Really love this! (as a percussionist who played In The Heights at my high school I also appreciate the correction and details about the 3-2 clave!) *some spoilers for In the Heights ahead* At around 6:02 you mention the merengue that gets brought up in Carnaval Del Barrio. The main beat in Carnaval is a Bomba variant called “Sicá.” (CongaChops has a good video demoing this ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tIPZrQynOW8.html ). However, there is a part after Usnavi announces Abuela won the lottery where it switches to a pambiche rhythm which is a Domican genre derived from merengue. This is the excerpt played in the "overture." The two are very similar, and the Piano/Vocal score for In The Heights even says "Frantic Merengue" at this point in the "overture." I just thought this was a neat point and worth pointing out. Another great video as always!
@@HowardHoMusic Yeah of course! I have the full score for the show plus all the parts, I don't know if you want it or not for your upcoming videos (very excited about btw!)
When I was a teenager, my Abuelita told me that she liked hearing rap music, but it made her nervous that she couldn't understand the lyrics, because she heard that they're usually obscene. So I played her Will Smith. If only I knew about Lin Manuel Miranda back then.
Will Smith was a really good option too! "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper" is what got this white kid from Vermont into rap and hip hop. Then I moved on to the Chronic....maybe don't play that one for your abuelita, lol.
That is so precious. My mom was the same way growing up. Would never let us play any rap/hip hop because she was condition to regard it as music with filthy lyrics. My sister took her to see in the heights and then we had her watch Hamilton. She’s been opening up her appreciation of music, not to mention constantly quoting Hamilton lyrics as she putters around the house.
Graffitti Pete is the only person in the whole show Usnavi tries to keep Sonny away from. He's the only one who doesn't have (that Usnavi can see) a job or a dream. Also, Usnavi's emotional arc with Pete is learning to appreciate an art form he initially sees as trash. META!
Wtfff... I swear LMM always has at least 3 layers of metaphor working at any moment. Hamilton is almost more fun to parse than it is to listen to. And now I feel like going back and watching ITH with subtitles to make sure I didn't miss anything lol.
I remember an article that came out when Hamilton was literally everywhere that was a pretty basic, "Some people don't like Hamilton," piece, but something that really pissed me off was one of the people interviewed said that a lot of the things that "sound like rhymes" in the lyrics are actually "false" rhymes, and if Lin had spend more time or been more thorough he could have avoided it. And it was just so elitist, because I was reading this knowing that Lin deliberately includes slant rhymes as a stylistic choice to match the musical style he was using, not because he was being lazy- he's actually quite the perfectionist where lyrics are concerned.
@@Crazy_Diamond_75 yes--he does a phenomenal job of making things rhyme or almost rhyme while conveying meaning. The content is never subordinate to the rhymes; the two work in tandem to give meaning. That's the mark of an excellent lyricist and composer.
It's funny, only someone that is wealthy would say losing a scholarship is no big deal. When you're poor, a scholarship makes or breaks your chances of going to & finishing college-- especially an expensive school like Stanford.
Yeah, I found it strange that being able to afford tuition was not seen as high stakes. For me, scholarships were the difference between getting an education and not.
That sentence that losing a scholarship isn’t a big deal is the most disgustingly elitist statement I have ever heard. Like, I want to find and punch this guy levels of appalling. I grew up fairly privileged- white, upper middle class, dads a lawyer- and I would not have able to afford a Stanford education without scholarships. Hell, I wouldn’t have been able to go out of state without my academic scholarship, loans, and work. This is the 21st century, affording college is a fucking nightmare.
Damn...I hadn’t considered Spielberg‘s West Side Story would go against In The Heights at the Oscars...I really hope WSS doesn’t squash ITH. Lin’s been trying to get this movie made forever...we already have a WSS film. It looks fantastic but it’s inherently superfluous
@@santitofelipe6283 no it doesn’t. It should be called “We are Latinx and we don’t shut the fuck up about it- The Movie!” I’m Latino and this piece of shit movie doesn’t represent me. Take that Latinx shit and shove it.
There is a German RU-vidr who analyses every five minutes of Harry Potter in detail. She for example researches ornaments on clothing, landscape and everything else. Sooo it is possible
"Nina, while not working is actually a student struggling with her finances at Stanford and has very ambitious dreams." Only Somewhat true. "I couldn't work two jobs and study for finals and finish my term paper." - Nina "Two jobs? You said there was only going to be one." - Mr. Rosario "It's expensive and the scholarship only covered part of it." - Nina So not only was she a Stanford student struggling with finances she also worked two jobs.
