"La Clave"

What is this thing called "clave?" For purposes of brevity, I will forego the immense (and quite detailed) analysis of the origins and development of this phenomenon, and focus on the basic technical aspects which should help the reader on the most fundamental levels. In a nutshell, the clave is all at once an instrument (referred to in plural form as claves), a rhythmic pattern (actually several different rhythmic patterns, depending on the style and genre of music played), and more importantly, a concept which serves as the foundation for the correct interpretation of Afro-Caribbean music. I use the word "correct" loosely, given that there is no way to justify what is or isn't correct in the artistic arena. This is merely stated to illustrate that -as with any other form of musical expression-Afro-Caribbean music also has its techniques of playing, mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.
There are a number of different clave patterns which have evolved over the centuries, and the primary roots of these patterns come from West and Central African music. In the Caribbean area, there are specifically two countries which have developed and incorporated these patterns into their vast musical traditions, both in sacred as well as secular music: Brazil and Cuba. For purposes of clarity, it is necessary to distinguish what is referred to in this book as "Afro-Caribbean" music as that which has primarily Afro-Cuban roots, so that Brazilian music-although containing its own form of clave-would not be included in the same category. This is not to say that people who play or compose within the Afro-Caribbean genre exclude Brazilian music from their repertoire. On the contrary, it is more often the case that one will enhance one's repertoire to include sambas, bossa novas, partido altos an other Brazilian styles, if only for the shear beauty of playing this rich and diverse music. However, if we must categorize the music, we would say that Afro-Caribbean music generally focuses on Afro-Cuban-oriented patterns, and also includes Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic and other influences.