Name: Strictly Salsa
E-mail: webmaster@strictlysalsa.com
Date: 03 Jan 1999

Comments

Salsa is not easily defined. Though many get caught up in the age old debate as to who "invented" 
salsa (Cubans or Puerto Ricans), the truth of the matter is that salsa has and will always continue 
to have a great number of influences that have each played a large part in its evolution.

CUBAN ORIGINS

Cuba established its identity by combining the influences of its entire population -- white, black, 
and mulatto. Music played an important role in the formation of such an identity. The genre that 
was to succeed in creatively fusing equal amounts of white- and black- derived musical features 
was the son, which subsequently came to dominate the culture not only in Cuba, but most of the 
Spanish-speaking Caribbean as well.

The son originated in eastern Cuba during the first decades of the century. From the start it 
represented a   mixture of Spanish-derived and Afro-Cuban elements. The basic two-part formal of the son has remained the same from the 1920s to the present, and the vast majority of salsa songs (which Cubans would called son or guaracha) also follow this pattern.

Another development that occurred in the 1940s was the invention of the mambo. Essentially, the mambo was a fusion of the Afro-Cuban rhythms with the big-band format from Swing and Jazz. Although bands in Cuba like   Orquestra Riverside were already playing Mambo-style in the 1940s, the invention of the Mambo is usually credited to Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado, who spent most of his years in Mexico and elsewhere outside the island. Bandleaders like Beny Moré combined Mambo formats with son and guaracha (a similar up-tempo dance  genre). The Mambo reached 
its real peak in New York City in the 1950s, where bands led by Machito and the Puerto Ricans Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez incorporated Jazz-influenced instrumental solos and more sophisticated arrangements. With Prado based chiefly in Mexico and the New York mambo bands developing their own styles, Cuban music had begun taking a life of  its own outside the island and the stage was set for the salsa boom of the 1960s.

PUERTO RICAN INFLUENCES

From the early 1800s until today, Puerto Ricans have avidly borrowed and mastered various Cuban music styles, including the Cuban danzón, son, guaracha, rumba, and bolero. Indeed, the richness of Puerto Rican musical culture derives in large part from the way it has adopted much of Cuban music, while contributing its own dynamic folk and contemporary popular music. Puerto Rico should not be regarded as simply a miniature Cuba, especially since genres like the seis, bomba,  and plena are distinctly Puerto Rican creations, owing little to Cuban influence in their traditional forms.

Since the 1920s Puerto Rican music has been as much a product of New York City as the island itself, due to the fundamental role the migration experience has come to play in Puerto Rican culture. As a result, Puerto Rican culture can not be conceived of as something that exists of only or even primarily in Puerto Rico; rather, it has become inseparable from  "Nuyorican/Newyorican" culture, which itself overlaps with black and other Latino subcultures  in New York and, for that matter, with mainland North American culture as a whole.

By the 1940s, Nuyoricans like timbalero Tito Puente and vocalist Tito Rodriguez had become the top bandleaders and innovators, and the Latin dance music scene in New York came to outstrip that on the island. (Even today, there are more salsa bands and clubs in New York than in Puerto Rico).

FANIA RECORDS

The Rise of Salsa is tied to Fania Records, which had been founded in 1964 by Johnny 
Pacheco, a bandleader with Dominican parentage and Cuban 
musical tastes. Fania started out as a fledging independent label, with Pacheco distributing records to area stores from the trunk of his car. From 1967, Fania, then headed by Italian-American lawyer Jerry Masucci, embarked on an aggressive and phenomenally successful program of recording and promotion.

Particularly influential was composer-arranger Willie Colón, a Bronx prodigy. Colón's early albums, with vocalists Héctor Lavoe, Ismael Miranda and Ruben Bládes, epitomized the Fania style at its best and captured the fresh sound, restless energy, and aggressive dynamism of the barrio youth.

Every commercial music genre needs a catchy label, and there was a natural desire for a handier one than "recycled Cuban dance music". Hence Fania promoted the word salsa, which was already familiar as a bandstand interjection.

The 1970s were the heyday of salsa and of Fania which dominated the market. By the end of   the decade, however, salsa found on the defensive against an onslaught of merengue and hip-hop and an internal creative decline.


SALSA ROMANTICA

By the late 1970s, salsa abandoned its portrayals of barrio reality in favor of sentimental love lyrics.  Most of what is promoted on radio and records is the slick, sentimental salsa romantica of crooners like Eddie Santiago, Luis Enrique, and Lalo Rogriguez rather than more aggressive Afro-Caribbean salsa Caliente or Salsa Gorda.  Perhaps there has been some criticism as to this   new sub-genre but one cannot deny that it has managed to keep salsa alive and well. The change   is also reflected in the fact that most of today's bandleaders are not trained musicians and seasoned club performers like Willie Colon or Oscar de Leon but cuddly, predominantly white singers distinguished by the pretty-boy looks and supposed sex-appeal like Giro or Salsa Kids .

Salsa remains essentially alive and well, within its limited sphere. Its market has grown in Latin America and Spain. The 1990s have seen former hip-hop/house singers La India and Marc Anthony return to latin music as part of the new wave of salsa stars, attracting new followers with their updated images. There is a glimmer of hope with stars such as Victor Manuelle and Rey Ruiz rising to fame in the current "scene" and many hope that this will lead to a resurgence of the glory years of the 50s and 70s.

Name: Carlos P. Pagan
EMail: boriquien@usa.net
Date: 20 Jan 1999

Comments

This is my opinion: I am Puerto Rican, and I grew up as many kids do in this country with all that goes with being brought up by my family in another culture attempting to adapt to this country.

My father was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, raised in New York. My father taught me Salsa, however, then it resembled Mambo more than Salsa. I began when I was eight years old. As a child he told me of my lineage and instilled that I should be proud of it and I am. During this time he often spoke of our culture socially and its contributions musically which was hubbed on Mambo, Cha-Cha, and Salsa.

He spoke of often how Salsa evolved over a period of time spanning almost 15-20 years. He played his music and taught me to dance as to I have done with my son.

Make no mistake, the music which they called Tropical, and or Latin Music (They-meaning the American Culture and the standards that they always inevitably seem to set) had its beginnings in Cuba with the father of Musica del Tropical, Benny Morre and later Chao.

Benny was truly the father of the ritmo especial, and the music was soon to be labeled as the tempo for Mambo. Cuba was highly commercialized in the eyes of many Americans due to the associations in the late twenties, thirties and forties of American Gangsters and their associations with Cuba's leaders. I therefore grew up listening to these guys and the music that was apart of mine and my fathers world. People like Beeny, Chao, Celia Curz, Eddie Palmeri and so on.

In the late thirties and early forties Cuba was highly visible and became a focal point for 
Americans to look upon Cuba as the exotic and forbidden island. Mambo was heralded all Cuban and that was that. Cuba took credit for Salsa because of its presents and the allure of it mystic.

In all actuality according to my father and what he told be as a boy the music and Mambo came from Cuba. Salsa on the other hand evolved out of Mambo and Cha Cha. Los Borenquens enjoyed Mambo but it was too slow and unexciting.

