
Advertise on podcast: The Clave Chronicles
Rating
5from
This podcast has
61 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Rebecca BodenheimerExplicit
No
Date created
2023/04/24
Latest episode
2026/01/22
Average duration
58 min.
Release period
41 days
Description
A journey through the history and global influence of Cuban music, hosted by ethnomusicologist Rebecca Bodenheimer.
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Check latest episodes from The Clave Chronicles podcast
Violín and hybrid worship practices in contemporary Cuba
2026/01/22
Ethnomusicologist Robin Moore joins Rebecca to discuss the subject of his forthcoming book, Violín: Mediating Musical Style and Devotional Practice in 21st-Century Cuba. As music used to accompany ceremonies for the ancestors and orishas, violines have been growing in recent decades in Cuba, and are an example of an increasingly hybrid musical approach to worship in Cuba.
Songs played (all by Orquesta Estrellas Cubanas except where noted):
Ave Maria
Plegaria a Obbatalá
Two versions of Sea El Santísimo - second one by Ifa Fore & Pepe y Sus Tambores
Danzón Virgen de Regla
Ochímini II
Send us a text
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If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Feliz 100 años, Celia!
2025/10/21
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 professor at Florida State University who has written extensively about Celia's Career.
Songs played:
Quimbara
Field recording of Afrocuba de Matanzas' version of Quimbara
Chango Ta' Vení
Que Le Den Candela
Usted Abusó
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
"El rumbero del piano": Paying tribute to Eddie Palmieri
2025/08/19
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 significant pioneers. His music straddled salsa, Latin jazz, and other genres, and he was known for his innovative experimentation in form and harmony.
Songs played:
Azúcar
El día que me quieras
Broken home & If (We had peace today), from the Harlem River Drive project
Puerto Rico
Rebecca's recent piece on Eddie Palmieri:
https://www.grammy.com/news/how-eddie-palmieri-changed-latin-music-obituary
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
The latest in Cuban music with Rafa Escalona
2025/04/23
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 recent out-migration has affected the evolution and definition of "música cubana." While contemporary Cuban music is of course dominated by reparto, the songs shared by Rafa provide a broader look into the latest trends.
Songs played:
Un Momentico + — Melanie Santiler & Dale Pututi
Andala Remix — Wildey, Musteerifa & Raydel El Q Manda
Suite Para Isaac Oviedo — Jorge Iván Martín feat. Juan Carlos Aguilera
Amanacer Sin Ti — Albita & Lenier
Tertuliando — Angel Toirac feat.
LINKS
Newness Cuba playlist (50 best songs in Cuban music from the past year): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1gPyKTGHHQy16z7YO2lhHV
Cuba Tracklist (Instagram account with weekly lists of most popular Cuban tracks): https://www.instagram.com/cubatracklist/
Rafa's Substack: https://divagacionesmusicales.substack.com/
A recent piece Rafa wrote (in Spanish) about reparto and YouTube: https://revistaelestornudo.com/reparto-youtube-dicen-charts-musica-cubana/
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
A tribute to Paulito FG
2025/03/20
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, Dan Den feat. Paulito FG
Y ahora que,
Percussion and vocal track for Entre Dos Amigos
No te lo creas,
Laura (demo track)
El punto
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Breaking down Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos
2025/02/21
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 Rican musical and political traditions that are referenced in Bad Bunny's wide-ranging, exquisitely produced album. Joining Rebecca are Puerto Rican musician and educator Hector Lugo (founder of the Bay Area Latin roots band La Mixta Criolla), and Puerto Rican writer, translator and Bad Bunny scholar Carina del Valle Schorske.
Songs played:
A Guayama, Desde Cero
Si Yo Fuera Alcalde, Chuíto el de Bayamón
Aires de Navidad, Hector Lavoe & Willie Colón
La Huelga, La Mixta Criolla
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Send me your questions for a mailbag episode!
2024/11/11
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
A conversation with Cuban journalist Jesús Jank Curbelo
2024/11/01
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 killed recently in Miami. We also talk about Curbelo's career in Cuba reporting on the reparto movement, as well as the pain of leaving Cuba and challenges of building a new life in Texas.
Curbelo has published several pieces at the Texas Observer and Palabra.
Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1El7dqfI2n-eTFs--dNryJI8OBsqXRhePszFu6I1PCzg/edit?usp=sharing
Songs played:
Coronamos (Remix), Taiger & J. Balvin (feat. Cosculluela, Bad Bunny & Bryant Myers)
Hilito Rojo, El Taiger & DJ Conds
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Rosa Marquetti part 2: Celia in Cuba
2024/10/18
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 Spanish, and will be translated into English next year.
Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W8qgbzs7DHwP2JlTl3FDZfbCc2aLSFovv2SVxZSw3Xc/edit?usp=sharing
Songs played:
Quédate Negra, Celia con La Orquesta Leonard Melody
La Sopa en Botella, Celia con La Sonora Matancera
Sueños de Luna, Celia con La Sonora Matancera
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti (part 1)
2024/10/04
Rebecca speaks with Cuban music historian Rosa Marquetti Torres, author of several books, including one on Chano Pozo and another one on Celia Cruz's career in Cuba—the Celia book has just been released in a new edition!
Part 1 of our conversation covers the challenges of conducting research in Cuba and her work on Chano Pozo
Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WKJZoLnQJHo3t85_AMxsZ08p_nwPNZ_rZTBDTKmgoSQ/edit?usp=sharing
Songs played:
El pin pin, Chano Pozo
Tin Tin Deo, Chano Pozo & Dizzy Gillespie
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Corneta china & Cantonese opera: The Chinese musical legacy
2024/09/19
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 adopted by Santiago conga groups around 1915, becoming an unmistakable musical signifier for conga santiaguera.
**Fun fact: Cuba was the first destination for Chinese laborers in the Americas, before even the U.S.**
Songs played:
Example of Cantonese opera
Lion dancing musical accompaniment (field recording)
Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong performing excerpt of Cantonese opera in Havana (field recording)
De Oriente a Occidente, Diana Fuentes
Paso Franco en la loma de Tivolí, Conga Paso Franco
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Cuban fusion and transnational scenes
2024/08/27
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 musicians who have migrated to New York, Madrid, and other major cities since the 1990s. They have created new transnational musical scenes, with some traveling back and forth between Cuba and abroad, fusing jazz, Afro-Cuban folkloric music, nueva trova and other genres.
Songs played:
Levitando, Ramon Valle
Bolero Filin, Gema Y Pavel
Café, Interactivo
Se Feliz, Fernando Alvarez & Descemer Bueno
The Magic Danzonete, Dafnis Prieto
Baba Elegguá, Brenda Navarrete
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
From the Cuban Serenade podcast: Hilario Durán, The Genius
2024/08/09
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 and Karen Dubinsky. This episode focuses on the genius of Cuban-Canadian pianist/composer/arranger Hilario Durán.
Follow Cuban Serenade on your favorite podcast platform!
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
The Cuban-Canadian musical diaspora
2024/07/19
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-hosts a podcast on the topic called Cuban Serenade.
Songs played:
La Reina del Norte, OKAN
Cry Me a River, Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big Band
La Ceiba de Mayuya, Luis Deniz Group
Rebirth, Dee Hernandez
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Timba then and now
2024/07/05
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 research on timba and how the genre has changed in the past three decades. Vaughan has been conducting research in Brazil more recently, and will soon be publishing a book on the repression of Afro-Brazilian religious practice and music.
Songs played:
La bola, Manolín El Médico de la Salsa
De La Habana, Paulo FG
No estamos locos, David Calzado y Charanga Habanera
Mi medicamento, Havana D' Primera
La chica del escenario, Havana D' Primera
Send us a text
Support the show
You can support this independently produced podcast by becoming a monthly subscriber - even $3/month helps!
If you like this podcast, please hit "Follow" and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts
Find The Clave Chronicles on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @clavechronicles
https://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.com
Intro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions
Podcast reviews
Read The Clave Chronicles podcast reviews
Carlitos37g 2024/11/13
I love the show!
I am originally from El Salvador. When I arrived in the US, my family was very fortunate to have a Cuban family embrace us as their own family. We wer...
Union Yes Union Strong 2024/09/20
Engaging and informative!
As a Cuban listener, I love learning all the details about where our music came from.
Swahmy 2024/04/18
Informative and engaging
As an amateur musician and someone who has loved listening to salsa, I’ve long wanted to learn more about the roots of salsa and the history of Cuban ...
que viva Chango! 2023/11/29
rst
I think it’s GREAT that Apple is carrying this show!
More please! Long may she reign!
And thanks especially for the show with Ned Sublette!
JB de California 2023/11/10
Gracias
Thanks for doing such a wonderful job on covering Cuban musics. I’ve learned a lot from listening here. ¡Abrazos!
Erica Carlisle 2023/07/09
So interesting, love it!
Thanks for creating this really fascinating podcast, have really enjoyed learning so much about this music. It’s enhancing my experience listening to ...
Julyplays 2023/05/26
This is glory
This is amazing very interesting about Cuban music. I recommend if you are into music :)
keepontrucking11 2023/05/19
Love it
Fascinating and fun!
MEsperando 2023/05/12
I’m learning so much!
I’m Cuban but I didn’t know about all this music history and that my country’s music was so influential in the world. Listen to this podcast, you’ll l...
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