Lesson 2: Exploring “Vamanos pa’l Monte”

Aim: What rhythmic and melodic patterns can we hear played on instruments in “Vamanos pa’l Monte?” 
Summary: Students learn to identify salsa instrumental patterns in “Vamanos pa’l Monte.” 
Materials: Music Explorers online audio
Standards: GA: ESGMK-2.PR.1, ESGMK-2.RE.1, ESGMK-2.RE.3, ESGMK-2.CN.2 
SC: GM.PR.NL-AH.3, GM.RE.NL-AH.6, GM.RE.NL-AH.7, GM.CN.NL-AH.8 
Vocabulary: cascara, guajeo, tumbao
See Glossary →

Sing “Vamanos pa’l Monte”
  • Listen to “Vamanos pa’l Monte,” Track 17, and clap along with the clave pattern, or on beats one and three. 

Track 17 Vamanos pa’l Monte

“Vamanos pa’l Monte” Translation (First Coro)

Vamanos pa’l monte
pa’l monte pa guarachar
Vamanos pa’l monte
el monte me gusta más

Let’s go to the countryside
to the countryside to party
Let’s go to the countryside
I like the countryside the most

Track 18 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 1 Pronunciation)

Track 19 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 1)

“Vamanos pa’l Monte” Translation (Second Coro)

pa’l monte me voy
porque contento estoy

I’m going to the mountain
because I’m happy there

Track 20 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 2 Pronunciation)

Track 21 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 2)

  • Listen to “Vamanos pa’l Monte” again, Track 17, and sing along with both coros while clapping along with the clave pattern, or on beats one and three. 

Track 17 Vamanos pa’l Monte

“Vamanos pa’l Monte” is a salsa song written by Eddie Palmieri, an acclaimed Nuyorican (New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent) pianist from Longwood in the South Bronx. Written in New York City in the 1970s, the song is about leaving the problems of the city and going to the mountains to have a party. Eddie, along with many other famous salsa musicians, started learning music in elementary school in New York City.

Explore Instrument Patterns in Salsa
  • Salsa music comes from a mix of musical influences. It’s also made up of a mix of melodic and rhythmic patterns played on each instrument, which gives it its unique sound. 
  • Listen to the patterns of each instrument individually:
  • The piano plays the guajeo [wah-HEY-oh], Track 22

Track 22 Guajeo (Piano)

Track 23 Cascara (Timbales)

Track 24 Tumbao (Bass)

Track 25 Clave (Claves)

  • Use SG24 to match the pattern names in the word bank with the instrument names. 
  • Listen to “Vamanos pa’l Monte” again, Track 17. Choose one of the patterns and clap along. 

Track 17 Vamanos pa’l Monte

Creative Extension

Listen to the rhythmic patterns of the instruments again, Track 22, Track 23, Track 24, and Track 25.

Track 22 Guajeo (Piano)

Track 23 Cascara (Timbales)

Track 24 Tumbao (Bass)

Track 25 Clave (Claves)

Match each pattern with a different phrase below, or create your own phrases for the different pattern

  • “Bistec chuleta” (clave)
  • “I came to school without my lunch today” (guajeo)
  • “I’ve got rhy-thm like Ti-to Puen-te, yeah!” (cascara)
  • “Our school is cool” (tumbao)

Literacy Extension: My Name is Celia & Tito Puente, Mambo King

Author Monica Brown and illustrator Rafael López bring to life the stories of Celia Cruz and Tito Puente, two of America’s most famous salsa musicians. Learn about their life stories in these illustrated children’s books: My Name is Celia / Me Llamo Celia and Tito Puente, Mambo King / Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo. 

Visit monicabrown.net/books for more information. 

Celia Cruz was a singer who was born in Cuba but became known internationally as the “Queen of Salsa Music.” She was famous for shouting “¡Azúcar!” (Sugar!) during songs and in performance, celebrating her and other Cubans’ love of sugar (especially in coffee). 

Tito Puente’s main instrument was a percussion instrument called the timbales. You can remember the cascara rhythm played on the timbales by repeating, “I’ve got rhy-thm like Ti-to Puen-te, yeah!” 

Musical Word Wall

Add the words cascara, guajeo, and tumbao to the Musical Word Wall.
See Glossary →

PDF Downloads

SG24 – Match the Salsa Pattern ↓ Download File

Audio Tracks

Track 17 Vamanos pa’l Monte

Track 18 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 1 Pronunciation)

Track 19 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 1)

Track 20 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 2 Pronunciation)

Track 21 Vamanos pa’l Monte (Coro 2)

Track 22 Guajeo (Piano)

Track 23 Cascara (Timbales)

Track 24 Tumbao (Bass)

Track 25 Clave (Claves)