Cha Cha came along from Puerto Rico and was the rage but it to fell to routine. What I was told was that in an effort to dance effortlessly and have fun without the restrictions of Mambo and Cha Cha the Puerto Ricans developed Salsa. Which is a combination of Mambo and Cha Cha.

By the way in the Music Category for the Grammies now this type of Music is now referred to as Afro-Latin Music. for many years the word to most Americans simply meant you were Mexican. Even today many Mexicans think and take credit for Caribbean music and dances.

Salsa vino sobre como una evolución de dos bailes Puerto Ricans del puerto generalmente baile y lo usaba como una manera hablar a su mujer y los seduce. Como mi padre me dijo una vez es una manera hacer a la mujer dar cuenta de usted pero debe ser muy bueno.

Cuando lo interpreto está sigue como:

Mambo: Cuba ChaCha: Puerto Rico Salsa: Puerto Rico Merenque: Republica dominicano Rumba: América del Sur Rumba Bolero: América del Sur Cumbia: América del Sur Modificó Cumbia: México Punta: Centroamérica, Honduras

Name: Luis F. Frontado
EMail: Lfrontado@aol.com
Date: 08 Feb 1999

Comments

Salsa is mixture of Afro-Cuban music it all originated from Guaguanco from this we get Rumba, Tumba and Macumba later on in the 20s Son originated from these dances and later came Guaracha,Cha Cha Cha and Mambo to me Salsa is mixture of all these types of rythems and lets not also forget Cumbia and American Swing as well has been added to todays modern Salsa

Name: Roberto  Montano
EMail: Montr68@sunysuffedu
Date: 29 Mar 1999

Comments

Guess what, I just decided to add to your comments. Firstly, the roots of many of our rhythms can be traced to W. Africa, from Nigeria,Congo, and Yoruba. To date many of the rhythms are still played in their original form which are used in toques, bembe's, and rumba's. These rhythms come from the lucmi religion. it is from here that the base of our rhythms are generated from. Any way I have to go to a class now. But I would appreciate if you would contact me. See ya!

Name: rafael ilarraza
EMail: s8rilarr@mail.bc.inter.edu
Date: 05 Apr 1999

Comments

hey guys nice page,im from puerto rico and your info is precise.IM 
doing a term paper for the university and any info you nice folks can 
give me will be greatly apreciated.kuddos to yo all, Rafael Ilarraza llaurador

Name: José Luis
EMail: tapaste@bigfoot.com
Date: 12 Apr 1999

Comments

For latin music and more visit my page at:

http://members.es.tripod.de/
tapaste/hispanidad.html

Name: Masanda Boyd
EMail: MBoyd89711@aol.com
Date: 21 Jun 1999

Comments

Salsa's roots are definitely West African. When the Africans were brought over 
from the West African coast between the Gulf of Guinea and the present-day 
Republic of Angola to Cuba, these men, women and children from various cultures 
(yoruba, bantu, karabali, arura and congo)took with them their religion, music and 
culture. Once they arrived, their Spaniard owners forbade them to have in their possession
 their native instruments. As a result, they used wooden fish-packing cases (cajones) and 
other makeshift instruments. From this amalgam of instruments appeared what is now
 known as rumba from which emerged today's mambo and son to which later evolved 
into modern salsa.

Name: Pamela Esqubilla
EMail: BabyCutie13@hotmail.com
Date: 04 Jul 1999

Comments

I think that salsa music is a type of music that 
brings the on the edge side of you out. It makes you want to dance. 
Even some gringos find it amusing. I'm not a big hispanic talker and even though 
I barley understand it I love it. It brings you up when your down and just clears your
 mind that is the beutey of salsa ~y~ cumbia rythms. And I think they should be mor exclused.

Name: Lourdes
EMail: www.ldiaz11@yahoo.com
Date: 27 Sep 1999

Comments

Hi , I'm a proud dominican/puerto rican dancer and all my life I love the sound 
and the joy that salsa brings to me. I've been dancing sence I was 7 years old and 
now I'm looking for a dance school that teaches latindance because I want to keep 
on dancing but now a dance from my back ground. Because every time I hear the 
trumpets and the drums I can not help getting up and dance and I love to dance my latin music!

Name: rafael melendez
EMail: rafaelmass@aol.com
Date: 15 Oct 1999

Comments

hi,rafael from boston, born in P.R. i think salsa was created by puertorricans in new york>  i grew up in new york ,pioneers were willie colon
,raffy leavitt {la selecta},hector lavoy,etc...in cuba there was no such thing call {salsa}>it
 origin from cuban music like guaguanco<son< bembe>but when the puertorricans mix all those diferent music it came to be salsa.IT HAS A DIFERENT SOUND its not guaguanco anymore or {son}or bembe>is unique more modern and more famous,and puerto rico has created the most popular salseros,in history, we has the best> we gave the name the fame and we expanded all over the world to be what is today. so we should get the credit.not cuba.   Tito Puente went to Japan and introduce the salsa< thats why they now have orquesta de la  luz.and orquesta del sol,and japanes are dancing and singing salsa.i also think that other countries are playing salsa but they all have there own type of playing it.maybe is because of there rythym and culture diferences. but for me there is nothing like the SALSA FROM PUERTO RICO.

Name: lupe morales
EMail: fifa1951@aol.com
Date: 28 Oct 1999

Comments

there's not such thing as salsa,that is cuban music ''son'' guaracha,etc.Calling 
cuban music salsa is ignorance,the name of that music is son,cuban son and its
 belongs to the cuban people.

Name: Antonio Trujillo
Date: 29 Oct 1999

Comments

My opinion is that some people that were not cuban played alongside cubans while
 this whole thing was going on and they learned from the cubans. They became good 
at what they did and also popularized the music which was good. They added their talent and other things to the music but the foundation of it has always been Cuban. I was born in cuba and when I was there we heard all kinds of music from other countries but rarely did I hear cubans playing other peoples music. I think a lot of other countries take from cuban music but never admit it. Some people say its african music because there are drums in it but then how about the trumpet, piano and flute to name some instruments that are not commonly used in old west african music. If it was only drums then it would not even be son. 
The tumbao played in son is not the same they play in a bembe. Puerto Ricans have made a lot of good music but they are not the only ones that have taken salsa all over the world Cubans also tour in Japan Europe and africa. Sometimes I hear salseros say things and their band play somethin that I have heard way back in music from cuba and people act like its new. Who knows maybe 50 years from no they will say merengue is not domincan. We have many different types  of music that we originated and are always being creative and I think we deserve more respect.

Name: Edith Ramos
EMail: poncena4u@aol.com
Date: 31 Oct 1999

Comments

I love salsa thats my life i have salsa in my blood i fell something very nice when im 
dancing in my house thats old i can said i love salsa

Name: Paul Clifford
EMail: streetdance@mail.com
Date: 10 Nov 1999

Comments

see my www page to get a brief history of Mambo, Salsa & Cha Cha. 
http://www.geocities.com/sd_au/

Name: Alicia Underlee
EMail: aunderle@sun.iwu.edu
Date: 15 Nov 1999

Comments

Finally, somebody who knows something about Latin music! My Spanish class is
 looking at music and dance in-depth and after searching through vauge articles 
I was grateful to find an informative interesting site like yours. Keep up the good work.

