WilliEL
01-17-2005, 02:08 PM
I learned clave 42 years ago when I was in the 9th grade. By that time, I had been taking lessons and playing clarinet, now tenor sax, since the 4th grade. Clarinet and sax have the same fingerings so transfer was ez –I grew up reading music and playing in school bands, through the end of 12th grade.
One afternoon, I was standing on the sidewalk outside the band room at my high school, waiting for a ride home. My friend Brian, who’d been in a lesson, comes out and tells me that Mr. Toot (honest-to-god’s-real name!), Toot had just showed him something that supposedly, “all the rock & roll music is based on”. Some basic rhythm that makes the backbone of all this music, which has burst the seams with Elvis et al. What’s it sound like?
He belts out “da..da..da…da.da…”, and teaches me to count it in 1/8 notes, 12345678, 12345678, and snap your fingers on the emphsized notes (bold) … the 3/2 clave rhythm. At the time, I didn’t know what he met by “all this rock ‘n roll is based on”, but I now understand what he was saying. Brian and I both agreed that the beat felt hip when you counted it out and put the emphases in the right places, esp. that syncopated 2nd beat in the 3-part (the bombo). It reminded us of “Westside Story”, which was full of good music, too. We’re talking 1963, here – before I even started driving but I was listening to jazz, too – not just popular r&r. And I have continued to listen to / be attracted to jazz, especially bebop, Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz ever since.
Now for concerns, Salsa –
I am no longer a youngster, I’ve got two daughters at university … but this Latin thing just digs its teeth in harder and longer the older I get. I am studying congas and Latin percussion for over 4 years. My wife and I started taking salsa lessons at the local university in September (4 mos.), and joined the Latin club – one purpose of which is to respect and promote Latin music, locally (Idaho). Errgh. I’m smitten!
At this point, we salsa adequately together – at least so that my wife is not too bored with me (she’s always been able to follow anyone’s good leads well). We have a couple pretzels where either she or I are breaking forward, and I can put her into a series of under-arm turns. And just the back and forth couple dancing can be nice. We are active students at this point.
I have run into this “On 1 and On 2” breaking topic and wanted to give you my 2 cents worth. When we started dancing last September, I automatically liked the feel of starting my dance out on 2, especially with the slower musics. I had to force myself to start on 1. I would stand there and tap my left foot in-place on the One downbeat. But our teacher teaches an on 1 style, and so I go with that.
In reading about On 1 vs On 2 in Salsa Forums, I see a reference where “Edie the Sala Freak” says she dances On 1 with 3/2 claves and On 2 with 2/3 claves. Does anyone here also have that experience? I will have to try it out.
Question regarding the “coro/chorus” in certain Salsa songs: This may be a naïve question, but at a club scene, is it customary for the dancers to sing out in unison with coro?
I recently saw Eddie Palmieri Y La Perfecta II in live performance, which was an over-the-top, transcendental experience. On their salsa pieces, with smooth moves Herman Olivera singing his inspiraciones, at chorus the entire band would be repeating the choral phrase. Maestro Eddie singing and standing, too, playing keyboard atop his piano. They pulled the coro phrase right out of me-own chest, too! So I am thinking it must be common at salsa dances, too.
Thank you for indulging my rant. At any rate, I enjoy periodically reading what is happening here at Salsa Formus.
Cheers,
WilliEL
One afternoon, I was standing on the sidewalk outside the band room at my high school, waiting for a ride home. My friend Brian, who’d been in a lesson, comes out and tells me that Mr. Toot (honest-to-god’s-real name!), Toot had just showed him something that supposedly, “all the rock & roll music is based on”. Some basic rhythm that makes the backbone of all this music, which has burst the seams with Elvis et al. What’s it sound like?
He belts out “da..da..da…da.da…”, and teaches me to count it in 1/8 notes, 12345678, 12345678, and snap your fingers on the emphsized notes (bold) … the 3/2 clave rhythm. At the time, I didn’t know what he met by “all this rock ‘n roll is based on”, but I now understand what he was saying. Brian and I both agreed that the beat felt hip when you counted it out and put the emphases in the right places, esp. that syncopated 2nd beat in the 3-part (the bombo). It reminded us of “Westside Story”, which was full of good music, too. We’re talking 1963, here – before I even started driving but I was listening to jazz, too – not just popular r&r. And I have continued to listen to / be attracted to jazz, especially bebop, Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz ever since.
Now for concerns, Salsa –
I am no longer a youngster, I’ve got two daughters at university … but this Latin thing just digs its teeth in harder and longer the older I get. I am studying congas and Latin percussion for over 4 years. My wife and I started taking salsa lessons at the local university in September (4 mos.), and joined the Latin club – one purpose of which is to respect and promote Latin music, locally (Idaho). Errgh. I’m smitten!
At this point, we salsa adequately together – at least so that my wife is not too bored with me (she’s always been able to follow anyone’s good leads well). We have a couple pretzels where either she or I are breaking forward, and I can put her into a series of under-arm turns. And just the back and forth couple dancing can be nice. We are active students at this point.
I have run into this “On 1 and On 2” breaking topic and wanted to give you my 2 cents worth. When we started dancing last September, I automatically liked the feel of starting my dance out on 2, especially with the slower musics. I had to force myself to start on 1. I would stand there and tap my left foot in-place on the One downbeat. But our teacher teaches an on 1 style, and so I go with that.
In reading about On 1 vs On 2 in Salsa Forums, I see a reference where “Edie the Sala Freak” says she dances On 1 with 3/2 claves and On 2 with 2/3 claves. Does anyone here also have that experience? I will have to try it out.
Question regarding the “coro/chorus” in certain Salsa songs: This may be a naïve question, but at a club scene, is it customary for the dancers to sing out in unison with coro?
I recently saw Eddie Palmieri Y La Perfecta II in live performance, which was an over-the-top, transcendental experience. On their salsa pieces, with smooth moves Herman Olivera singing his inspiraciones, at chorus the entire band would be repeating the choral phrase. Maestro Eddie singing and standing, too, playing keyboard atop his piano. They pulled the coro phrase right out of me-own chest, too! So I am thinking it must be common at salsa dances, too.
Thank you for indulging my rant. At any rate, I enjoy periodically reading what is happening here at Salsa Formus.
Cheers,
WilliEL