The Clave Chronicles

Tribute to a master conguero, Carlos "Patato" Valdés

Raúl Fernandez joins Rebecca again to pay tribute to one of Cuba's greatest congueros, Carlos "Patato" Valdés, in honor of the centenary of his birth. Songs played:

The complicated legacy of Willie Colón

We're remembering Willie Colón, the pioneering Nuyorican trombonist who was a key figure in the rise of Fania Records and New York-based salsa. Marisol Negrón, autho

The life and legacy of pianist Lilí Martínez Griñan

Ethnomusicologist Ben Lapidus joins Rebecca again to discuss the life and legacy of Cuban pianist Lilí Martínez Griñan, a Guantanamero who joined Arsenio Rodriguez's

Violín and hybrid worship practices in contemporary Cuba

Ethnomusicologist Robin Moore joins Rebecca to discuss the subject of his forthcoming book, Violín: Mediating Musical Style and Devotional Practice in 21st-Century Cuba.

Feliz 100 años, Celia!

The most beloved Cuban musician of all time was born on this day 100 years ago: Celia Cruz. We're honoring her with a brand new episode featuring Delia Poey, a profe

"El rumbero del piano": Paying tribute to Eddie Palmieri

Columbia University professor and trombonist Chris Washburne joins Rebecca to pay tribute to "el rumbero del piano," Eddie Palmieri, one of Latin music's most signif

The latest in Cuban music with Rafa Escalona

Cuban journalist Rafa Escalona joins Rebecca to talk about the latest trends in Cuban music, including how hard it is to track this information on the island and how rece

A tribute to Paulito FG

Kevin Moore is back to help us pay tribute to one of timba's brightest stars, Paulito FG (EPD), who died tragically on March 1. Songs played: El humo o la vida, Da

Breaking down Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos

Finally, we're back with a brand new episode, inspired by Bad Bunny's love letter to Puerto Rico, Debí Tirar Más Fotos! We get deep into the weeds of the Puerto

Send me your questions for a mailbag episode!

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A conversation with Cuban journalist Jesús Jank Curbelo

Cuban journalist Jesús Jank Curbelo joins Rebecca to speak about a range of topics, including the legacy of El Taiger, one of Cuba's most popular artists who was kil

Rosa Marquetti part 2: Celia in Cuba

Part 2 of Rebecca's conversation with Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti. The second edition of her book Celia en Cuba (1925-1962) was recently published in Spanis

Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti (part 1)

Rebecca speaks with Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti Torres, author of several books, including one on Chano Pozo and another one on Celia Cruz's career in Cuba—

Corneta china & Cantonese opera: The Chinese musical legacy

Ethnomusicologist Edwin Porras joins Rebecca to speak about Chinese musical influences in Cuba, which date back to the mid-19th century. The double-reeded suona was adopt

Cuban fusion and transnational scenes

Eva Silot Bravo joins Rebecca again to talk about her recently published book, Cuban Fusion: The Transnational Cuban Alternative Music Scene, which focuses on Cuban music

From the Cuban Serenade podcast: Hilario Durán, The Genius

This week The Clave Chronicles is sharing an episode of Cuban Serenade, a podcast exploring the history of Cuban music in Canada that's hosted by Freddy Monasterio a

The Cuban-Canadian musical diaspora

Freddy Monasterio, a Cuban-born researcher, educator and arts administrator based in Toronto, joins Rebecca to talk about the Cuban musical diaspora in Canada. He also co

Timba then and now

Anthropologist and prolific scholar Umi Vaughan, author of Rebel Dance, Renegade Stance: Timba Music and Black Identity, joins Rebecca to speak about his 25 years of rese

Krudxs Cubensi: Giving voice to Afro-Cuban queer & non-binary identity

Legendary Afro-Cuban hip hop group Krudxs Cubensi (Odaymar Cuesta and Oli Prendes) join Rebecca to speak about their career and the particular challenges they've fac

Going deep on the concept of clave

Percussionist and educator David Peñalosa, author of the book The Clave Matrix, joins Rebecca for an in-depth discussion on the concept of clave, delving into its origins