Name: Patricia Gonzalez
EMail: Rbtty21@aol.com
Date: 16 Nov 1999

Comments

Great Information I'm doing a research paper for my English class and when 
I spoke about Salsa only one person knew what I was talking about. I hope to 
intrest more people with this paper. Please send me any more info on the history 
of salsa & merengue.

Name: LaTisha Cotto
Date: 21 Nov 1999

Comments

Salsa music has soul. That's all there is to it. I know not of it's origins, only the love and 
pride that flows through my veins when I hear it's beat. The thing about music is that it
 has the ability to unite nations, bringing the best of all worlds. Salsa has roots in Puerto 
Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc. because of the people who live there. The reason 
why it has such a unique blend of Afro-rhythms is due to the migration of Africans 
(because of slavery) to the islands. I am interested in learning more because one day 
I am going to sing salsa music and make it my own. Guess what? I'm Mexican- American. 
Music touches us all. Love and blessings to those who are reading.

Name: BB L. Muré
EMail: blp1@psu.edu
Date: 29 Nov 1999

Comments

I don't know for certain where Salsa began. Some say it originated in Cuba and some 
say in Puerto Rico. I believe that it all started in Africa. That is where the root of Salsa, 
Merengue and all Latin dances began. But wherever it came from, it sure feels good 
when I do it. Dancing Salsa makes me feel like a million bucks.

Si! Definitivamente!

Name: Sparrow
EMail: PSparrow@aol.com
Date: 08 Jan 2000

Comments

Salsa originates from Afro-Cuban music and American bee-bop. Guys called 
Zizzy, Bird, Chico, Chano, Mario and Machito got the ball rolling in the 1940s 
(ie Mambo Kings). Then guys like Tito P, Tito R, Beny and Perez formed 
Afro-Cuban orchestras that people would go see at dance halls and dance their 
b***s off (ie Palladium). When you listen to the the uptempo Mambos from that
 period believe me you hear what we call Salsa.

Name: Sparrow
EMail: PSparrow10@aol.com
Date: 08 Jan 2000

Comments

Salsa Part 2- In the 1960s Puerto Ricans, especially from New York, contributed 
greatly to the Afro-Cuban sound. They added their own "sabor" to what was being 
played and something slightly new emerges from Mambo. All of a sudden it's not only a 
Cuban thing but you got Puerto Ricans playing tumbao, Jewish guys playing piano and 
Dominicans directing bands (ie Fania All-Stars). Boom! What we call Salsa is born. And all 
of this would be nothing without the dancers. Pa' Los Rumberos!

Name: CELICA GARCIA
EMail: CRF_GARCIAC@CURF.EDU
Date: 09 Feb 2000

Comments

I LOVE TO DANCE ANY TYPE OF LATIN MUSIC SO WHEN I FOUND 
THIS WEB PAGE I WAS AMAZED. ALSO I'M DOING A DEMONSTRATION 
SPEECH FOR ONE OF MY CLASSES AND I CHOSE TO TEACH THEM HOW TO 
DANCE SALSA. WELL I FOUND THIS SITE SO I COULD ALSO GIVE THEM HISTORY 
ABOUT IT.... THANKS FOR THE HELP!!

Name: Patrick Hagendijk
EMail: p.hagendijk@bdk.rug.nl  
Date: 09 Feb 2000

Comments

It is very interesting to see how the music of salsa evolved during all these years. However
 another interesting issue might be how people did dance in the past and do salsa nowadays. 
You probably might see another big evolution during all those years. From 1890 (danson) till 
2000 (say; american style). Th nevolvement will show an enrichment as well as a
 impoverishment. The enrichment is due to the large public now being able to dance 
salsa as well. Lots of them did analyse salsa and invented all kinds of fancy turns one never 
would have held as possible, giving it an almost acrobatic view. Beautiful to watch! However, 
where once "soul", "corazon", cultural background and identity were the core-items, these 
are gone by now. The majority does not recognise or feel this cultural background, simply 
because it's not theirs. Besides, one does not have time to feel this, neither to express corazon 
and soul because all the complicated turns, which now are the items you will be judged by, do 
cost a lot of time and attention. Nowadays it's more pretending and acting. This of course is 
very general and lots of exceptions do exist. When observing a couple doing the old style, you 
will feel the warmth they express, giving a peaceful feeling inside, the new style couple on the 
other hand will fill you by amazement and joy, giving you a more agressive feeling for wanting 
to do one day such turns you as well....... Salsa is a never ending story as it should be!!!!!!

Name: Maribel B. Taylor
EMail: Marble66@hotmail.com
Date: 09 Feb 2000

Comments

Dear sir or Madam, Salsa was started in Urargay and Argentina. Salsa 
means dance as you like or want.

Name: carlos espinosa
EMail: carlosIII@uam.edu.ni
Date: 13 Feb 2000

Comments

yo lo que se, es que no hay que discutir si la salsa es de cuba o 
puerto rico a como le llaman a muchos ritmos tropicales. lo unico 
que se es que el termino salsa salio de la gente boricua en new york.

Name: Carlos A. Espinosa III
EMail: carlosIII@uam.edu.ni
Date: 13 Feb 2000

Comments

LA SALSA ES LO MEJOR QUE PUDO HABER PASADO EN 
LA MUSICA PARA MI ES DE CUBA Y PUERTO RICO PERO 
EL NOMBRE SALSA SE LO PUSIERO LOS BORICUAS EN 
NEW YORK A LO QUE SE CONOCE COMO SALSA.

Name: Bernice Maldonado-Morant
EMail: BoricuaMami220@hotmail.com
Date: 20 Feb 2000

Comments

From my understanding, salsa originated in Puerto Rico 
in the early 1900s. At this time "salsa" consisted mainly 
of african beats (mainly percussion). Once Puerto Ricans 
migrated to the United States (New York), jazz was
 incorporated into salsa, thus evolving into the salsa we know today.

Name: Moto
EMail: Motoguycan@netscape.net
Date: 23 Feb 2000

Comments

Hello I am a gringo from Canada. I have played in various heavy metal, hard core, 
blues, R and R bands for over 20 years and still counting! We have arguments 
(hard discussions) of the origin of the music we play and where it comes from also. 
They can go on forever! Each person makes a valid point, and the other a valid 
counter point! All I know is I LOVE SALSA! Where this comes from I do not know. 
My family origins are of eastern European origin (Ukrainian) so it is not in my "blood", 
one might say. However a love of music and rhythms are. I first really had a good listen 
to salsa on one of my many trips to Cuba. Before that it was kinda just a background noise 
emanating from certain shops and stores in some of the market places here in Toronto. We 
do not have a large Caribbean Spanish population as found in some U.S. cities. But as I listened
 to it more and (you can not escape it in Cuba) I started to pick it a part and take a real hard
 look and listen. In doing so I fell in Love with it. My Spanish is poor at best so it's hard for
 me to understand some of the lyrics. But this however has no bearing on my love for it. 
I was so happy to see that the convention was coming to Toronto its like a dream come true! 
I have two left feet and I am a complete oaf on the dance floor, but I could watch people dance 
to salsa for hours! I don't really know where it came from and for that matter don't really care. 
All I know is if salsa doesn't more you must be DEAD…Moto

