version that is featured in this analysis is taken from a re-release on the album

Superimposition.54 In this recording, the clave is played by a woodblock but it is almost

inaudible, and barely audible during the vocal solo section. The examples used in this chapter are

taken from a score in the The Latin Real Book, which corresponds to the version recorded by

Palmieri.55 In this analysis, we will focus on the introduction (mm. 1-4), the first refrain (mm. 5-

12), and the vocal solo section (mm. 33-34). At the top of the transcription, the clave is indicated

as 2-3, and we will assume that this indication is authoritative.

53
The original version by Rudy Calzado is featured in album La Musica Tipica de Cuba, re-released in 2008,
original release is unknown. See discography of La Musica Tipica by AllMusic.com, accessed on January 25 2016,
http://www.allmusic.com/album/la-musica-tipica-de-cuba-mw0001452088. For information about the historical
context of the album Superimposition, see Aurora Flores, Discography on Superimposition,
https://www.fania.com/products/superimposition, accessed on January 25 2016.
54
Eddie Palmieri, “La Malanga,” Superimposition, Tico Records, 1968, vinyl SLP 1194. Also available in
YouTube. See “Eddie Palmieri – La Malanga,” YouTube video, 4:01, posted by “jwrv,” February 15 2012,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH4ZXqEMBxI.
55
The Latin Real Book, 269-70.
37
 The lead sheet notates the vocal melody, piano, bass, and brass, but not any percussion

rhythm, such as drum, conga, or timbale. In Palmieri's performance, these instruments repeat in

every measure a rhythm that does not contain any motivic figures that can help us to distinguish

the difference the 2-side from the 3-side. Therefore the analysis will refer only to the notated

instruments.

I chose this song for two reasons. First, and most importantly, the clave is barely audible.

In the Palmieri recording, the clave is hardly audible in the first few sections and completely

vanishes in the middle of the song. It seems to bear almost no significance to the music. I will

assume that clave is not sounded at all, and use the remaining musical events to investigate how

they may imitate the accentual profiles and the grouping structure of clave, cascara, or montuno.

Second, and in addition, this song contains interesting melodies that do not manifest the clave

pattern clearly. It sparks an interest to investigate how the clave is suggested by it.

Since Eddie Palmieri is regarded as a great salsa musician let us assume that cruzado

(cross-rhythm) is unlikely to exist in this song, meaning that the musicians strictly adhere to the

rhythmic “rules” of clave.56 Hence, we will assume that clave proceeds as indicated in the

transcription, whether it is audible or not, and we will focus on understanding how it is

incorporated and interwoven with the melody, harmony, and form. I will not systematize the

results as a generalized formula or a set of rules, but rather treat them as unique to this particular

song.

Since we assume that cruzado does not exist we can assume that the clave indeed governs

the melody’s and accompaniment’s rhythms. The word “correlation” will be used throughout this

56
Warren Pinckney Jr., in “Puerto Rican Jazz and the Incorporation of Folk Music: An Analysis of New Musical
Directions.” Latin American Music Review 10, no. 2 (1989): 248, describes Palmieri as possessing advanced
techniques in Latin Jazz composition.
38
chapter to refer how strictly they “fit” with it. For instance, if the rhythm of a measure coincides

with all the onsets of 3-side, I will say that this rhythm and the 3-side are closely correlated. On

the other hand, if it only coincides with one onset, they are weakly correlated.

2.1 Introduction: Overlapping 3-side’s and 2-side’s Formal Function

Figure 2.1 “La Malanga,” mm. 1-8.

Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

The introduction consists of a two-measure pattern played by the bass from mm. 1 to 4.

As the bass repeats the four measures, a piano accompaniment is added, shown as mm. 5-8 in

Figure 2.1. Let us look closely at the rhythm of the bass. M. 1 has only one on-beat onset, a

dotted-half note; it is in the same position as the onset on the downbeat of the 3-side of clave. In

contrast, m. 2 has no on-beat onsets; they are all syncopated and in this respect it too resembles

the second and third onsets on the 3-side. Thus we cannot yet determine the correlation between

the bass and the 2-3 clave because it seems ambiguous – the bass’s rhythm may fit with 2-3 clave

39
as well as 3-2 clave. The absence of motive α, a significant marker of the 2-side, increases this

ambiguity.

Thus we can ask this question—if m. 1 does not closely correlate with 2-side, then does it

mean that it better correlates with the 3-side? If we look at the accentual profile and the rhythmic

function of the bass line, it sufficiently matches the profile and function of 3-2 clave. I

demonstrate these perspectives in Figure 2.2 below. The onsets on the downbeat of mm. 1 and 3

take stronger metric and phenomenal accent than the downbeats of mm. 2 and 4, due to the

dotted half-note onset. Should we then conclude that this measure correlates with 3-side? I am

reluctant to do so, preferring first to consider the phrase in its entirety.

In mm. 2 and 4, the syncopated onsets (including the beats 4& in mm. 1 and 3) provide

anacrustic support to beats and 1 and 3. Notably, the onset on beat 2& matches clave’s second

onset—a hint that this measure may be correlated better with the 3-side. Now the anacrustic

support to the downbeats of mm. 2 and 4 also puts emphasis on those downbeats, suggesting that

they, too, correlate with the 3-side. However, mm. 1 and 3 also have a strong metric accent on

their downbeat. Which measures correlate best with the 3-side? I am less inclined to claim that

mm. 1 and 3 match the 3-side, because they do not contain enough rhythmic events. Their sole

onset, which as I will explain later below, feels more like a closure or cessation than a drive.

My only solution for now is to understand the downbeats of mm. 1 and 3 as having the

same total accent as the downbeats of mm. 2 and 4. This is not unusual: we have seen in the

analysis of montuno in Chapter One that both measures have the same ranking of total accent

(refer to Figure 1.18). However, we can still determine which side of the bass line belongs to

which side if we associate the dotted half-note onset with montuno’s downbeat in the 2-side. We

can also see that in Figure 1.18, the 2-side’s downbeat has an interonset durational accent, and so
40
does the bass line. Similarly, in Table 1.1, I have stated that an onset with an interonset

durational accent are likely to belong to the fifth onset, hence, belongs to the 2-side.

I think it is also intuitive to hear the rhythm of the bass line in mm. 2 and 4 fitting better

with the 3-side. Its syncopated rhythm fits with 3-side’s character, while, on the other hand, the

on-beat onset in mm. 1 and 2 fits with 2-side’s character. This is supported by the piano

accompaniment, for when it arrives on the repeat in m. 5, it plays the 2-side of cascara by

sounding the two quarter-note onsets of motive α in beats 1 and 2 (refer to Figure 1.14.) 57

Figure 2.2 Total accent of mm. 1-2

If we view this passage from an energetic perspective, we can also see that it fits with the

2-3 pattern. In clave itself, the 3-side’s rhythm exhibits a driving quality with its syncopated

