Havana Club Rumba Sessions: La Clave (2015) - doc
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Havana Club Rumba Sessions: La Clave
A six-episode video series produced by Havana Club featuring master rumberos explaining and performing clave — the rhythmic foundation of all Cuban music. Essential viewing for any dancer working on musicality.
What It Covers
Each episode focuses on a different aspect of clave: its African origins, how it functions within rumba, the difference between son clave and rumba clave, and how musicians and dancers navigate clave direction. The masters demonstrate with their bodies and instruments, not just with words.
Why Dancers Should Watch It
Understanding clave intellectually is one thing; seeing and hearing master rumberos embody it is another. This series gives you both simultaneously. Pay particular attention to how the performers' bodies respond to the clave — the grounding, the subtle weight shifts, the way the whole body becomes a percussion instrument. This is what clave feels like, not just what it sounds like.
Playlist
Full series: YouTube Playlist
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
The clave is a fundamental rhythmic pattern and organizing principle in Cuban music. It serves as both a musical pattern and a guiding concept, deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban traditions.
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