Name: osmany estrada
EMail: Jperez@.com 
Date: 08 Mar 2000

Comments

Mi nombre es osmany soy santiagero tengo 21 anos de edad vivi en puerto un ano y las 
personas son las mejores del mundo no le quito merito a la musica de ningun pais y meno 
la puertorriquena creo que cadacual tiene lo suyo a mi opinion es una falta de cultura que a 
x ritmos se le cambie el nombre, el nombre de salsa es un nombre comercial con todo el 
respeto que se meresen los creadores de este nombre. Yo soy de miami y me asombra la 
falta de cultura que hay en esta ciudad,a las personas se educan y a esta comunidad hay que
 educarla y la responsabilidad es de las emisoras de radio que todo lo que tocan lo hasen por 
dinero no hay un programa que sirba en la radio de miami son los mismos cantates y las 
mismas canciones una ves mas hay falta de cultura en miami. porque llamarle salsa al son
a la quaracha al chachacha,rumba,mambo,charanga,chanqui que es el son oriental en sus 
comiensos a la timba esto son al gunos ritmos cubanos para poner ejemplos pero que pasa 
con los ritmos puertorriquenos, para mi una plena noes una salsa ni un son y mucho meno 
un merenque por eso y pormuchomas hay que educar a las personas. Otro punto que hay 
que tocar es el delas otras comunidades a parte de las puertorriquenas,cubana y dominicana
 hay una gran descriminasio con esas culturas en miami creo que todos tenemos derechos de
 aprender de otras culturas y la opurtunidad tiene que ser pareja miami es de todos yo imbito 
a las comunidades de miami a que canten,bailen y aque hagan buena musica para que sean 
escuchados y mui importante no imiten a nadie para que su musica perdure para siempre y
jamas sean cuestionados

Me gustaria segir con esto pero no tengo tiempo si ustedes creen que nesesitan un escape
 musical algo bueno y sin fines de lucros yo les recomiendo 88.9 FM un programa de 8:00 PM 
asta 12:00 AM llamado fusion latina lo mejor de nuestra musica latina llamada por su berdadero
 nombre. grasias por soportarme y suerte para todos viva las culturas del mundo entero, viva 
la musica.

"si yo no hubiese sido cubano me hubiese custado cerlo Jose Marti.  disculpen las faltas de 
ortografia

GRACIAS...

Name: maggie
EMail: maggie_neira@hotmail.com 
Date: 11 Mar 2000

Comments

Salsa originated in Cuba. Most of the dances originated from the African 
music that the slaves brought to Cuba and introduced into the culture

Name: Melinda
EMail: spanishdimples@hotmail.com 
Date: 15 Mar 2000

Comments

Salsa originated from Cuba

Name: Francisco Perez
EMail: Francoto@yahoo.com 
Date: 17 Mar 2000

Comments

I think all of those who think "salsa" was created in New York should listen to the work of Celia Cruz and Beny More recorded in the 50s and compare it to the "modern salseros". You will realize that the only difference is in the quality of sound. If you are dubious about it, ask those who know like the master Tito Puente who said "the only salsa I know comes in bottle, I play Cuban music". Remember that Cuban music and musicians have been absent in US for 40 years, but that absece will finally be over and many "kings of salsa" will have no more to do than go back to school when they get lost with the guaguanco, rumba, son, danzon, guaracha, guajira and the list goes up to 30 other different styles. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Name: Fran Garcia-Oyola
EMail: Fran.Garcia-Oyola@GECapital.com 
Date: 17 Mar 2000

Comments

I am a 49 year professional salsera. I dance to the Palladium Style - Tito Puente. My aunt Olga who danced with TP and Tito Rodriguez taught me. I have been dancing over 40 years. In 1976, in the Bronx there was jam session with Fania All Stars. Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Eddie Palmeri, Charlie Palmeri, Larry Harlow and many more began to play and Celia Cruz said " Vamos hacer una "Salsa". After that the Mambo, Cha Cha, Guaracha, Pachanga y Charanga and Merengue became what you now call "SALSA". Before Salsa was called Salsa it was called "Latin Jazz". I danced at the Palladium, St. George's, Corso, Casino Broadway in the 60's. I was there to live all what you now call "Salsa". The Palladium Dancers or Dance was what you call today Dancing on "2". Last week, I went to Eddie Torres work shop and when we saw eachother we cried and laughed, we had not seen one another in other 33 years. Eddie, his sister Shortie and I were one of the heavies at Corso.

I hope this will help. But you can check with other who are my age to verify this statement.

La Salsera De Richmond - Fran on "2"

Name: Fran Garcia-Oyola
EMail: Fran.Garcia-Oyola@gecapital.com 
Date: 17 Mar 2000

Comments

Hi this is La Salsera De Richmond - Fran on "2". I forgot to mentioned Willie Colon who went to Jr High with me. "Burger" Junior High School in the Bronx, 143rd between Willis and Brook Ave. He too was instrumental in the development of "Salsa".

Come check me out on DC Website.Chao!!

Name: Mario Rafael Ambrosio Pardavell
EMail: ambrosio@correoweb.com 
Date: 13 Apr 2000

Comments

Que tal amigos de Latin Dance, soy una persona a la que le encanta la musica tropical y el baile, les escribo desde México, quisiera saber si aqui puedo conseguir susu videos... Mis comentarios hacerca de los origenes de la salsa son que el grupo Niche y la Sonora Ponceña influyeron en gran medida al estilo actual que se tiene de la salsa que es muy diferente al que habia por ejemplo en los años 60, con la inclusión de la salsa romantica de Willie Gonzalez, Eddie Santiago entre otros la salsa tomo un rumbo muy diferente.

Name: Marie-Antoinette Pérez-Brosset
EMail: salsa7@club-internet.fr 
Date: 17 Apr 2000

Comments

I am a Latina living in Paris, France. My passion is salsa dancing. My frustration is that in France the French have been led to believe that the "real salsa" comes from Cuba. Little attention is paid here to the other styles of salsa such as Puerto Rican salsa and little or nothing is known here of New York style or LA style salsa. Some of the French do dance Columbian salsa.

In addition, few of any of the dance instructors are of Latin origin.

I do not want to give up passion but I find it really sad that so many people here are misinformed.

Name: Antje Guthan
EMail: aguthan@stud.fh-heilbronn.de 
Date: 04 May 2000

Comments

Un saludo a todos los salseros del mundo!

Despues de haber leído casi todos los comentarios me gustaría anadir lo siguiente: Para mi no vale la pena discutir si la Salsa tiene influencias de no sé de dónde. Está caro para todos nosotros que es una mezcla de varios ritmos (cubanos, puertoriquenos, africanos,...) - por esta mezcla se llama SALSA. Lo que sí está seguro que la palabra SALSA ha sido criado en Nueva York combinando todos estos ritmos en un solo baile. Pero lo más importante y lo más bonito es que cada vez hay más gente a que le guste escuchar y aprender a bailar la SALSA en todas partes del mundo. Me parece que la SALSA tiene algo mágico que cautiva a todos que una vez han estado en contacto con esta música sabrosa.

Para terminar quiero decir que yo también me he comprado los videos de Josie y de verdad estoy encantantada de tantas vueltas y tecnicas que pude aprender a través des los videos.

