"Oye Como Va - Listen to How it Goes" was originally written and recorded in New York City on Tico records (Tico 1186) by Tito Puente in 1962. It was done in a big band arrangement. The piano progression (guajeo del piano) is structured as a cha-cha-cha. The progressions played by the saxophone section (guajeos del saxofón) are structured as a medium paced mambo. So it is what you would call a big band Cha-Cha-Cha Mambeado.
Carlos Santana recorded this tune and released it in 1970. Although the instruments used by Santana are those of a rock band, the arrangement is practically a Xerox copy. The bass progression (bumbao del bajo) is exactly the same one that Puente used on the original. The progression played by the organ in Santana's version is exactly the same progression played by the piano, violin, and trombone on the original by Puente. The breaks are exactly the same. Santana's version is just slightly faster, but it is still medium paced. The soloist on the original version is the flute, whereas Santana on guitar is the soloist on his version. Santana's version of this tune is how this song became famous internationally, but the composer is Tito Puente.
Hope this helps.

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Note added at 2004-07-18 01:04:44 (GMT)
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There is a typo above in one of the terms in Spanish. It should be \"TUMBAO\", not as it appears. This term is used when talking about the progression played on either the bass or the conga, so in Spanish, that would be \"el tumbao del bajo / el tumbao de la conga/tumba/tumbadora\".
Now in getting back to language, the preposition \"TO\" is mandatory in English, regardless of whether you LISTEN TO TITO PUENTE (person) or you LISTEN TO the radio (object). In Spanish, in the verbs OIR and ESCUCHAR, the preposition A is used only when a person is being heard (escucho/oigo a Tito Puente), whereas that same preposition \"A\" is omitted a person is not producing the sound listened to (escucho/oigo el radio). It is NOT \"escucho/oigo AL radio\". So, it has to be \"Listen TO........\" Ahí na\' má pa\' guarachar con el ritmo sabroso de la lingüística.

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Note added at 2004-07-19 05:10:29 (GMT)
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I want to thank Ruth Henderson for bringing to light the formal vs. informal factor. Since this is about dance music and getting up and strutting your stuff out on the dance floor (echando un pie en la pista de baile), I have come to the conclusion that \"LISTEN HOW IT GOES\" works fine in this context. Hope this helps.
One last comment on terminology.
\"Echar Pata\" in Mexico means \"to kick the bucket\".
\"Echar un Pie\" in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the rest of the Spanish speaking Caribbean means \"to dance\".

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Note added at 2004-07-19 17:58:06 (GMT)
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To Bo Peña:
Thank you for your comment. Here is a small glossary on PROGRESSIONS which varies according to the instrument played:
Tumbao - Bass progression / conga drum progression
Martillo - Bongo drum progression
Guajeo - piano progression / violin progression / saxophone progression
Mambo - horn or brass progression (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone)
Cáscara - Timbales progression played on the side of the timbal
Campaneo - Progression played on the cowbell attached to the timbales or the hand held cowbell played by the bongo drummer during the \"diálogo antifonal - call and response pattern\" whereby the lead vocalist engages in a dialogue with the \"coro\" (Celia Cruz, Beny Moré, Ismael Rivera, Melón, etc. & Coro). That is sometimes referred to as the montuno section.
In my hobby and passion as an amateur conguero, bongoero, and timbalero, I usually look for the bass tumbao or piano guajeo to get my bearings. It is amazing how similar base and conga drum TUMBAOS sound. I used to jam on congas with Mexico City salsa bands (Pepe Arévalo y sus Mulatos & Grupo La Libertad) back in the seventies and early eighties. Saludos, Richard


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Note added at 2004-07-21 05:49:33 (GMT)
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Within the last year or so, a Spanish musician named Chano Dominguez came out with a tune entitled \"Oye Como Viene\".

My beat's good for you for enjoying mulatta.

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Note added at 18 mins (2004-07-17 20:46:05 GMT)
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Como cualquier músico que se precie, Santana aprovecha aquí su música para ligar.

"Hey" rather than "listen" to call attention amongst youngsters.
"Como va" makes me think of the Italian expression "Come va ?" which means "How are you ?".

.by Tito Puente

I give you this suggestion just to preserve the rythm and metrics. But originally that's mere slang that could also be translated as Hey what is up... etc...

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Note added at 21 hrs 7 mins (2004-07-18 17:35:00 GMT)
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Listen how it goes is also a good option... Good luck.