In my defense(/lh /hj), while I loved music stuff appearing in movies I hadn't really gotten exposed much to stage musicals enough to get curious and get into a specific one (that then leads to many others), but if you can yell at my younger self to get into musicals years earlier I'd happily join you hksjh
As a songwriter who agonizes over getting my lyrics just right, I actually love LMM's approach...slant rhymes or not...because where his rhymes land with regard to the beat is always so dynamic. Plus, assonance allows him to squeeze every last bit of juice out of a rhyme...often to astonishingly impressive effect. The thing that sets LMM apart is that he _leans into it!_ Assonance isn't something he _settles for;_ it's something he utilizes very intentionally. For comparison, even people who _hate_ Cubism must admit that Picasso's paintings look exactly the way _he_ wanted them. Art that panders to critics' expectations is not art; it's product. Conversely, greatness is often best achieved by doing _well_ that which others afraid to try.
I was Sonny and Usnavi on the 2nd National tour in 2011 and something that was told to us by Alex Lacamoire was the clave rhythm is used through out all over even in the melodies (easiest example is "LOOK at the FIRE-WORKS" or Kevin singing "ALL MY WORK ALL MY LIFE" is all Clave rhythm.) This was a great video.
Looking forward to your Graffiti Pete video, I feel that character is supposed to represent the misconceptions the audience tends to have, for instance, spoiler: After Abuela dies, Sonny and Graffiti Pete are seen exchanging money, as in a shady business, but what is happening is so transformative it always brings me to tears.
Something else I noticed was how when the cast members sing "In The Heights I can't survive without cafeee" Usnavi sings immediately afterwards "I serve Cafeee". This can show how Usnavi and his mom and pop's stop n shop are really vital to the community as a whole - more than he realizes until the end. And another thing to think about is what would have happened if Usnavi left? Who would they get their life-sustaining "cafe" from? Well, if we're talking about gentrification, it's highly possible a big name brand like, oh I don't know, STARBUCKS might move in there. We know that in real life when Lin Manuel went back to Washington Heights he saw a Starbucks in the area where there used to be small shops like the one we see in In the Heights. Maybe he wanted to create an image of a world where rather than gentrification, the culture and community of Washington Heights remained strong .
I couldn’t afford to buy the cast recording in college about 7 years ago and I just bought it today. After I watch the movie maybe I’ll buy the movie soundtrack.
Fun fact, when you mention how Lin's guiro beat @ 10:55 doesn't drown out the clave, and it in fact compliments it, that's because that's a cumbia beat. It originates from Colombia but is a staple of a lot of Latino-Caribbean music.
I'm Half Puerto Rican an raised in America. I don't look Hispanic like my brothers, but I cannot stress how much this musical shook my core. I've always been down heartened by the fact I never got to embrace the culture like the rest of my moms family, I've never even been to Puerto Rico like my full Puerto Rican Brothers. I don't even know Spanish that much. But yeah this just really hits different. I feel connected to a hidden part of me when I'm listening to the soundtrack, and I love it. Lin connected me to my history yet again. First Hamilton and now ITH. (Yes I might have been slow to the band wagon but cut me some slack I'm not up to date with Broadway shows) Can't ever thank him enough.
ThErE's No StAkEs In DrOpPiNg OuT! Ugh. You can tell stuff about how that movie exec was raised... never knew the pressure to get into a good college and graduate "on time"... we get it, sir, your daddy's connections landed you a job so your unmotivated butt's $h!t grades couldn't hold you back (yeah I'm mad and I need to go to bed lol)
That also reminded me of when my boyfriend’s parents asked why he had to come to my graduation. It’s “just college graduation” to affluent families. They never doubted their kids would graduate college, but it isn’t a given where I come from, it’s a big accomplishment!!
Yo I graduated college over a decade ago (first in family), did find a job, and still had nightmares about not graduating almost 10 years after the fact. Every spring, around commencement, one vivid nightmare.
I'm not even any type of american but it's still so refreshing to see a different culture represented on the big screen (different from the usual american movies) and have it done well
hey! great video :) wanted to add two things: 1) Don't know if you're aware of this, but the "no pares, sigue, sigue" lyrics and rythm are from "Tiburón" by Proyecto Uno, a merengue band from New York made up of dominicans (like Usnavi). The song is very well known throughout spanish-speaking countries in latin america. 2) the Güi in Güiro is pronounced like "we". Looking forward for the rest of your videos!