Al final una pequena información para los que han solicitado informaciones sobre la historia de Salsa Bajo http://www.salsaholic.de pueden tener un monton de informaciones sobre este tema (tambien en inglés).

Me despido con un saludo a todos los Salseros del mundo y

QUÉ SIGA EL BAILE

Name: JOSE E LOPEZ
EMail: mrandmrsforever@aol.com 
Date: 05 May 2000

Comments

Look up the history from the carrrbean, salsa came from the islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba. African mixed tunes with mambo and plena from the islands.

Name: Carmen M. Vasquez
EMail: carmen.vasquez@losangeles.af.mil 
Date: 05 May 2000

Comments

I understand salsa is a combination of the Cha-Cha and mambo. When I first started to learn how to dance in the 50's I started with the mambo; then the cha-cha came out and before I knew it was doing salsa; of course not the way they do it today with the swings and turns; it was mostly in the hips. When Buena Vista Social Club came out, I found that salsa came from Cuba way back when. But the muscians who started it all were never recognized until today in their old age where they made their debughe. I thought that was incredible, espeicially Ruben Gonzalez who is still playing the piano. I have follower of latin music for years with all the musicians who were popular in the 50's and up until now, and have never heard anything like him; he is unique. I have up-dated myself with Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Ricky Martin, Oscar DeLeon, etc. I am also out there taking salsa lessons in order to learn the new moves and styles of salsa. I took a great interest in the Columbian style salsa for some reason; I just like the way they move. I am happy you gave me this opportunity to express the way I feel about dancing. Music is powerful and the only thing you can recapture in life. I belive salsa started in Cuba.

Name: Amanda
EMail:
Date: 11 May 2000

Comments

This is the best page I have ever been to for Latin dancing. I am at very good school in Canada and was assigned to submit a paper on Latin dancing. I have been searching the web for a long time to get any useful info. I could not believe my luck when I stumbled upon this page. All of your info. is accurate and very reliable. I aced my paper thanks to this site. Anybody who is looking for information on Latin/salsa dance is lucky to have found this site. I will definitely be telling my friends about this place. Thanks for the help. See ya!!

Name: Patsy  Daniza.
EMail: lilygirl16@.hotmail.com   
Date: 12 May 2000

Comments

Hola todo el mundi mi nombre es patsy daniza pero todo el mundo me dise lily.Para empezar soy dominican, y resido en new york pero como buena caribeña que soy dejenme desirle que me facina la salsa y como tal mencanta bailarla pero mas cuando me encuentro un parejo que sepa bailar tan biem como yo puesto que vivo la salsa yya que me doi tanta brega aprender a bailarla pues tengo que disfrutarla.Dejenme desirles que no importa si vino de cuba, o africa, lo importante es que todo tenemos que reconoser que los boricuas lo sacaron adelante y no lo estoy disiendo porque mi esposo sea boricua si no porque es una realidad que todo el mundo tiene que reconoser.En conclusin sim puerto rico no hay salsa que viva quisqueya y puerto rico por darme tan buen marido. Gracias.

Name: J. Mat Rodriguez
EMail: thejazzninja@hotmail.com 
Date: 16 May 2000

Comments

Salsa comes from a variety of influences and countries. The most obvious and credited country is Cuba, the birthplace of the cha-cha, songo, bombo, and many other styles. Puerto Rico contributed its own rich Carribean influences as well as musicians such as Tito Puente and Celia Cruz. But, the origin of clave, the prominent beat in salsa, is from Africa originally. Salsa is rhythm and soul to the highest degree. The rhythm of salsa is probably the most recognizable trait. And that rhythm is originally from the birthplace of man, Africa. Later influences from Spain, the Caribbean, coupled with modern influences such as jazz and rock, have formed what we call salsa.

Name: Philipp
EMail:
Date: 20 May 2000

Comments

Is it not true to say that salsa in its continued development (why is it that we have jumped to conclusions in so many other dances - about the moves they should contain, but are continuing to build salsa?) has pretty much ripped off all the good moves from other dances, be they jive, tango, or whatever? To me it seems almost as though the research that we do about the origins of salsa is bound to come to no conclusion since much of the evolution takes place not in institutions of dance in the conventional sense (universities, official competitions, professionally trained, registered dancers), but in nightclubs, ghettos, streets, in one word, places that leave no documents to be studied.

Name: Meredith
EMail: merdi_85@hotmail.com 
Date: 25 May 2000

Comments

I think salsa dance originated from the cave man. When they danced under the moon for not rain, but food. Not many know these facts, but I do-- b/c I'm a genius. Or it could've originated from insects. I can't explain this one, but it could be true. Or... maybe some talented, coordinated, Latins decided to form a new style of dance one day... EVER THINK OF THAT?

Name: Philipp
EMail: philippw@talk21.com 
Date: 28 May 2000

Comments

Hi (was it Molly?)! For a history of cha-cha, try the url

http://home.att.net/~kellens/feb00.html

It dispels the myth that the 4-and-1 beat is the origin of the curious name of this dance, and that it came from African tribal dances (whoever made that up?). Of course, what is presented on that website is not the entire story. There is at least one name - Pierre Lavelle - that goes with cha-cha as we know it, i.e. the conversion of cha-cha into a modern "ballroom" type dance. Also try

http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/latin/latin.html

I know nothing about the coming into being of the American style, however.:)

Name: Jessica
EMail: JessieC79@excite.com 
Date: 28 May 2000

Comments

I've heard that salsa has originated in Cuba with the influence of Afro-cuban artists.

Name: martha hansen
EMail: tinkerbellpeter49@yahoo.com 
Date: 29 May 2000

Comments

I believe that "salsa" is originated from Cuba.The word salsa means:spicy sauce made from tomatoes, chillies, onions. As the music has a combination of rithymes and the rithymes are made from people expressing their souls and as well people from different nationalities as we all know cubans are since the begin and specially after Fidel took over Cuba and mixed people.

Name: Caitlin Stechschulte
EMail: costechs@bucknell.edu 
Date: 29 May 2000

Comments

I was looking for history on salsa dancing and was so relieved when I came upon this site. I have to give a report in spanish on salsa and this info was just what I needed. Thank you so much

