Salsa Music

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Cultural Origins

Immigrant communities from Cuba and Puerto Rico in New York in the 1960s

Typical Instruments

Son Conjunto

The traditional conjunto format consists of congas, bongos, bass, piano, tres, a horn section, and the smaller hand-held percussion instruments: claves, guíro, or maracas, played by the singers.

String charanga

The traditional charanga format consists of congas, timbales, bass, piano, flute, and a string section of violins, viola, and cello.

Percussion

New York based Machito's Afro-Cubans was the first band to make the triumvirate of congas, bongo, and timbales the standard battery of percussion in Cuban-based dance music.

History

Salsa music and salsa dancing are very much connected because the main purpose of the music is to dance to. Still they both have their own story.

The term "Salsa" was created in New York. The dance style has an Hispanic origin and was cultivated in New York.

The term refers to a variety of Hispanic musical styles: Rhumba, Són Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha cha cha, Danzón, Són, Guguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena, Bomba, Festejo, Merengue, among others.

Many of these have maintained their individuality and others were mixed creating "Salsa". We can therefore conclude that not one single country or culture can take the credit for the existence of Salsa.

Celia Cruz

The late Celia Cruz , also known by many as the queen of salsa, said that salsa does not exist as a rhythm, but that it is rather an exclamation for music such as guaracha, bolero, cha cha cha, danzon, son, rumba, and more.

Bibliography