Don't mind me, I'm just here to leave the link of such an iconic jam (or like some us say it, "un clasicazo") that is "Tiburón": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4Qy0vs80T5M.html
it feels so surreal to see someone who isnt latino talking about latin american/immigrant culture. like by no means would i consider the inclusion of mamey or parchita (what my country calls parcha) so significant, but that's bc these things are also very mundane to me. this isnt meant to be a negative comment or anything. just me making random remarks
I'm similiar to Lin in being the child of immigrants too, so I can relate on that level. And yes, those details are mundane, which I think is the whole point. We're getting a glimpse of an average day for people in this neighborhood, so it's all about seeing their authentic, mundane lives. But I agree it's probably weird to hear me talk about it, since I have no background in it. I just did my best to get things correct. Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
In fact, mamey/zapote is a freakishly missing ITEM in any supermarket in the USA unless you go to a local Spanish-type supermarket like Bravo Supermarket. I love mamey shakes. I literally have to hunt it down at a Dominican-owned supermarket 😩😫😭... It's worth a treasure filled chest when I do find it in the frozen aisle by my favorite "La Fe" brand... Hahaha, it's the BEST!!!!!!
It is so mundane to us but think about how much you see the mundane for us in the common media??? It’s almost weird when it’s seen outside of our little bubbles
I would also theorize that the absence of a traditional overture grabs the attention of people new to musical theater or anyone who may not always appreciate an orchestral opening, especially for musicals that become films, such as In the Heights, bringing in a whole new audience. A surprising amount of people new to the genre lose interest/focus during the overture or think musical theater isn't for them.
I was just reading that when Lin did West Side Story as a high school student Sondheim came to talk to him and his fellow performers about creating the show. Sondheim even played and sang alternate song versions that were discarded and explained why. That was when Lin decided that this was what he wanted to do with his life. When Lin won the Tony for In the Heights he thanked Sondheim in his acceptance speech and quoted lines from Sunday in the Park with George.
I'm so happy you made this. I've started listening to ITH years ago but there rarely has been any videos of people talking in depth about it in the same way they talk about Hamilton. There are so many references to things like NYC geography and Broadway/latin culture here that I never would've caught on my own, and it's great that that's turned around with channels like yours. I've learned a lot from this one video and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series! If it ever comes down to it, I would also love to see you talk about how ITH might have changed musically into the movie adaptation.
@@HowardHoMusic I love this! But here's a question: if they say 'I've never been north of 96th St", aren't they saying they've never been in the poorer part of the city? Shouldn't they be saying they've never been south of that street?
i come from a family of musicians who play salsa exclusively, and to hear that someone, let alone a whole group of people, would think that the "clave" is a reference to "America" was just shocking. i was like :OOOOOOOO
I love Hamilton but I LOOOOOVE in the heights, I've gotten teary already in this video twice and I only 7 minutes in. SO EXCITED for the graffiti Pete video and any others about in the heights!
Concerning the comments on rhyme schemes and what makes a good rhyme: I tend to think even though Shakespeare didn't write for musical theater (e.g. opera, which wasn't around in his time) it seems to me he used a lot of the same types of rhymes then that rappers use now.
@@HowardHoMusic I believe it's very difficult to be sure because the accent has changed so much in 400 odd years. Shakespeare is generally performed with Received Pronunciation but some scholars believe it was originally performed with an accent similar to that found in parts of Ireland or perhaps Yorkshire [so that only leaves us with about 5 main accents to choose from in Ireland alone!]....which would dramatically change the vowels and transform a lot of slant rhymes into perfect ones. And that's before we start on differences in syllable stress, and different consonant pronunciations [r, th and s being the main offenders], intonation patterns, the fact that English as a language was just wrapping up a few centuries of absolutely massive linguistic upheaval....
omg this video is so well done!! As a latina myself I couldn't get more excited (and also kinda worried but that's another story) with latin cuture becoming mainstream. Great job!
I'm Indonesian American and I've been wanting for so long to see stories told by indigenous artists and artists like my Mexican friends and Ukrainian friends. It's so interesting to hear but completely understandable that you guys feel trepidation. Having your stories and cultures hijacked and whitewashed would suck, and sadly that's the modus operandi in America
I had a day analyzing In the Heights in a class I taught this past semester. Wish this video was around 2 months ago! My students would have loved it. I'll make sure to keep it in mind for the future!
