You’re right that that tresillo is the more common rhythmic unit running through this mix, though I don’t think that Cuba can take as much credit for the “influence of the tresillo” as for something a little more specific, like clave (which, still, people will argue about). That 3-3-2 figure is just too widespread to have a single source — it’s a fundamental rhythmic relationship.

I do think, though, that it’s not incorrect to say that clave contains a tresillo figure (but I wouldn’t call it “half a clave”).

One thing- I understood that 3-3-2 rythmn is called the ‘tresillo’ in cuban music, and is thought of as a unit in its own right, rather than as simply ‘half a clave’. Maybe this mix is more about the influence tresillo than clave?

And, Darian, although class business of a certain sort is probably best saved for another forum, this here is a forum which, I hope, mixes business with pleasure almost as a rule (though I have a hard time applying the b-word to anything I do; let’s call it work, or rigor, or something like that). I’ll be emailin’ ya back re: the paper proposal — but in brief: looks good, do both.

=)

- Darian