57
This passage is an example where two different layers are arrived one at a time, hence provide us with enough
time to deliberate among them. Some works on groove and repetition in ethnomusicology also feature the similar
process of considering the aggregate of various layers. In particular, Monson’s investigation on riffs, repetitions and
grooves in African diasporic music, specifically, “Sent for You Yesterday” by Count Basie, investigates four ways
in which the riffs were used—melodies, calls and responses, continuous ostinatos, and layers. The interwoven layers
and textures are his sources of unraveling the underlying social contexts of African diaspora. See Ingrid Monson,
“Riffs, Repetitions, and Theories of Globalization,” Ethnomusicology 43, no. 1 (Winter, 1999): 34-44. Guibault’s
musical and intercultural analysis of zouk, another African diasporic music in the islands of Martinique and
Guadeloupe, also pays attentive details to various layers that establish zouk’s rhythmic foundation, which are the
confluence of several rhythms such as beguine, merengue, compass direct, compass-lypso, guagancó, and danzon.
See Jocelyn Guibault, Zouk: World Music in the West Indies, (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1993), 131-99.
41
second onset and metrically weak third onset, while 2-side’s rhythm exhibits a stasis or cessation

with its metrically strong final onset, strong in a sense that it lands on a half-note beat.58

Similarly, in the introduction to “La Malanga,” the rhythmic contrast between mm. 1 and 2 is

conspicuous. The lack of activity in m. 1 entails rhythmic stasis. It is contrasted with rhythmic

drive in m. 2 caused by the ascending and descending line as well as by all the syncopated

onsets. The contrast becomes really evident when the shorter, syncopated eighth-note onset A3

on beat 4&, which particularly functions as an anacrusis, is negated with longer, on-beat dotted

half-note onset in m. 1.

Although m. 1 is thus closely correlated to the 2-side, it has a different formal function.

In Chapter One, we posited that the fifth onset of clave which falls on the 2-side operates as the

ending of the group initiated by the 3-side’s first onset. Clearly this is not the case in this

passage. The bass phrase does not begin in the 3-side and does not end in the 2-side. Instead, it

begins in m. 1 (2-side) and ends not in m. 2 (3-side), but on the downbeat of m. 3 (2-side),

terminating at the same note that it had begun, the D3. The same note that functions as an ending

to the phrase also functions as a beginning to another phrase. This kind of phrase overlap

happens at the downbeat of every odd-numbered measure at what Caplin defines as elision—“a

moment of time that simultaneously marks the end of one unit and the beginning of the next.”59

We can further see that D3 functions as the point of elision if we look at the bass line's implied

58
Perhaps stasis, rather than cessation, would be a better term to describe the contrasting rhythmic “motion” in
between both sides of clave because clave does not cease. The half-note IOI in between the fifth and the first onset
provide continuity or linkage in between both sides. In other words, the rhythmic motion persists. But in my hearing,
the is a sense of ending or completion when fifth onset arrives. I believe it occurs due to the different rhythmic
functions—one that is syncopating while other that is not. Because of this, from the energetic perspective, there is a
salient difference—one that is intense while other that is idle.
59
William Caplin, Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Function for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and
Beethoven (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998), 254.
42
harmonic progression. Since D3 occupies almost all the beats in m. 1, the harmony stays in tonic.

When the melody leaps to A3, there is an implied change to a dominant harmony. One may still

hear a tonic prolongation because the melody leaps again to D4, but then as it leaps down to C4,

A3 and back to D3, the melody demonstrates an implied V-I cadential progression. The resolution

to tonic occurs not in m. 2, but in m. 3, which overlaps with the beginning of the next melodic

phrase.

Figure 2.3 Conflicting groups in between the melody and the clave
Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

Figure 2.4 Metrical analysis and the ranking of the total accent of the same passage

43
 To the extent that we hear the normative grouping of clave as 3-2, Figure 2.3 shows that

we may hear a subliminal grouping dissonance between it and the 2-3 grouping structure of the

bass line. It is subliminal in the sense that one could hear it clearly if the clave were explicitly

audible, but since it is almost inaudible, the grouping dissonance is implied at best.

However, Figure 2.4 shows how the 2-3 grouping structure is suggested by varying

accent. It is simply the same reading of the total accent of Figure 2.2, with the piano added. The

D3 on the downbeat of mm. 1, 3, 5, and 7 give an initiating accent that supports hearing the group

as beginning at these moments. Note that the total accent from the combination of the bass vamp

and cascara is different from that of cascara in combination with clave. Figure 1.15 asserted that

both of the downbeats of the combined clave/cascara rhythm have an equally strong total accent.

As shown in Figure 2.2 and Figure 2.4, however, the bass line strongly alters the total accent of

mm. 1 and 2. I hear the downbeat of m. 1 as stronger than the downbeat of m. 2 because it has

both onsets from the treble and the bass. In contrast, the downbeat of m. 2 has only one onset

from the piano. Although the preceding anacrusis provides some extra support to this downbeat,

it is still not as heavily accented as the downbeat of m. 1. This reading of the total accent proves

that there is a formal orientation towards the downbeat of every odd-numbered measure as the

core beginning and ending of the phrases.

This analysis of the introduction shows how the phrase structure and the accentual profile

of clave suffuses each layer of the texture. The bass line correlates only weakly with clave, but

the piano accompaniment provides stronger emphasis by attacking more clave onsets than the

bass does. Furthermore, the presence of motive α clarifies mm. 1 and 3 as corresponding to the

2-side. The analysis also shows how the melodic contour of the bass alters the grouping structure

44
from the typical form. Instead of a 3-2 clave grouping, the passage is grouped in a quasi-2-3

group with the beginning and ending elided with one another.

2.2 Refrain: Subliminal Clave Flip

Section A of “La Malanga,” which acts as a refrain, spans from mm. 9 to 16, structured

as a vocal phrase from mm. 9 to 11 followed by two shorter vocal fragments in mm. 13 and 15,

both with short anacruses. The silences between the vocal calls are filled with syncopated horn

responses. A piano montuno and tumbao repeat a two-measure pattern throughout the entire

refrain.

Figure 2.5 Section A, mm. 9-12

Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

Figure 2.5 shows the first four measures. The chord symbol on the lead sheet indicates

that this passage alternates Dm7 and C7, which I have analyzed as tonic and subtonic seventh

chords in the figure. While this is not a common-practice progression, we can still perceive a

harmonic oscillation away from and back to D Minor tonic.

In the vocal melody, sung by male chorus, m. 9 clearly borrows the rhythm of the 2-side

of montuno, as can be heard in its exact alignment with the piano accompaniment. M. 10 of the

vocal melody exactly matches the 3-side of montuno, as does the piano, except for a missing
45
attack on beat 4&. M. 11, however, does not match with either montuno or clave. But it strongly

alludes to the 2-side because it places an attack on beat 3 then rests, just as happens at and after

the fifth onset of clave.

In this phrase, only the first and last onsets take strong metrical and rhythmic accent: the

first onset appears on a downbeat while the final onset has an interonset durational accent. The

other onsets are syncopated or do not have any durational accent, notably on the downbeat of m.

11.

Figure 2.6 Three layers of phrasing and grouping asynchrony in mm. 9-12

Thus the vocal phrase structure increases the grouping dissonance, discussed above,

between montuno and the implicit clave. Figure 2.6 shows a grouping diagram that spans from

mm. 9 to 12. The melodic phrase spans three measures, whereas montuno spans only two.

Adding the clave, with its implied 3-2 grouping structure beneath these two layers, produces a

three-layered phrasing and grouping asynchrony or displacement. The beginning of the vocal

melody aligns with montuno but not clave. The reverse happens in m. 11, when the ending of the

melody aligns with clave but not montuno. In m. 11, there is a sense of competition between the

montuno's accent of beat 1 and the vocal melody's accent of beat 3, which coincides with 2-

46
side’s fifth onset. The accentual conflict heightens the tension created by the grouping

dissonances.60

What is the purpose of this asynchrony? Hearing and understanding the interaction in

between the phrases may affect our perception of the clave. I think that the interaction between

the melody and the montuno suggests an orientation of clave different than the one that is

notated. The musical events after m. 11 support this hearing.

