African Clave Rhythms and Popular Music

Clave [Klah'-Vey]: N, Adj. One of a pair of cylindrical hardwood sticks that are used as a percussion instrument; a kind of rhythm.

Lesson Objectives: The student will be able to explain the origin of the clave rhythm, describe how it became a part of American popular music and identify the clave rhythm in examples of current popular music

Grade Level and Subject Area: 7-9 / General music, Social Studies, History

Activities and Strategies:

Introduce students to the origin of the clave rhythm: African music. Show students a pair of claves and demonstrate the clave rhythm.
Talk about how slaves were brought from Africa to this country, South America, and Caribbean countries during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The slaves brought with them their culture and their music. Music was an important element of the slave's culture and religion. Drumming was an important element of the slave's music. The clave rhythm was usually expressed through drumming.
Many slave owners in this country suppressed drumming because they wanted to suppress the slave's cultural ties. Also, drumming was a method of long-distance communication and many slave owners wanted to eliminate contact between their slaves and the slaves of other owners.
Slaves' drumming in some South American countries, such as Brazil, and some Caribbean islands, such as Jamaica, was not suppressed. This was also the case in some places like Congo Square in New Orleans. In these places, the slaves expressed their music, including the clave rhythm. The rhythm soon found its way into the local music. In this way, African music (especially the clave rhythm) began to influence Latin music (much of Latin music comes from Brazil), Jazz (Much of Jazz originated in New Orleans), and even Reggae music (from Jamaica).
Have the students become familiar with the clave rhythm. They can express it by clapping, using claves, or using just about any rhythm instrument - including homemade instruments.
Once they are familiar with the clave rhythm, students can be sgin to identify this rhythm in popular music. You can provide some examples from the list below. Students can also bring in their own examples of the clave rhythm from their personal collections of music.

Resources and Materials:

"Iko-Iko" by the Dixie Cups (Soundtrack from Rainman)
"I Just Want To Be King" (Soundtrack of The Lion King)
songs by Carlos Santana (i.e. Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va)
many songs defined as "Salsa" tunes.

David Shank id the Jr. and Sr. High Band Director, Brown County Schools, Nashville IN.

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