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Oye Cómo Va

Tito Puente and His Orchestra · 1962 · from the album El Rey Bravo · written by Tito Puente

Before Santana made it a rock hit, it was Tito Puente's cha-cha-chá, built on a piano riff you'll recognize in a second.

  • cha-cha-chá
  • piano

Why it matters

Tito Puente wrote and recorded it for his 1962 album El Rey Bravo, on Tico Records. The piano pattern was most likely borrowed from Cachao's 1957 mambo “Chanchullo”.

In 1970, Santana recorded it for the rock album Abraxas, and it became a US hit. The song's trip from Cuba to Latin New York to rock radio is a small history of Latin music in the United States.

What to listen for

  • The piano tumbao: a short riff of block chords, repeated all the way through. It's the song's backbone, and a clear example of how a repeating pattern carries a whole band.
  • A cha-cha-chá tempo: slower and steadier than salsa, with room to relax into the beat. A good song for practicing clean timing.