2.2.1 SLSL Motive; Call-and-Response Sequence

Figure 2.7 SLSL motive in mm. 11, 13, and 15

M. 11 is already striking because it is when the voices deviate from the montuno pattern

to sing a short-long-short-long (henceforth SLSL) rhythm. This motive is featured several times

throughout the song, so much that we can perceive it as the main motive of “La Malanga.” For

instance, in mm. 13 and 15, the voices repeat it. (The lead sheet notates mm. 13 and 15 in

triplets, which is different than m. 11, but I hear all three rhythms as exactly as the same SLSL

motive in Palmieri's performance.)

60
If these groups coincide on a single point, it will create what Arom defines as macroperiod—a “cycle obtained
when periods of different lengths are superposed…the macroperiod then provides the only point at which all the
periods will coincide.” In this example, however, the groups do not have a single coinciding point, and therefore,
there is no single unifying period. Hence, the grouping dissonance is conspicuous. See Simha Arom, African
Polyphony and Polyrhythm: Musical Structures and Methodology (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991),
231, italics in original.
47
 These statements alternate with the horns in mm. 12, 14, and 16. In m. 12 every horn

attack is syncopated, beginning with on beat 4& from the previous measure and ascending until

the vocal SLSL motive begins on the upbeat to m. 13. Phenomenally, the dynamic accent and the

ascending line engender an intense energy towards the SLSL motive in m. 13. In other words,

rather than hearing the horns responding to the voice's call, the rhythms and contour suggest that

the voices respond to the horns.

Figure 2.8 Mm. 12-15

Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © Sher Music Co.

If we hear the horn in m. 12 initiating the call, and the vocal melody responding to it,

then we can group these two measures together coextensively with the 3-2 clave. Indeed their

rhythms are somewhat correlated with clave, although not precisely. As discussed above, the

SLSL motive correlates to the 2-side. However, the horns in m. 12 do not correlate so tightly to

the 3-side. Their E-A-D chord coincides with 3-side’s second onset, but their first, third, and

fourth onsets do not coincide with the rest of clave's; nor do they resemble any of the secondary

patterns discussed in Chapter One. However, we can still conceive a fair degree of correlation

between them if we consider the clave rhetoric. The syncopated horn onsets in m. 12 represent a

48
phenomenal sensation of active and energetic motion that contrasts with the sense of cessation in

m. 13. Hence, mm. 12 and 13 closely parallel 3-2 clave. Similar to mm. 12 and 13, we can also

group mm. 14 and 15 with 3-2 clave.

Figure 2.9 A subliminal flip of clave from 2-3 to 3-2 shown by the arrow

Figure 2.9 shows the phrase structure of the entire refrain and its asynchrony with the

expected 2-3 clave structure. There are two phrases, one in m. 9, which begins in the 2-side, and

one in m. 12 which begins in the 3-side. M. 9 is perceived as the beginning of a phrase despite

being correlated with the 2-side because it contains the first entrance of the vocal melody. It is

also accented by the interonset durational accent on the downbeat. Meanwhile, m. 12 is also

perceived as the beginning of another phrase because the horn resembles a call while the vocal

melody resembles a response. In contrast to m. 9, m. 12 correlates with the 3-side.

Thus the initial 2-3 clave grouping is changed to 3-2. The first group in mm. 9-11

consists of a 2-3-2 clave sequence, while the second group in mm. 12-13 and 14-15 consists of a

3-2 clave sequence. In the first group, while mm. 9-10 is still correlated to 2-3 clave sequence,

m. 11 does not function as a new beginning of another 2-3 clave sequence, but instead functions

as an ending to the previous 2-3 sequence. As a result, the next measure functions as a beginning

to a new 3-2 clave sequence. I like to characterize this phenomenon as a “flip” from 2-3 to 3-2

clave. Perhaps this phenomenon is better called as pseudo-flip, where the clave is flipped but

49
subliminally. Unlike a typical clave flip, where one can hear a new section or a new verse

entering in the middle of the clave, this flip occurs as the result of the interaction among parts. It

is not obviously audible if we strictly entrain or focus our hearing to the 2-3 clave sequence, but

if we shift our hearing to the phrase structure of the melody, I believe that we will begin hearing

the grouping structure differently than that of clave. Especially since the clave is inaudible, I

think it is more natural or reasonable to orient our hearing to the melody and the accompaniment.

This subliminal flip may not be exactly salient. After all, it is subliminal. However, listeners may

still hear this event as a kind of tension that occurs because they are unable to hear the exact 2-3

clave grouping throughout the passage. By not yielding a clear 2-3 orientation, the tension arises,

causing conflict between the 2-3 clave that is established in measures 9-10 but then made

ambiguous by the ending of the melody in m. 11, and later even more conflicting by the 3-2

grouping of the call and response.

2.3 Montuno and Tumbao Replacing Clave as Groove Pattern

Figure 2.10 Vocal solo section, rehearsal D of “La Malanga,” mm. 33-34
Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © Sher Music Co.

50
 Later in “La Malanga,” in the vocal solo section, rehearsal D, mm. 33-34, montuno and,

to some extent, tumbao, seem to replace clave as a primary metrical reference. As during the

verse, the clave is absent or cannot be heard clearly, perhaps suppressed behind the louder

sounds from other instruments. At the recorded tempo, which goes as fast as half note = 110

bpm, our ear may be attuned to the montuno and tumbao as the groove or point of reference.

Besides the percussion that provides a rhythmic bed in the background, listeners and musicians

rely on the montuno and tumbao to keep track along the song. Perhaps it is easier to hear so

because the tumbao’s rhythm moves slower than the tactus. It only has a few onsets per measure,

with longer durations than the vocal melody and the montuno. While montuno’s rhythm is just

about as fast as the tactus, it has a slow harmonic rhythm. The change of harmony can also be

used as a point of reference in the music, or in the lead sheet as musicians perform this song.

This section consists of multiple repetitions of mm. 33 and 34. The vocal soloist sings

what seems like an improvised line while the chorus responds with a fixed “La Ma-lan-ga,”

accompanied by a two-measure piano montuno. This montuno is slightly different from the

original one. The quarter and dotted-quarter note onsets from the original montuno are replaced

with several eighth notes, shown in Figure 2.11. Not only the rhythm is slightly altered, but the

harmonic rhythm is also diminuted. In the refrain, the montuno only alternates between i and

VII7 chords, with one chord per measure. In contrast, in this section, the harmony moves from i,

iv, V7, and iv, with two chords per measure.

51
 Figure 2.11 Two different montuno patterns

There must be a reason why the rhythm and the harmony are diminuted from the original

pattern. In the analysis of the refrain, we have shown that the vocal melody and the horn closely

correlate with the clave. However, in mm. 33 - 34, this passage provides an opportunity for the

solo singer to improvise his line, and this free improvisation will make him prone to sing not

exactly on the beat. His rhythm is filled with micro-rhythmic inflection. Certain onsets seem to

arrive slightly early than anticipated while others seem to arrive slightly late. We can speculate

that the solo singer orients his rhythms to the rhythm and the harmony of the montuno and

tumbao.

52
 Figure 2.12 Montuno and tumbao in mm. 33-34
Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

Considering both the montuno and tumbao as shown in Figure 2.12, I propose that the

downbeat of m. 33 is stronger than the one in m. 34 for a simple reason—there is no onset in the

downbeat of the latter measure. In contrast, the montuno plays an onset on the downbeat of the

earlier measure. Does the group begin from m. 33 and end in m. 34? Not exactly. Consider four

possible options, laid out in the formal diagram in Figure 2.13.