Really awesome analysis. Thank you. I’m not sure about dismissing Bernstein’s use of the clave… the triplets take over, and the song is about the Americanization of Puerto Ricans. He was certainly well capable of musical symbolism.
To be clear, I meant no disrespect. Bernstein's aim was to use the clave as a reference, and I LOVE references. I even made two videos about all the theatre references in Hamilton. Bernstein is a personal hero of mine, so I am not disparaging him at all!
*bo burnham’s reaction-reaction* me: I understood that reference. Also, I’m crying after watching this video. It’s simply somethig too good talking about something- too good.
The amount of information you’re breaking down in this video is blowing my mind, it’s also opening my eyes to my own culture. A+ Howard Ho, please keep making these amazing videos. We’ll watch no matter what you put out.
I saw a touring production of In the Heights in 2011/2012 and I absolutely fell in love with it. Hamilton is on another level but I’m glad ITH is also getting more attention. LMM just kills it every time
in the 10 years I lived in Inwood (2008-2018) I saw Lin 7 times catching the A train to Inwood Hill Park to walk his dog and write. It's Quiet Uptown has never failed to make me cry cz it was and is literal for me, due to a personal tragedy 💔❤️
What a great video. Very nicely edited, with great musical and cultural references that really make you realise the depth to which Lin and other Broadway composers put into their music. I was very disappointed when it ended, it felt like it just started, thanks.
As a Mexican, I believe the condensed milk bit from Abuela Claudia comes from the experience of many latinos that grandmas and mothers always have a very specific and homemade recipe or mix to fix any problem, and they always work!
@@HowardHoMusic Oh that's nice! I remember my grandma used to make a weird tea for me and my sister to combat any illnesses we had and it always made us feel better! Maybe the recipe for these concoctions is grandmotherly love?
I love all your analysis because it allows me to learn so much about stuff I love without needing to figure it out myself - It helps me appreciate everything so so much more and I can't express how grateful I am for this channel and all you post. Thank you
16:00. MAMEY is one of my fav fruits to eat. It's no longer that easy to find in Puerto Rico but you still can. Aside from being a delicious tropical fruit, in Puerto Rico MAMEY is also a way to say that you have it easy. Like when you have a job to do that pays well but at the same time it doesn't require that much effort from you. Perhaps you have someone doing the actual hard part but you're still reaping most of the benefits. "TIENES UN MAMEY" or "QUE MAMEY" ("you have it so easy brother".
so so so so so very excited you're talking about this and can't wait for all of your analyses of In the Heights. I've watched your Hamilton videos almost as much as I watched Hamilton since it has become available on Disney+ so I am really looking forward to this series about ITH
Such a cool video! I'm really excited for this series (and to see the movie, oh my gosh)! Just a quick thing - assonance and slant rhymes aren't necessarily interchangeable with each other. Assonance is more like alliteration with vowel sounds, so it requires that repetition, which, with as much internal rhyming as Lin does, means that sometimes there are a bunch of instances of assonance going on at one time, like in the example you showed (and in "past patiently waiting..."). But if you rhymed, say, "moon" and "doom" with each other as the last syllables of lines in a sonnet and didn't have the "oo" sound pop up repetitively in the 20 beats between the two, that's still a slant rhyme, but it wouldn't be assonance. It's a little like squares and rectangles; assonance makes slant rhymes, but slant rhymes don't always have assonance. I hope this isn't too nitpicky; like I said, I really enjoyed the video, I just wanted to point that out.
There is always a moment when I'm watching these videos and my brain goes: "I'm beginning to think that Lin didn't really intend so many hidden details... ...Or did he?"
Haha...I feel you. I mean, it's always tempting to think someone just got lucky or didn't think it through too much. That's why I tried to show as many clips and quotes of Lin as possible to show he's saying it, not just me. Also, the annotated book of IN THE HEIGHTS is coming out soon, so that should reveal a lot about his intentions as well.
Thank you for this. I thought I'd seen everything on this show, but your analysis of the opening of In The Heights is fascinating. Gives me even MORE respect to Lin's craft, as well as his respect for his heritage & Broadway. 🤓 (Hope to see more in this series! 😉)
Just watched this and I feel like a better person! I loved it, it was sad, I was crying, it was happy, I was laughing. So much emotions I just cant explain it! Loved it💖👍
this video is incredible! you need to submit this as a doctoral thesis! i’m a lifelong broadway goer, theatre major, stage manager and you connected thing i literally had to rewind and watch again because i was so shocked at the genius connections and explanations. fucking incredible! i cant wait to watch all your videos
The algorithm is a week late in sending this to my suggested vids list, but I’m still rejoicing because ITH has now officially received the Howard Ho-down & I’m so here for it.
