What to listen for:

• The smooth, high tenor of the lead vocalist against the backup vocals, often performing complex rhythms in unison against the basic pulse of the song
• The percussion instruments laying down straight time, with the requinto playfully “fighting” the basic pulse, speeding up or slowing down at will
• Caribbean-derived percussion such as the bongo drum and maracas that accompany this bolero, common internationally by the 1940s