53
 Figure 2.13 Possible formal phrases of mm. 33-34

Option D simply asserts that this passage’s grouping follows a normative 3-2 clave

grouping. However, this passage’s correlation with clave seems ambiguous. The composite of

montuno and tumbao does not yield any quarter-note onset that can function as motive α. Hence,

I am less inclined to claim that the m. 33 closely correlates to the 2-side and the m. 34 closely

correlates to the 3-side. Furthermore, as mentioned, there is no strong downbeat in the 3-side (m.

34) that helps us to punctuate the group as 3-2 clave (mm. 34-33 bis.) No metrical, durational, or

harmonic accent occurs in the 3-side. Therefore, option D is unlikely.

Option C is another possibility. While we can hear the downbeat in m. 33, meaning that

the beginning occurs in the 2-side, it is rather difficult to hear the ending in the 3-side,

resembling 2-3 clave. Rather, I hear this passage as a continuing uninterrupted ostinato pattern.

There are no rests that interrupt the melodic motion at the end of m. 34. There is no clear

sensation of cadence that signals a pause at chord iv in beat 4. Instead, there is a strong iv to i

plagal cadential motion from m. 34 back to tonic, which either occurs at pitch F in beat 4& or at

pitch D in beat 1 of m. 33 (I shall explain these two possibilities in options A and B). Therefore,

54
I am less inclined to perceive an ending of the formal function in m. 34, but instead, more

inclined to connect it to the next beginning as an elision, which I will explain below.

Option A and B are two better grouping diagrams, which show the beginning and ending

to occur in the same moment, creating an elision. The groups are elided because there is an

ongoing continuity in this ostinato pattern. As the melodic contour descends to the desired

ending, another beginning emerges with the ascending line. Option B shows an option to hear the

ending and the beginning at the F at beat 4& at the end of m. 34. It signals a return to D minor,

leading to the repeat of m. 33. While this pitch is not the root of D minor, the return to F is

sufficient enough to denote a return to tonic from the plagal cadence. If this is the case, then, the

group begins on an anacrusis.

Option A is possible too. One may perceive the F strongly as an anacrusis not just to the

pitch D in m. 33, but also an anacrusis to the beginning of the group as well. In this case, we

perceive the beginning and ending as occurring on the downbeat of m. 33. The pitch F is merely

an anticipation to the root D in the downbeat of m. 33. When the root arrives, the sense of tonic

is salient, more clear than the anacrusis F in m. 34. This pitch marks a clear authentic plagal

cadence, and affirm that the phrase ends here. But the ascending melodic contour also marks

another beginning of a new group, therefore the ending is elided with another beginning.

I have no definite preference between options A and B, but the point is that the groups

elide in this passage, and are certainly dissimilar to clave’s grouping structure. There is a sense

of uninterrupted melodic line that spans from the very first onset of montuno over these two

measures and back at this same pitch as the harmony returns to tonic. It is further propelled by

the chorus answer in m. 34. This formal function is best described as an elided grouping

structure, either on the 2-side or the 3-side, in contrast to the 2-3 or even 3-2 grouping. Even the
55
vocal solo suggests that the phrase structure is composed of a single elided phrase that spans

from and back to the same timepoint (either the end of m. 34 or the downbeat of m. 33 shown in

option A or B in Figure 2.13). Consider the vocal line shown below.

Figure 2.14 Vocal solo, “La Malanga,” Superimposition

Micro-rhythmic inflections are quantized to closest eighth-note beats.61

61
This vocal solo can be heard at minute 1:32 in YouTube video uploaded by “jwrv.” See
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH4ZXqEMBxI. A slightly different vocal solo is featured in album The Best
of Eddie Palmieri and His Friends, Licensemusic.com, 2013, Spotify streaming service. It can also be accessed in
56
 Figure 2.14 shows my transcription of the vocal solo based on the recording in the album

Superimposition. I would like to focus on a correlation I perceive in between the melody and the

downbeat of m. 33. Notice that each downbeat of this measure (mm. 1, 3, 5, and so on) appears

near the beginning of a call from the vocal solo. By beginning of a call, I mean the first entrance

of the vocal solo (e.g., syllable “eh” in m. 0, syllable “la” in mm. 2 and 4,) and I say this is a

“call” because I perceive the chorus as a response.

While they do not arrive exactly on the downbeat, I can still perceive some correlation in

between the vocal calls and these downbeats. The calls in mm. 3, 5, and 7 have a similar pick-up

rhythm. They begin with a dotted quarter note duration (starting at beat 3&) before the

downbeat, acting as a kind of pseudo-anacrusis that enhance the total accent of those downbeats.

Mm. 11 and 13 also contain interesting events that strengthen the sensation of the

downbeat of m. 33. They contain a kind of climactic point of the vocal solo on the syllable “lan.”

It is stressed with a stronger timbre and loudness. The duration is also long, spanning a half-note,

longer than other syllables, and obviously contrasting the short utterances of the text in mm. 7-

10.

We can thus discern a systematic relationship in between the solo and the meter. The

pick-up gesture that emphasizes the downbeat, plus the syllable “lan” than even places greater

emphasis on it, suggests that the vocal soloist is aware of the grouping structure and melodic

directionality of this passage. He sings in a way that emphasizes the downbeat of m. 33.

Together with montuno, this downbeat receives sufficient emphasis that initially lacks support

from the 2-side clave.

YouTube. See at minute 1:36 in “Eddie Palmieri – La Malanga,” Youtube video, 9:02, posted by “zikow00,”
October 3 2007, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKl-jmDORiA.
57
 In the whole picture, the montuno, and to a lesser extent, the tumbao, produce a groove

that functions as the primary temporal and metrical reference to the performers as well as the

listeners. Clave does not seem to be important at all. Even if it is explicitly played, the montuno

and tumbao already exert sufficient metrical influence. Certainly, we cannot deny the historical

fact that montuno and tumbao’s rhythm is derived from clave, played as a secondary pattern with

clave as its primary backbone. However, as mambo music evolved, montuno and tumbao

sometimes took precedence over clave. Clave was demoted to something implicit or abstract,

present primarily as a historical or stylistic figure.62

2.4 Summary

The analysis has exposed several ways that the music deviates from the clave’s formal

structure. Just considering montuno, we hear its two-measure ostinato corresponding as usual to

the 3-side and 2-side of clave. However, when we took the melody into account, the analysis got

more complex. We started to see the ambiguity in the grouping structure of clave, where some

beginnings and endings do not coincide with clave’s usual 3-2 or 2-3 grouping structure. We also

saw how it can subliminally flip the clave’s formal structure from 2-3 to 3-2.