Name: Cubanazo
EMail: cubanosalsero@hotmail.com 
Date: 07 Jun 2000

Comments

Hola, Mi nombre es Angel y nací en Cuba, en la provincia de Villa Clara. Tengo 25 años. Gracias a dios hace 5 años logre escapar de mi propio país. La isla mas linda del mundo, allí me crié y estudié música en el conservatorio nacional de la Habana. Desde muy niño me gusto aprender mucho de la cultura y la música cubana. Hoy por hoy solo les puedo decir con mucho orgullo, que esta música tan linda que llamamos salsa no es otra cosa que el son cubano, desde que vivía en Cuba, admiré y bailé mucha salsa puertoriqueña, colombiana, venezolana y de la que fuera. Porque eso si tenemos los cubanos, bailamos de todo. Cuando llegué a este país me dí cuenta el por qué muchas personas parecen estar confundidas aserca de donde vino la salsa. Muchas personas en este país no conocen quien fue Benny More, Enrique Jorrín, Arsenio Rodriguez, Miguelito Cuní y tantos de los grandes musicos que ha dado Cuba. Todo se lo debemos a ese gran hijo de su madre tenemos allá en la isla que ha dejado a Cuba paralizada en la historia. Yo estoy de acuerdo y admiro a los boricuas por su contribución a la salsa, por mantener viva la música cubana que como hermanos les enseñamos a tocar, al igual que compartimos nuestra bandera. Los puertoriqueños sin duda han hecho mucho por la comercialización de la Salsa en los Estados Unidos, por su calidad de ciudadanos americanos y personas libres, aunque los cubanos del éxilio, tambien han contribuido mucho, cantantes como willie chirino, Hansel y Raúl, Rey Ruíz, Celia Cruz y muchos mas han hecho mover a toda la Florida, New York, California, ETC. Estados unidos es el sítio donde todos los latinos nos volvemos una sola raza. Pero que pasa con la música que ha estado sonando en Cuba por estos 40 años de dictadura, la música que se quedo en los años 50', pero que heredamos de nuestros abuelos, la música que vino de Africa y que los criollos cubanos mezclaron con el paso doble, el flamenco y la contradanza para entonar en sus guateques campesinos, la música que Fidel Castro quizo cambiar por consignas comunistas y les cerró todas las puertas, la música que solo escuchó y escucha el pueblo cubano, la música hecha con instrumentos practicamente rudimentarios porque los cubanos no tienen el apoyo de grandes firmas disqueras como la Sony ó BMG music para comprar instrumentos de calidad y grabar un disco. Esa música que Yo tuve el privilegio de escuchar, es la mejor música de todo el mundo, solo que no tiene un sello comercial, solo que sigue con su nombre orignal "Son" y no "Salsa," como se le llama para venderla. Y para ese que por ahí que dice que el nombre de salsa se lo pusieron al Son cubano, los puertoriqueños, que en Cuba la palabra Salsa no existía, esta algo equivocado y me parece que habla sin base, LA PRIMERA VEZ QUE LA PALABRA SALSA SE ESCUCHO COMO CANCION, FUE EN EL AÑO 1930, CUANDO IGNACIO PIÑEIRO Y SU SEPTETO NACIONAL GRABARON EN "LA HABANA" LA CANCION "HECHALE SALSITA." Les recomiendo compren un disco del Septeto Nacional de Igancio Piñeiro y escuchen esta canción, desde ese entonces ya en Cuba pegó la palabra Salsa cuando este gran exito era tarareado por todos los cubanos. yo todavia me pregunto por qué la gente escribe cosas sín tener una base para ello. yo creo que la gente debe de estudiar un poco mas, informarce y despues hablar. Ya va a hacer una semana de la muerte del Rey del Mambo, Tito Puente,aquien siempre admiré y recordaré, él siempre dijo que salsa era lo que se le hecha a la comida y que salsa era solamente como se le llamaba a la música cubana, la música que comenzó en los años 1700s con el nombre de Danzón, despues pasó a son y de ahí surgieron varios géneros como la guaracha, guaganco, rumba, conga, bolero, mozambique, guajira, habanera, zapateo y muchos géneros que los cubanos con su alegría y amor por la música cultivarón y desarrollarón hasta que a finales de los 30, Antonio Arcano y Orestes Lopez, inventan el mambo de la charanga, género que evoluciona por completo el baile y sonido del son, el cúal fué dado a conocer al mundo por Perez-Prado , El Mambo dió origen al Cha-Cha-Cha, creado por jorrín, y otros ritmos que buscaban comercialización. El Mambo fué sin duda alguna el sonido que abrió el apetito por la música cubana a todos los seguidores de nuestra música. Muchos de los grandes soneros incorporarón el nuevo ritmo del mambo a la manera en que hacian el son, como el GRAN BENNY MORE, El barbaro del Ritmo, a quien el pueblo cubano recuerda con mucho orgullo por sus pegajosas melodias, que todavia incitan a bailar al mejor salsero. Figuras como Oscar de León se inspirarón en la música del Benny para lanzarce al mundo del Son. Celia Cruz, La reina de la Salsa simpre lo ha dicho, desde que cantaba en Cuba con La Sonora Matancera: La Salsa, es el son cubano, el son que ella y mucho mas han estado tocando en New York por años. La música cubana solo tiene un nombre y se llama "Son montuno" ó "Son oriental" ó el primer nombre que fué Danzón . Tito Puente fué el sucesor de el Verdadero Rey del Mambo "Pérez-Prado." La música de Tito Puente, se recordará para siempre, gracias a la simpatía que sentimos los latinos por el maestro Puente, tambien gracias a los medios de difusión de este país, los medios que no tienen los soneros en Cuba, soneros que ahora, despues de 40 años, estan resurgiendo, si, porque la música cubana esta recuperando poco a poco el terreno perdido. Agrupaciones como Los Van Van, Cubanismo, Bamboleo, NG La banda, Charanga Habanera y cientos mas, estan siendo conocidos y seguidos por el público de los Estados Unidos, que es el público que define la palabra éxito. La exploción cubana esta llegando con el final del régimen Castrista. El son cubano o salsa, se definira algún dia. Solo esperen un poco por esa gran Caravana cubana que se aserca. Abranle las puertas a la música y vean que todo lo que he escrito tiene sentido común. Disculpenme si alguien se siente ofendido pero solo queria aclarar algunas cositas que muchos por ignorancia no saben, otros no las quieren ver, otros las quieren ocultar, otros creen que quedarán enterradas en el pasado, y otros que no les cabe en la mente. Yo solo quiero brindarle honor a quien honor merece. Al pueblo de Cuba que por siglos ha visto nacer la mas linda música del mundo, la cúal ha compartido con sus hermanos: Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominicana, Colombia, México, Brazíl, Costa Rica, y todos los paises latinos. Cuba no perderá su título de La isla de la música o mas lindo "La cuna de la música," aunque pasen mil dictadores por ella. Una vez mas, de parte de el pueblo cubano, mil gracias a todos los que tocan nuestra música y la llevan bien lejos. Por último les pido que estudien un poco sobre la historia músical de Cuba y que le abran sus puertas a la nueva Cuba que esta naciendo. Gracias por todo, Angel Rodriguez, El Cubanazo

Name: Mohamed
EMail: Scorpio2000_w2@yahoo.com 
Date: 12 Jun 2000

Comments

Salsa and all other latin dances riginated from Africa. Africa if you guys hears tunes and rhythms from African music it all resembles Salsa, beats. Most instruments played in salsa bands also originate from Africa, like Clave, congaetc. When African Slaves were brought to Latin America they brought their culture with them and have been generous enough to share with the Latin people. Latin people transformed it making into Salsa, merengue, samba, etc.So if you guys talk about Salsa tunes, never ever forget Africa, Who upto now play music which resembles salsa. All the equipment in a modern African band can possibly play Salsa, but western bands like Bon jovi, Arrow smith, Ice T, LL Kool J, you take their instruments you can hardly play Salsa. So do not forget Africa.Ask Africando.

