Immersion is the best teacher. Spend time analyzing the phrasing of these definitive pioneers: (The architects of CuBop)
Decoding Afro-Cuban Jazz: The Music of Chucho Valdés & Irakere decoding afrocuban jazz pdf better
If you download an Afro-Cuban jazz PDF, the word you will see most frequently is (pronounced clah-vay ). The clave is not just a rhythm; it is the structural spine, the metric matrix, and the fundamental law of the music. Everything in an arrangement—the bassline, the piano montuno, the horn lines, and the vocal phrasing—must align with the clave. Immersion is the best teacher
If you want deep-dive books (often available in digital PDF or print formats via music publishers), look for works by recognized educators: Now throw it away
You have a PDF of "Manteca" by Dizzy Gillespie. Great. Now throw it away.