62
Clave is a historical figure in a sense that migrants from Cuba and Puerto Rico use clave as a marker of their
origin. See footnote 11. It is a stylistic figure in a sense that it distinguishes their music from other styles in America.
Wasburne states that Puerto Rican uses clave to identify their culture as salsa music incorporates rhythm and blues,
pop, hip hop, and soul. See Washburne, “Salsa in New York City,” 85. I am making an assumption that clave plays a
lesser rhythmic role. Wasburne supports this notion by discussing the “innovationist” musician who breaks away
from the clave. Songs such as “Cali Pachanguero” by Grupo Niche contains an ambiguous clave orientation, and
yields an “evolution of clave, where partial adherence prevails over strict adherence.” See ibid., 87-90. However, in
my opinion, clave is still played by a woodblock because it serves as stylistic and historical figure. Washburne
quotes Singer who states that “clave is a symbolic communication of some kind of Latino identity.” As the music
contains complex timbres, rhythm, and ostinatos, “they serve to reinforce the expression of Latino identity made
explicit by Clave.” I think we can also interpret this statement in this way: when the music gets complex, the clave
exists as a marker of the Latino identity. That being said, the role of clave is rhetorical rather than rhythmic because
the complexity of musical events may violate the rhythmic principles of clave. See ibid., 291. See also Roberta
Singer, “My Music is Who I Am and What I Do: Latin Popular Music and Identity in New York City,” (PhD Diss.,
Indiana University, 1982), 214.
58
 Rhythmically, the clave is well represented by the melody and accompanying

instruments. Attacks that coincide with clave provide us hints to the underlying clave orientation.

However, when we consider the grouping structure, we will start to see how the music does not

always simply support the notated clave. The melody and accompaniment’s phrase structure

creates elision, flip, and even ambiguity, such that we are not sure if it still outlines the clave.

This is not necessarily a problem, indeed, one could say that the beauty of this composition lies

in the fluidity and ambiguity of its clave. It strikes a balance between strict and loose rhythmic

accentual profiles, and between the different clave orientation. The rich accompanying figures

and the melody may alter their orientation. We see how the melody in the first verse is expanded

beyond two measures, deviating from the two-measure grouping of clave, but also in the solo

section it supports the orientation to the downbeat of the 2-side. The interaction between the

enriched timbral palette, the polyphonic rhythmic texture, and the varying melody creates a

music that both dominates and is dominated by clave.

59
Chapter 3: Song Analysis – “Bilongo” by Tito Rodríguez

In this chapter, I will analyze the introduction, the first verse, and the second verse of

“Bilongo” as performed by Tito Rodríguez, another prominent figure in the salsa scene in New

York City during the Palladium era.63 Like “La Malanga,” this song is a mambo that contains

intricate melodic and accompaniment rhythm. As I apply the same analytical method to this

song, comparing its accentual profile and rhythms to clave, cascara, and montuno, I will show

that the clave orientation becomes ambiguous. Furthermore, this song involves a notated clave

flip, but the music does not strictly adhere to it. Rather, the melody and accompanying figures

override the notated clave, sometimes even juxtaposing two sides at the same time. Following

that, readers will see a broader pattern of clave, demonstrated in Table 3.1 and Table 3.2, that

seems directed more towards a particular orientation than the other. This phenomenon is

prominent in the second verse, where the clave appears to veer towards 2-3, even though the lead

sheet indicates it as 3-2.

The origin of this song is unclear, but the lead sheet indicates that the original composer

was Guillermo Rodríguez Fiffé.64 According to a blog entry by Salsa Bear,

But I’m amazed that a song as distinctive as Mandinga is so hard to figure out. It was

apparently named by a Cuban named Guillermo Rodríguez Fiffe…The song apparently

goes by three different names – Mandinga, Bilongo and La Negra Tomasa.65

63
Andrew J. Kirkendall, “Rodriguez, Tito (1923-1973),” In Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture,
ed. Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer, 2 nd ed., vol. 5 (Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2008), 592.
64
The Latin Real Book, 85-88.
65
Blog entry by Salsa Bear, “Mandinga (aka Bilongo),” Salsa Forums (blog), last modified Nov 25 2011, accessed
on Feb 2 2016, http://www.salsaforums.com/threads/mandinga-aka-bilongo.18646.
60
 Several musicians have performed and recorded this song, such as Eddie Palmieri, the

Fania All Stars, Soneros de Verdad, and many more.66 This section will analyze the version

recorded by Tito Rodríguez on the album Estoy Como Nunca. 67 The musical examples are based

on a lead sheet available in The Latin Real Book,68 except that the chords are indicated with

roman numerals rather than with the alphabetic Jazz system, in order to express their harmonic

functions. Some details are omitted, such as the added sixth and ninth above tonic in m. 1, where

the original lead sheet indicates it as Fmi69. Here, it is simply written as i to reflect its function as

tonic.

3.1 Introduction: Ambiguity of the 2-side

66
See Eddie Palmieri, Superimposition, Tico Records, 1968, vinyl SLP 1194. See also Fania All Stars, Latin
Connections, Fania Records, 1981, vinyl JM 595. See also Soneros de Verdad, A Buena Vista: Barrio de la Habana,
Timba Records, 2010, compact disk 15875-2.
67
Tito Rodríguez, Estoy Como Nunca, UA Latino, 1968, vinyl LS 61033. An audio recording is available on
YouTube. See “Tito Rodríguez – Bilongo,” YouTube video, 3:20, posted by “lopz33,” Apr 30 2009,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNbLAeJHQHE.
68
The Latin Real Book, 85-88.
61
 Figure 3.1 “Bilongo,” introduction, mm. 1-11
Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

Figure 3.1 shows the introduction, featuring a melodic line played by the trumpet. There

are two musical materials—a basic idea in m. 1 and a slight modification of the same idea in m.

2. These two ideas are repeated in mm. 3-4, 5-6, and 9-10 by the saxophones and trombones. Let

us look closely at mm. 1 and 2. The first idea begins on beat 2& while the second idea begins on

beat 1&. The clave is not audible, but the lead sheet indicates that it is 3-2. That means that the

first idea should correlate with the 3-side and the second idea should correlate with the 2-side.

We can see that m. 1 “fits” with clave when we look at the tumbao and wind instruments.

The tumbao itself plays a 3-side’s first, second, and third onset. Also, the attack of the F

pentachord in the saxophone and trombones coincides with the first onset of the tumbao,

thickening the timbral density of the downbeat and increasing its total accent. Lastly, the

trumpet’s first onset occurs in beat 2&, which coincides with clave’s second onset.

However, m. 2 does not seem to fit with the 2-side. The tumbao repeats a 3-side rhythm.

It thwarts the expectation to hear a 2-side rhythm in this measure. We may be able to find a hint

of the clave’s fifth onset in the melody. The apex of the melodic contour, on E5, marks a registral

accent that coincides with clave’s fifth onset. However, it lacks durational accent because the
62
next onset is only an eighth note later. As we have analyzed in Chapter One and Two, durational

accent is a key signifier of the second onset of motive α. What we have here instead is an abrupt

ending of the melodic line at the offbeat, beat 3&. The last pitch, D♮5, is neither syncopated nor

accented, if we hear it as an anacrusis to beat 4. Even if we try to hear it instead as a cessation, as

we hear the clave’s fifth onset, it does not have the same durational accent as the fifth onset does.

The IOI between the D♮5 and the onset of the V7 chord that follows in the winds is a dotted

quarter note, slightly shorter than the half-note IOI from the clave’s fifth onset to its next first

onset. Hence, it may not suggest the same sensation of interonset durational accent as clave has

at that moment. If one can disregard the slight difference between the dotted quarter note and

half note duration, then the IOI in between the D♮5 and the downbeat of m. 3 (the V7 chord) can

be perceived as similar to the IOI in between clave’s fifth and first onset, and so the correlation

to the 2-side is strong. However, if one cannot, then the correlation to the 2-side is loose. Since it

is hard to hear whether this rhythm fits better with the 2-side or the 3-side, it is perhaps best to

describe it as ambiguous.