I love this analysis and breakdown so that we can have a deeper appreciation of Lin as an artiste. Mamey is what we call Naseberry in in Jamaica, also home of reggae & its derivative, dancehall.
@@HowardHoMusic the spanish lyrics are translated on genius! give em a read if you get the chance ive always thought it was impressive that lmm could rhyme different languages
Funnily enough, the first 3 minutes of the film change a LOT compared to the original! (Though single parent Kevin Rosario is arguably introduced just after the 3 minute mark)
As an Argentinian, I can't help but feel identified, and I loved your video. I never saw the Heights, but after seeing this I will definitely will. From destroying ( in my perspective, horrendous(i sad it right?)) stereotypes to mini roasting the audience. I can assure you, a lot of my folks would, with a full smile, roast the audience, more if we make the assumption that they think we're all narcos or something. I also loved your point with the clave, when i heard that sound i immediately think of Latinoamerican music, and of how my teachers would teach us about these instruments. I didn't even knew people though of them as you told. And it's great to see Lin reclaiming that sound. AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THE "EVERYBODY'S GOT A JOB, EVERYBODY'S GOT A DREAM" AHSGHWHSAHA. Such a simple truth that a lot of people ignore thanks to these stereotypes. And how People like Graffiti Pete are treated this way in my country too! I'm definitely running to see the whole musical, and the movie. Thanks you so much for making this video, i probably wouldn't have even know in the Heights existed. (Also sorry for any grammatical errors, or confusing words, as English is not my first language and sometimes I mix Spanish with English in a weird way) Edit: (I also know that this may not be exactly for people from South America but even if it's not, I still feel identified and connected a lot, Wich amazes me and yeah, thank you again!)
I saw ITH in a local production it was AMAZING. Made me cry. The movie changed a lot about the story, but also nothing? A bit extra character development, which I don't think you could do in a stage production. And it's just so good
I first saw ITH on the Tonys. Some guy comes out and starts rapping? Uh, no thanks! But as I held the remote, I stayed with it. And stayed to the end! I truly am the grampaw who hates rap - but loved what they were doing here. I was a bit disappointed with the movie, but that is because I hate change. None of the faces or voices were right. But in the end - I liked it!
Really looking forward to the series on ITH! With regards to synthesis, I think you might be looking for the word synthesist rather than synthesiser? Anyway, great work!
@@HowardHoMusic it's a term from philosophy, so I thought it fit! I suppose I just read a book in which Pico della Mirandola is a character - he's a renaissance scholar who tried to unify Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Plato's philosophy into one big theory. He's pretty much the ultimate synthesist, but Lin definitely has the same spirit, I think!
thank YOU for highlighting the GENIUS of In the Heights. No offense to Hamilton fans but I'm so tired of it overshadowing Lin's REAL magnum opus which was/is ITH, that's my hot take on it.
it's so funny because as a latina girl I recognized the clave in the begging as a base rythm for Salsa, never thought about it referencing "America" from West Side Story
@@HowardHoMusic oh whoa, thanks so much Howard! You are everything professionally and artistically that I could ever hope to be, but I lack the education in music theory you spent a lifetime accumulating. I am more than happy to leave that need for expertise to you, and I am humbled by your mere acknowledgement of my video. Honestly, I personally worked the hardest and put the most passion and love into that video, it is in my opinion the best video essay I ever made and the most reflective of what my dream for video essays was. I am glad that one is the one which you'll see. I released it 2 years ago this July in anticipation of this day, when the movie would come out. Never would I have thought it would take 2 full years to reach the engagement from the movie's release and accompanying youtube videos that would follow which it is getting today, but it's rebirth along with what the last 18 months of my life have looked like gave inspired me. I'm coming back to video essays right now, as soon as I get home today I'm starting work on one of the many scripts I've had sitting around for years, I hope to maybe hold a candle to the brilliance of your channel one day.
!:53 One of my friends came out as enby a few weeks ago, and I'm going to send them this. Good job on Broadway for recording statistics outside of gender norms.
This is so cool! I haven't listened through the whole ITH soundtrack because I have to have a translated lyrics tab open to understand the Spanish but I love the opening number, Breathe, Inutíl (I hope the accent is correct), and 96,000. Also thank you for talking about the A Train reference. As a non-American I didn't get the musical theatre connection (and barely got the New York one).