Name: Francisco Herrera
EMail: franciscoherrera@spray.com.se
Date: 12 Jun 2000

Comments

Hola ! De Nuevo, olvidaba decir que no basta con recopilar las opiniones tan contradictorias y muchas fuera de lugar. Incluso hay una en particular que aprovecha para hacer propaganda política. Esto no debería de permitirse puesto que es un foro musical para expresar opiniones y puntos de vista enfrascados en la música y no en la política. Exixte otro tipo de foros donde el público puede acudir para espresar sus opiniones al respecto. Ustedes deben omitir este tipo de cosas cuidando su prestigio de academia de música y baile. Caso contrario dan una imagen corriente y barata que no corresponde a su nivel.

Name: DJG
EMail: GREGORYDJG2@AOL.COM 
Date: 16 Jun 2000

Comments

ALMOST ALL MUSIC BEING PLAYED IN THE U.S. OR IN LATIN AMERICA, OR IN SOUTH AMERICA IS ALL BASICALLY ORIGINATED FROM AFRICA. MY RESEARCH ON SALSA IS THAT IT BASED ORGIN IS FROM WESTERN AFRICA, WHEN THE AFRICAN POPULATION WAS BOUGHT TO CUBA. AND IT IS A COMBINATION OF SPANISH SINGING WITH AFRICAN BEATS AND RHYTYMS. AND FROM THAT POINT ON CUBA & PUERTO RICO DEVELOPED SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STYLES OF THAT MUSIC.

Name: Lillian Martinez
EMail: lillian.martinez@usa.net 
Date: 30 Jun 2000

Comments

The salsa is a copy of the Cuban mambo. It has the same rhythm and steps. http://xld.com/public/cuba/exhibit.htm

Name: Cangini Roberto (it)
EMail: r.cangini@tiscalinet.it 
Date: 01 Jul 2000

Comments

Non ho commenti sulle origini ma questa mistura di musiche con origini diverse ha in se' qualcosa di estremamente sensuale ed accattivante E' eccezionale!!!!salud Cangio

Name: DARRYL GREGORY
EMail: GREGORYDJG2@AOL.COM 
Date: 07 Jul 2000

Comments

ALSO IF ALL YOU GUYS SEEN THE DOCUMENTARY (AMERICANOS ) ON THE CABLE CHANNEL HBO (HOME BOX OFFICE) THIS DOCUMENTARY TALKS ABOUT THE LATINO EXPERIENCE AND CULTURE IN AMERICA. NEXT TIME YOU SEE IT, TAKE REALLY TO NOTE WHAT THE FAMOUS GUITARIST CARLOS SANTANA SAID. HE SAID THAT THE MUSIC HE PLAYS IS NOT LATINO OR SPANISH, THAT IT IS AFRICAN MUSIC. SO IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE COMMENT BEING MADE BY HIM, WATCH THAT DOCUMENTARY.

Name: stanito i. rodriguez
EMail: 11301 wilshire blvd. #143
Date: 02 Aug 2000

Comments

salsa name was changed from african-cuban to salsa to commercialize it. It is sad that everthing a african has created. They always steal and change the name. I very sad that a lot of latino's don't know about this are ignore the truth. If it wasn't for slavery on the Spainard side. There wouldn't be salsa. I do not know what we would be doing for dancing and music if it wasn't for the African cuban slaves. 
S-Spaniard A-and African L-Latino S-Sounds A-Authentic=African roots with Spanish language If you see a motorcycle with License Plate reading SALSA UP, that is me. Just honk your horn in friendship to one of the greatest sounds of the whole world. Long live SALSA.{UP}.

Name: ECUASTUD
EMail: c21luis@yahoo.com 
Date: 04 Aug 2000

Comments

who cares where salsa is from....the best salsa in the world is now coming from south america....specifically CALI COLOMBIA

Name: Steve Genter
EMail: genter@dplanet.ch 
Date: 05 Aug 2000

Comments

Thanks for this site. My comments to this discussion: I hope that the discussion about the history takes more of the line of how did Salsa become the Salsa that it is today. Whether or not the Salsa is the proud child of Mambo Cha Cha, Son, it is a legal child of the Dominican Republic, came from the streets of New York, Los Angeles or Miami, I hope that this is not really so important. Important is to know how to dance the Salsa with everybody else and that when the music plays, the dancers are able to find the same rhythm before half of the first dance is finished. It is the common musical body language which is the key to all of this discussion. Let's try to keep it there.

Name: Henry F. Hernández
EMail: Baracoita@hotmail.com 
Date: 06 Aug 2000

Comments

I really enjoyed what I read about the different types of latin music. I think that everyone would like to be the crator of such a beautiful music such as "salsa". As a cuban, my father tells me that cubans invented salsa. Who created this remains a mistery, but I guess that we should just enjoy it. trully: Henry F. Hernández

Name: carlos higueros (El Salsero)
EMail: po box 667 anoka mn 55303
Date: 16 Aug 2000

Comments

salsa is only a type of music, It doesn't matter where it came from or who sings it, love music that is why it is there . las tumbas , trompetas, piano, saxofon, maracas, guira . will tell you that music is beutifull no matter what. so if you like music or latin music in general dance play and have funnnnnnnnnnn!

Name: Amanda
EMail: amandamariea@hotmail.com 
Date: 07 Sep 2000

Comments

hey latin dance,

I really think salsa was a mixed of cuban music and jazz made by puerto ricans. The only thing I don't understand is why people from Venezuela are saying that salsa is from Venezuela? I don't think they had any influence in salsa or did they? I really think that puerto ricans created (mixed cuban music and jazz together) salsa because the first salsa bands were all puerto ricans like Tito puente y Ray Barretto y mucho mas que eran puerto riquenos. Me gustaria que estedes escribieran de lo que tuvo que ver Venezuela en la salsa por que no me explico que ellos tienen que ver con salsa

Name: Izzy Sanabria
EMail: izzysanabria@home.com 
Date: 07 Sep 2000

Comments

WHAT IS SALSA ? WHERE and HOW DID it START ?

What is Salsa? Where and How Did it Start? These are the very same questions journalists from around the world repeatedly asked me during the 1970s and they are still being asked today. Other questions also being asked are: How did Salsa get its name? What were the events and people that started the Salsa Explosion?

In recent years there's been an abundance of knowledgeable musicologists, music collectors and even college professors (worldwide) all "attempting" to answer those very questions. I said "attempting" because with a few exceptions, most are misinformed! I know I will be getting a lot of flack for my statements, so I will try to justify and give reasons for my opinions.

Suddenly everybody is an expert on Salsa, each coming from their own perspectives and sometimes perhaps even their own agendas. Don't get me wrong, most of what appears in print or television documentaries, etc., seems to be well researched, informative and I suppose accurate. However, a few things that bother me are the points of view and agendas I see coming through. But then again, I also have my own agenda which is to get recognition for the contribution of Latino New Yorkers. I will do this by providing to those that are unaware that the cradle of Salsa as we know it today was New York city during the 1970s. The reason most Latin music historians have such little information of the 1970s (and its movement) is because the Spanish media completely ignored that era. .. . .. . More on this topic later.

First, I'm quite sure I know a great deal less about the histories of our music (or music in general for that matter) than most of those writers do. However, if you weren't a part of the music and cultural movement in New York during the 70s, you cannot feel or fully understand what it was like to paint an accurate picture with the right information. I lived it, I helped create it and was in the center of it all seven days a week. So no matter how well they may have researched this period, it is still second-hand information. There were just too many details that even those in the music industry weren't aware of. Musicians for example were busy creating the music but played no role in promoting the name Salsa. In fact, as the term Salsa started to catch on, most serious musicians resented and resisted having their music labeled as such.