Mm. 6 and 8 likewise only loosely correlate to the 2-side, if at all. In m. 6, the melodic

line ascends continuously from C5 to B♭5 and abruptly ends on A♭5 in m. 7, only to continue in

offbeat staccato down to m. 8. Although it begins with the fourth onset of clave, the line

continuously ascends, showing no accent to mark the fifth onset. On the other hand, the offbeat

staccato in m. 7 shows close correlation to the 3-side because the onsets are syncopated. This

rhythmic character continues in m. 8 with the syncopated rhythm in the trumpet, saxophone, and

trombone. It is obviously not the nature of the 2-side.

63
 It seems that the composer places greater emphasis on 3-side and less on the 2-side. This

passage’s rhythm clearly shows closer parallelism with the 3-side. Even the harmony

demonstrates the same parallelism. The harmonic rhythm changes at every two measures: tonic

in m. 1, dominant in m. 3, and tonic again in m. 5. It strengthens the sensation of the downbeat of

the 3-side and so reinforces it as the beginning of this two-measure group.

In contrast to the introduction of “La Malanga,” where the melodic phrasing is elided, the

introduction of “Bilongo” clearly proceeds in two-measure phrases, at least in the first six

measures. While the fragmented melodic motive clearly articulates each phrase into a 3-side and

2-side, only the 3-side is made clear; the 2-side is ambiguous. The next section reverses the

situation by giving the 2-side some emphasis, as we shall discuss below.

3.2 First Verse: Ambiguity of the 3-side

64
 Figure 3.2 First verse, mm. 11-19
Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

The first verse enters in m. 12 in the middle of the clave, thus actually flipping the

orientation of clave from 3-2 to 2-3. As in the analysis of the introduction above, here I am

interested in seeing how well the musical materials correlate with the notated 2-3 clave. It turns

out that the musical materials do fit with the 2-side, but not so much with the 3-side.

In m.12, the vocal solo’s rhythm demonstrates a close correlation with 2-side. The

quarter-note onset on beat 3 is aligned with clave’s fifth onset. Furthermore, the first quarter note

on the downbeat and the succeeding two eighth-notes mark a kind of on-beat regularity like that

of motive α, overriding any perception of syncopation or offbeatness that would correlate more

closely with the 3-side. One may argue that the downbeat quarter-note and its eighth-note

anacrusis strengthen the sensation of 3-side’s downbeat. However, in the recording, I do not hear

a strong sense of anacrustic support from the syllable “es.” Neither syllable “es” nor “toy” is

accented. Their pitches only arpeggiate a third within the same tonic chord, and bring no change

of harmony. Therefore, I do not hear enough stress to convince me that the downbeat is strong

and belongs to the 3-side.

65
 However, while m. 12 correlates fairly well to the 2-side, m. 13 correlates less well to the

3-side than we might have expected. Like the eighth-note just before m. 12, the eight-note

preceding m. 13, on the syllable “rao,” does not offer much anacrustic support to the succeeding

downbeat. Even more strikingly, the response from the trumpets strongly suggests the 2-side,

since it is taken directly from the m. 2 of the introduction. Perhaps to rectify this rhythmic

inconsistency, the horns play syncopated onsets in m. 15 which clearly correlates to the 3-side.

Still, mm. 12 and 14 correlate more closely with the 2-side, as do mm. 16 and 18, leaving only

mm. 15 and 19 with a clear correlation to the 3-side.

Measure 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Notated clave 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
Implied clave 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3
Table 3.1 Notated and implied clave in mm. 12-19, first verse

Table 3.1 summarizes this analysis in a table, differentiating between the clave as it is

notated on the lead sheet and the implied clave, which is represented by the melody’s rhythm

based on the analysis. Unlike the introduction, where the 2-side was ambiguous, here the 2-side

receives more emphasis. The shaded box indicates the expanded region of the 2-side in the

implied clave. The two measures that demonstrate this mismatch, mm. 13 and 17, are highlighted

in bold.

Considering the strict rules of clave in salsa music, this result is somewhat surprising.

The rhythms of mm. 13 and 17 hardly fit with the expected clave at all. We may have to

conclude that there is some inclination towards cross-rhythm or cruzado, a violation of clave.

However, even if it indeed exists, it occurs on such a small scale such that it is insignificant to

the broader picture of the 2-3 clave. Furthermore, we did not establish a concrete definition of
66
cruzado. Therefore, we should not speculate further about these two measures' violation of the

clave. However, what we can conclude so far is that there is a motivic displacement of clave

such that it deviates from the measure-per-measure 2-3 clave, perhaps intended to make the song

more interesting.

3.3 Second Verse: Ambiguity of Both Sides

Figure 3.3 Second verse, mm. 24-31

Adapted from The Latin Real Book, © 1997 Sher Music Co.

67
 We have seen that in both of the introduction and the first verse, clave seems to be

ambiguous. This state of affairs persists into in the second verse, where there are more

ambiguities, this time on both the 2-side and 3-side. This verse consists of two repeated phrases,

one in mm. 24-27, and one in mm. 28-31. The lead sheet indicates that the clave is flipped from

2-3 to 3-2, notated above m. 25. However, the vocal melody enters in m. 24, not 25. This line

almost occupies the entire measure such that it cannot be simply perceived as a pickup to m. 25.

Why does the lead sheet indicate the beginning in m. 25 instead? It is possibly influenced by the

instrumental break in m. 24, marking a gap in between the preceding and succeeding verse. If we

listen carefully, after the second ending of the first verse, the main idea from mm. 1-2 arrives

right in m. 19 (the idea from m. 1 is shown in the second ending, refer to Figure 3.2.) The clave

flip should have been notated as beginning in right here instead of in the second verse. Perhaps

since the musical passage that connects the first and second verse is transitional, the lead sheet

does not indicate the flip in this passage. My point is that the clave flip from 2-3 back to 3-2

already occurs earlier than notated.

Perhaps another reason that the flip is not indicated in m. 24 is because the clave in this

measure is ambiguous. While the notated clave is 2-side, the vocal’s melody does not seem to

demonstrate a close correlation to it. Rather than an attack on the downbeat, which would be a

clear marker for the 3-side, it begins with a syncopated onset. It does match the first two onsets

of montuno in the 3-side, but the S-L-S (short-long-short) rhythm that begins on beat 3 is taken

from cascara’s 2-side. Thus, it mixes rhythms of the 3-side and the 2-side in a single measure.

Even m. 25 does not correlate closely to the 3-side. The vocal melody provides an

interonset durational accent on beat 3, which matches the 2-side’s fifth onset. The accent is

68
reinforced by the contour accent in the saxophones as they leap from C4 to G4 from beat 2& to

beat 3.69

Furthermore, the relationship between mm. 25 and 26 suggests a 2-3 clave orientation

instead of the notated 3-2. The saxophones' syncopated E♮ on beat 4& provides an anacrustic

support towards m. 26’s downbeat. Just like cascara and montuno, this anacrusis suggests that

clave’s first onset should ensue, and therefore, as a whole, suggests that next measure should

belong to the 3-side. However, even m. 26’s correlation to the 3-side is weak. The E♮, which is a

leading tone to F, further intensifies the urge to resolve back to the tonic, suggesting that a

beginning should occur on the next downbeat. However, the harmony stays in the dominant. It

weakens the sense of the downbeat in m. 26, making this measure’s correlation to the 3-side

ambiguous.

What we have seen so far is best described as a rhythmic mismatch, where the rhythm

deviates from the expected clave. A similar mismatch also occurs in m. 26, which is notated to

correlate with 2-side. If we look at the vocal melody, the rhythm shows close correlation to it.

The interonset durational accent on beat 3 matches the 2-side’s fifth onset. However, the brass

plays syncopated onsets that resemble the 3-side’s rhythm, perhaps answering m. 25’s 2-

sideness. But the sense of downbeat is weakened by the prolongation of dominant from m. 25,

and that weakens the 3-side’s accentual profile. Thus, the juxtaposition of the melody and the

accompaniment mixes the rhythms of the 2-side and the 3-side, without either being more

69
Readers may find this contradictory because earlier in m. 2, I have stated that such leap follows by an abrupt off-
beat onset does not necessarily denote a correlation with 2-side’s fifth onset. However, here, there is a durational
accent in the vocal melody. What the registral accent does is putting an emphasis on beat 3, the 2-side’s fifth onset,
supporting the durational accent.
69
convincing than the other. This mismatch is like that of m. 25, but it certainly raises the question

of the actual underlying clave rhythm.

This matter gets more complex when we consider the harmony of the brasses. The 2-side

is characteristically associated with closure, which in this case might be manifested as a

resolution to tonic. But the E♮ in m. 25 does not resolve immediately. The harmony stays in the

dominant until m. 27, where it resolves to tonic. Thus closure is only attained then. The harmonic

character of m. 26 is one of continuation, which is not the character of the 2-side. Since harmonic

closure is not attained until m. 27, we may instead be inclined to correlate that measure to the 2-

side. In support of this hearing, the saxophones repeat their rhythm from m. 25 which, as

discussed above, correlates better with the 2-side than with the 3-side.

However, one may argue that m. 27’s correlation to the 3-side is adequately manifested

by the change of harmony. The arrival of tonic provides an accent to the downbeat.70 Similarly,

the change of harmony in mm. 29 and 31, and to some extent, the arrival of the first harmony in

m. 25, punctuate the same accent as well. If one agrees with this observation, then mm. 25, 27,

29, and 31 correlate with 3-side as notated.

In my opinion, while the change of harmony provides an accent to the downbeat, the

remaining rhythm does not manifest the notated 3-side. I am not convinced enough that the

arrival of new harmony in the downbeat is a strong indicator of clave’s first onset. If we want to

70
Benjamin purports that an attack of new harmony can provide an accent to that time point. See William Benjamin,
“A Theory of Musical Meter,” Music Perception 1, no. 4, Rhythm and Meter (1984): 366. In addition, Wallace
Berry argues that, as often claimed—that I (tonic) carries some accent, “must not be confused with its variable
metric import.” I think what he means is that I often arrives at cadence point that coincides with a strong metrical
position, and it is those positions that provide accent to the cadence, not necessarily the cadence itself. See Berry,
“Rhythmic and Metric Articulation in Music,” 8.
70
claim that these measures correlate with the 3-side, at least the other 3-side onsets or the similar

3-side’s rhythm from cascara and montuno should exist as well.

Measure 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Notated clave 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
Implied clave 2 2 2 and 3 2 2 and 3 2 2 and 3 3
Table 3.2 Notated and implied clave in second verse, mm. 24-31

Similar mismatch or mixed clave sides occur throughout the rest of the verse, as

summarized in Table 3.2. The bold highlighting indicates measures when the notated and

implied clave do not match. The vocal melody’s and the accompanying instruments’ rhythm do

not seem to match the notated clave. At times, they clearly show an opposite side, and at others,

they show a mix of both sides. I think the entire verse leans more towards 2-3 than the notated 3-

2. Notice that the ending of the verse, m. 31, correlates with the 3-side, because the saxophone

line is replaced with a durational accent on beat 2&, which coincides with 3-side’s second onset.

Furthermore, the harmony does not end with a tonic F minor, but with an E♭ Major 9th, which

serves as a dominant towards the A♭ Major tonic in m. 32 that opens the third verse. This

measure negates the sense of closure that is previously felt in m. 27. Thus, while the first phrase

(mm. 24-27) ends with the 2-side in the implied clave, this is “corrected” in the reiteration of this

phrase (mm. 28-31).

3.4 Summary

In summary, the introduction, first verse, and the second verse of “Bilongo” demonstrate

ambiguous clave orientation. In the introduction, the notated clave orientation is 3-2. However,

only the 3-side is clear, while the 2-side is ambiguous. The 3-side has a clear rhythmic and
71
accentual profile, manifested by the strong downbeat—which marks the first onset, and the

melodic idea that begins on beat 2&—which marks the second onset. The 2-side is however

ambiguous—the melodic idea does not manifest the fourth and fifth onset clearly. In the first

verse, the clave is flipped from 3-2 to 2-3. In contrast from the introduction, the 3-side becomes

ambiguous. While the notated clave is 3-side, the music brings the same melodic idea from the

introduction, which arrived on the 2-side. Here, the arrival of this idea in the 3-side presents a

conflict—it is unclear if this idea should better fit with the 3-side or 2-side. It disputes the

orientation of the clave. In the second verse, the clave is flipped back from 2-3 to 3-2. Both of

the 3-side and 2-side are ambiguous. At times, the rhythmic and accentual profiles manifest

different sides that what is notated. At other times, they demonstrate both sides, one by the

melody and other by the accompanying figure. The juxtaposition between them presents a

conflict against the notated clave, which should constantly alternate between both sides.

In contrast to “La Malanga,” “Bilongo” demonstrates a different clave grouping. Whereas

the groups in “La Malanga” often overlapped with each other, the grouping in “Bilongo” is

firmly fixed in every measures without elision with another group. The issue that we have

encountered here is rather different—the rhythmic mismatches or conflict against the notated

clave. At times, it is hard to perceive the clave, given that the melody’s rhythm does not align

clearly to either side. Perhaps one of the reasons that this ambiguity arises is that there is no

rhythmic support from other paradigmatic rhythms such as montuno and cascara. Unlike “La

Malanga,” where the interaction in between montuno and tumbao provides a rhythmic support or

hint to the underlying clave, in “Bilongo,” the montuno does not exist in the recording, despite

being notated in the lead sheet. Furthermore, the tumbao does not offer a helpful clue since it

consistently plays a 3-side rhythm. Therefore, we depend on the rhythm of the melody and other
72
accompanying figures to determine how the musical materials adhere or comply to strict clave

rhythm. Without the lead sheet in hand, a listener may have difficulties in determining the clave.

One aspect of “Bilongo” that I think still makes the song “in-clave” is the consistent

alternation of the two rhythmic characteristics that differentiate the 3-side and the 2-side. As

described by Washburne, an “in-clave” song alternates in between syncopated measures and on-

beat measures.71 Here, we did not see an exact measure-per-measure difference, but we saw the

rhythmic difference juxtaposed in a span of one beat or two. In other words, we saw rhythmic

motives that juxtapose the quality of the 2-side and the 3-side within the same measure. For

instance, the downbeat of m. 13 (Figure 3.2) receives anacrustic support, emphasizing the 3-

side’s first onset, but then the horns play the second motive (from m. 2) that has a registral accent

on beat 3, which emphasizes the 2-side’s fifth onset. In another instance, in m. 26, the brass plays

syncopated onsets on beat 1& and 2&, obviously evoking the 3-side’s character, but the voice

onset on beat 3 marks the 2-side’s character. What we see in both cases is a kind of alternation in

between 3-side and 2-side that does not necessarily fit within one exact measure. We have seen

this in “La Malanga” too, where the clave is elided from one end to another beginning, stretched

beyond the normative two-measure grouping. My hypothesis is that a decent salsa song that

adheres to clave must juxtapose the difference between both sides of clave in their rhythms or

motives, even though they are not written in two different measures, perhaps deviating from the

strict measure-per-measure clave. This opinion may be contested but it can explain the deviation

that we have encountered in the analyses.