Before I continue, perhaps I should first define from where or from whom the different points of view are coming. For example, there are the two Cuban perspectives. The first was during the late seventies and the second is the nineties.

One of the first Cuban reactions to the term Salsa as a name for New York's Latin music came from Machito, "There's nothing new about Salsa, it is just the same old music that was played in Cuba for over fifty years. And they play it badly."

Another coming out of Cuba was that Salsa was a scheme ? a conspiracy by New York record companies to negate giving credit to Cuban music; in essence, stealing their music. Though it wasn't like that, I understood them because from their point of view it certainly looked that way.

With the world now completely accepting the term Salsa (which in essence is Afro-Cuban music), everywhere you turn, another name pops up that long ago coined the word Salsa, or was somehow the first to use the word. Ironically, even Cuba is now using the term and in fact I saw one of their TV shows called Salsa.

Just to set the record straight, I never claimed to have coined the word Salsa, or used it first (I'm too young). My claim to fame is being first to see the potential of the word as a marketing tool to promote New York's Latin music (and hopefully my magazine "Latin NY" along with it). I had always felt that "Latin Music" was too broad a term (for the sound being created by Latino New Yorkers) and that it needed its own name like Jazz, Rock & Roll, Disco, R&B, Blues, etc., in order to define and identify it as an entity unto itself. A new name and image was needed that people could get excited about and be able to relate to. Salsa was easy enough for anyone to pronounce and, remember. I thought Salsa was just perfect.

1975: THE SPARK THAT IGNITED THE SALSA EXPLOSION!

Its fire fanned by the Newyorican fervor, the Salsa scene was bursting at the seams. Like dynamite waiting for a spark to ignite it, Salsa was ready to explode. Then in 1973, I hosted the television show "Salsa" which was the first reference to this particular music as Salsa. That year I also launched Latin NY Magazine. But the spark igniting the explosion came in the form of Latin NY's First Salsa Awards in May 1975. The Latin NY Music Awards received greater (pre and post) mass media coverage than was ever given to any Latin music event at that time and thus gave Salsa its biggest push and momentum.

Two factors made the awards (by media standards) a "News Worthy" event that merited their attention. The first was that we publicized the event as "Latinos finally honoring their own with the first Salsa Awards Ceremonies." The second factor was our intense public criticism of NARAS for ignoring our repeated requests to give Latin music its own separate category in the Grammys.

. INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION for LATIN NY MAGAZINE and SALSA

The coverage by mainstream media such as The N.Y. Times, Newsweek and Time magazines, created an incredible worldwide avalanche of interest in Salsa. The unprecedented coverage and its impact caught everyone in the industry completely by surprise and unprepared. It prompted Harvey Averne from Coco records to comment, "I wish this would go away and return next year so we can get ready for it."

Though still largely ignored by local Spanish media, the rest of the world took notice. From Europe (Holland, Germany, France, Italy, England, etc.) and as far away as Japan, journalists and TV camera crews came to New York to comment on and document Salsa; what they perceived as a new phenomena of high energy rhythmic Latino urban music, its dancing and its lifestyles.

They started with Latin NY as their central source of information and by interviewing me, Salsa's most visible and articulate (self appointed) spokesman. I must emphasize self appointed because it is an important fact that punches holes in the "conspiracy to obscure Cuban music" theory. This world-wide attention established Latin NY as "the bible" of Salsa (its primary source of information). And as its most visible spokesman, earned me the title of Mr. Salsa.

SELLING MEDIA the SALSA CONCEPT in ORDER to POPULARIZE the MUSIC

If you have any general understanding of publicity or advertising, you can appreciate the way I sold Salsa to the media, thus getting millions of dollars worth of (Free) publicity (you couldn't buy or pay for). The concept had to be presented in a way that was interesting, easy to understand and based on enough truth to give it credibility (see Promoting Half Truths).

My idea was to sell Salsa as new music (which it was) and as an integral part of the cultural life-styles of young Latino New Yorkers.

ANSWERING the MEDIA'S QUESTIONS: WHAT IS SALSA?

The questions journalists most often asked me were, "What is Salsa?" and "Where and How did it start?" By then I had developed a concise simplified definition of Salsa specially prepared for the media.

Directly translated, Salsa is sauce. it is what gives Latino cooking its flavor. Like in Italian cooking. What's spaghetti without the sauce? Traditionally, in American music like Jazz (and Latin), when a band was really swinging, people would say, "They're cooking"... in Spanish--"Cocinando!" And when all the ingredients were cookin' just right--the music hot and spicy, Latinos would say, "It had Salsa y Sabor" (sauce and taste). So what it really denotes is music with flavor and spice.

WHERE and HOW DID SALSA START?

My prepared stock answer was, "Salsa is Latin Soul. Salsa is Flavor and Spice. Salsa es Ritmo! Rhythm, the basis of Salsa. African slaves brought their rhythms to the Caribbean, mixed with the Indian, European melodies, Spanish lyrics and gave birth to Latin music. The sons and daughters came here, mixed in the high energy of New York, the influence of Jazz, added in some brass, and Salsa was born!" (I always added that Salsa's rhythmic origins were Cuban, but that it was the young Puerto Ricans that developed and kept it alive in New York City).

PROMOTING HALF TRUTHS

"Salsa, in reality, was any musical form, cultivated in New York by Latinos, upon a Cuban base, but inventing and adding something new..."

POPULARIZING the Name SALSA DESPITE STRONG OPPOSITION

As Salsa's self appointed spokesman, I devoted all my talents and energies on a crusade to popularize the music and have it recognized and respected as an art form. A task made more difficult by the strong opposition from the very musicians it was meant to benefit. I was resented and opposed in an environment of inflated egos and misguided traditionalists.

To help you understand what I was up against, I offer the following anecdotes.

After the media interviewed me, took down my definitions, historical overviews and names of most prominent important musicians, it was only natural that they'd want to interview them; the real source of the music. And believe it or not, the following Machito and Puente quotes are typical of what they and most older musicians told the media again and again.

Tito Puente: A New York born Puerto Rican that modernized Cuban based music thereby creating what I've always called the New York Latin Music. The sound that turned generations of Newyoricans (including me) from Rock & Roll to Latin music. Yet, despite his achievement, a thirst for recognition and an ego the size of a house, Puente had a favorite ( and humble?) witty anti Salsa comment he consistently gave the media, "I am not a cook, I am a musician!"

Machito: "Salsa is nothing new, its the same music I have been playing for over 40 years and these young people don't even know how to play it."

Now let me ask you, suppose I had said that Salsa was not new, but just the same old music Cubans had been playing for over 40 years. Do you honestly believe the media would have bothered to give it any coverage? I just had to laugh at their naiveté * when it came to promotion and publicity. These were proud musicians that took their music very seriously with great respect for it, but were so deeply entrenched in its traditions that they resisted change. Deviations (like the Boogaloo) were seen as compromising, bastardizing or diluting the music.

However, their pure and noble beliefs prevented them from realizing they were undermining publicity that could greatly benefit them by exposing them to new markets, new fans and, Financial Gains. Benefits reaped from a new int