71
Washburne, “The Clave of Jazz,” 67.
73
 According to my analysis, then, this song departs from the strict two-measure grouping of

alternating clave sides. Without the supporting cascara and montuno, the melody and the

accompaniment seem to veer away from the rhythm and rhetoric that we have discussed in

Chapter One. However, the deviation is only minimal and subliminal, not extreme. For instance,

in the verse, only mm. 13 and 17 deviate from the expected 3-side by playing a 2-side’s motive

from m. 2. It is kept minimal to add some excitement and irregularity to the music, making the

song more appealing and exciting in a way that is perhaps not typical in other salsa songs.

74
Chapter 4: Conclusion

In Chapter One, I analyzed clave from a metric perspective, measuring certain prominent

beats and onsets based on its accentual strength, rhythmic function, and phenomenal implication.

One clear outcome of that analysis is that this pattern is normatively grouped as 3-2, which

means that it begins in the 3-side and ends in the 2-side. This characterization is in accordance

with Lerdahl and Jackendoff's MPR3, which prefers a strong beat to be punctuated by an event

rather than a rest. With this conjecture, we grouped the clave as 3-2 because the 3-side has an

onset in the downbeat while the 2-side has none. However, a conflict arises when the musical

structure punctuates the beginning in the 2-side. We have seen that the melody in “El Manicero”

is grouped in 2-3 clave, despite having an obvious woodblock playing the clave, prompting a 3-2

hearing. Such conflict, while subliminal, raises questions about whether the clave truly serves as

the primary marker, and whether the musicians are comfortable with the empty downbeat in the

2-side.

Also in the same chapter, I explored two common secondary rhythmic patterns—cascara

and montuno. These patterns typically occur together with clave or as a replacement of clave

when it is absent. We have seen that the accentual profiles of these secondary patterns differ

slightly from clave, where both sides contain strong accent on the downbeat (unlike clave, where

the 2-side has a weaker downbeat than the 3-side.) Even so, the presence of motive α provides a

crucial distinction in between the 3-side and the 2-side. From here on, this motive serves as a key

marker to determine the 2-sideness of a rhythm.

I also differentiated between the rhythmic function of the 3-side and the 2-side of clave.

The 3-side contains syncopated onsets, while the 2-side contains on-beat onsets. While clave’s 3-

side alone only has one off-beat onset, montuno’s and cascara’s 3-side contain more off-beat
75
onsets than their 2-side. Hence, we can use these two rhythmic qualities to determine the

orientation of clave, especially when motive α is absent. For instance, the tumbao pattern in “Ran

Kan Kan” is modified from the typical syncopated one-measure pattern to a two-measure pattern

with syncopations in one measure and on-beat onsets on the other. While it does not have motive

α, we can still discern the location of the 2-side.

We also understand clave as not just an ostinato figure, but as an influence on the melody

and accompaniment. Just like clave, cascara, and montuno, which present a binary opposition

between the 3-side and the 2-side, the same character occurs in the melody and other musical

figures as well. However, a melodic phrase may not necessarily be segmented into two opposing

groups. In “Yay Boy,” we have seen how the melody contains two different ideas—one idea in

m. 1 that fits with 3-side, and another idea in m. 2 that fits with 2-side, even though motive α is

displaced by a beat. However, in the analysis of “La Malanga” in Chapter Two, the musical

grouping structure is different. It may span more than two measures, or may be elided with the

beginning of the subsequent group. We have seen in the solo section of “La Malanga” that the

melodic phrase is elided as the passage is repeated. We also have seen in the first verse that the

melody shifts the grouping segments to an extent that it changes the clave grouping from 2-3 and

3-2. These observations call into question whether the clave is still perceived as a two-measure

group of opposing sides, or whether it is transfigured into a unified phrase grouping together

with the melody and other musical figures. It also modifies the formal function of clave, where

the beginning occurs in the 2-side instead of in the 3-side.

There are cases where the rhythm does not always outline a consistent arrangement of

syncopation and on-beatness that is congruent with clave. For instance, in the analysis of

“Bilongo” in Chapter Three, the rhythms of 2-sides and 3-sides are often mismatched. At times,
76
the rhythm of 3-side occurs in the 2-side, and vice versa, and sometimes, both of them appear

simultaneously. As a result, the clave becomes ambiguous, and the legitimacy of the notated

clave is put into question. Nevertheless, I do not claim that this song demonstrates cruzado

because this song still adheres to clave. Rather I think that the clave orientation may be different

from the normative one. In “Bilongo” certain sides seem to be prolonged beyond one measure.

With this array of analyses, we may now ask a larger, perhaps polemic, question—what

is actually the role of clave in salsa music? It is strictly rhythmic or is it also rhetorical? I think

that it is both, and salsa musicians juggle strict and loose correlations with clave; they understand

clave as an inherent pattern and apply it according to their preferred compositional style. Our

analyses only involved mambo, but I speculate that in other genres, the clave may be manifested

in different ways. At least, in our examples, with the montuno, cascara, and tumbao adding

richness and complexity to salsa music, there is less dependency on the clave. There is enough

groove already that performers and musicians may not necessarily need to hear clave to keep in

tempo. Perhaps clave is sufficient to exist “in principle,” meaning that fundamentally, the clave

is notated in the lead sheet, but it may not be necessary for a song to outline it consistently from

one end to another. Only a hint of it may be sufficient to support a larger network of clave

rhythm that is interwoven with various layers of the music.

The methods and findings of thesis may inform future projects that aim to explore the

stylistic difference in other genres of salsa music. Cascara, montuno, and tumbao patterns that

we have discussed may look different in other types of music. They also may incorporate other

kinds of patterns too, and clave might look different than what we have theoretically established

in this thesis. However, we can still apply the same theoretical method, to measure the

relationship in between clave and the meter. One who is ambitious could also expand this idea to
77
other Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian music as well, to unravel the richness of their musical

fabric and to understand the disposition of clave within them.

78
Discography

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All Stars, Fania. Latin Connections. Fania Records. 1981. Vinyl JM 595.

Azpiazu, Don. Don Azpiazu and His Havana Casino Orchestra. Harlequin. 1991. Compact disk

HQ CD 10.

Palmieri, Eddie. Superimposition. Tico Records. 1968. Vinyl SLP 1194.

———. The Best of Eddie Palmieri and His Friends. Licensemusic.com, 2013. Spotify

streaming service.

Puente, Tito. El Rey: Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble. Concord Records. 1984. Vinyl JUN-

5103.

———. El Rey. Fania Records. 2010. Compact disk.

———. Mambo on Broadway. RCA Victor. 1989. Compact disk ND 71992.

———. On Broadway: Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble. Concord Records. 1983. Vinyl

CJP-207.

———. Volume 2: Terra Tradicional. Stern’s Africa. 1994. Compact disk STCD 1054.

Rodríguez, Tito. Estoy Como Nunca. UA Latino. 1968. Vinyl LS 61033.

Verdad, Soneros de. A Buena Vista: Barrio de la Habana. Timba Records. 2010. Compact disk

15875-2.

79
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