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     The Rise Of Salsa Reposted From
the "X" issue of Tower, Records' Pulse! Magazine. HOT! HOT!
HOT!, Fania records and the rise of salsa The word salsa is actually an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of clearly distinctive, but equally addictive Afro-Caribbean rhythms and dances: the mystically tinged rumba, the elegant danzón, the sinuous cha cha cha, the joyful guaracha, the explosive mambo and, most importantly, the earthy son, the island's quintessential song format. The origins of the term are the subject of debate among the more obsessive aficionados. Some go back to a 1933 recording by Cuban bandleader Ignacio Piñeiro and his Sexteto Nacional named "Echale Salsita," which uses the sauce word as a metaphor for the dance-friendly flavor found in the music. Others credit an obscure Venezuelan radio DJ who used the term to describe the new school of Afro-Cuban music coming out of New York, via the legendary Fania label, and Puerto Rico in the '60s. Founded by impresario Jerry Masucci and bandleader/flautist Johnny Pacheco, Fania gathered the most talented musicians of the time under one roof, blending the percolating combustion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with the swing of big-band American jazz and the gritty, inner-city vibe of r&b. The Fania catalog represents the apex of tropical music, the standard against which all subsequent efforts continue to be measured. There's no denying the cathartic power of the earlier, more traditional examples of the Afro-Cuban canon. But seminal efforts by the likes of Pacheco, Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoé, Willie Colon, Larry Harlow, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz and the Fania All-Stars (the label's own mega-orchestra) took the entire genre to another level by adding to it a modernist approach, social commentary and an omnivorous taste for outside influences. The Fania movement influenced salseros all over the Americas, who started creating their own version of the new sound, fusing it with their local folklore. When Fania collapsed in the mid-'80s and a new, watered-down style by the name of salsa romántica took over the airwaves, it was Colombia that assumed the reign of quality tropical music with artists such as Joe Arroyo, Grupo Niche Fruko y sus Tesos and the Latin Brothers. But the insipid salsa romántica craze didn't last. It was replaced in the '90s by a return to the more organic, hardcore sensibility of the '70s, with the four geographical super powers of salsa (New York, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Cuba) releasing their share of noteworthy recordings. In the last 15 years, a new generation of Cuban musicians has cultivated a more extreme style known as timba. Using their conservatory-earned skills, these artists perform salsa at the speed of light, adding strong doses of American hip-hop and r&b. Groups such as Los Van Van, Bamboleo and the excellent NG La Banda have divided fans with the aggressiveness of their sound. Some consider their efforts the anathema of tropical music, while others applaud their creative restlessness as a sign of exciting new salsa sounds to come.
HECTOR LAVOE Because of his mercurial charisma and appetite for self-destruction, Héctor Lavoé was as much of a rock star as salsa has ever known. Those who were lucky enough to see Lavoé in concert before his untimely death in 1993 will tell you that it was an unforgetable experience. Ironically, only hardcore salseros are aware of Lavoé's importance. Casual Latin- music lovers are more familiar with the work of his producer and songwriting partner, trombonist Willie Colón, whom Lavoé met after moving to New York from his native Puerto Rico in 1963. Young, streetwise and eager to impress, the duo was exactly what the recently established Fania label was looking for when it released Colón's appropriately titled debut, El Malo (The Mean One). Between 1967 and 1974, Lavoé recorded a string of hits as the featured vocalist in Colón's orchestra, his throaty, thickly textured vocals gracing such cuts as the gritty "Calle Luna Calle Sol" and the bouncy carnival anthem "La Murga." Lavoé's joyful presence also added an extra bit of spark to the supergroup the Fania All-Stars. In 1975, Lavoé recorded his excellent solo debut La Voz, which crackled with the singer's new creative freedom. Tunes such as the euphoric "Mi Gente" and the darkly morbid "El Todopoderoso" showcased the Lavoé aesthetic in full blossom: The music overflows with flavor and swing, while the lyrics betray Lavoé's deep knowledge of Puerto Rican slang, as well as his deliciously cynical view on life and love. Whereas his career was blessed with success, Lavoé's personal life was a horrible succession of tragedies, including the death of his son at age 17, the brutal murder of his mother-in-law and a heroin addiction that eventually resulted in his infection with the HIV virus and his death of complications from AIDS at age 46. Lavoé's persona as the famous salsa singer, happy on the outside but
psychologically bankrupt on the inside, was perfectly encapsulated
in "El Cantante," a song written by Rubén Blades, which Colón
convinced him to give to Lavoé. When it came time for Lavoé to
record it, Colón did the unthinkable, enlisting a string section for
a memorable instrumental passage that adds a majestic, mournful
atmosphere to the song. To this day, "El Cantante" is considered by
many to be salsa's greatest anthem. Essential Listening: DE TI
DEPENDE FANIA. A superlative date from 1976, including the classic
"Periódico de Ayer." Here, both slow and upbeat numbers are equally
torrid. COMEDIA FANIA. The breathtaking "El Cantante" alone is worth
the price of admission. Other delights include the openly
misogynistic "Bandolera," with a smoking piano solo by Gilberto
Colón Jr. HARD TO FIND BUT WORTH HEARING: W/ WILLIE COLÓN VIGILANTE
FANIA. Together, Colón and Lavoé experiment with extended
compositions and elaborate arrangements. Their most experimental
album is marked by a strong r&b influence. -ERNESTO LECHNER
RUBEN BLADES Whereas Héctor Lavoé was the definitive salsa singer, Rubén Blades was the genre's ultimate songwriter, a brilliant thinker who revolutionized Afro-Cuban music by combining infectious melodies with lyrics that cast a poetic, often sarcastic glance at the vicissitudes of modern life. Born in Panama, where he would eventually return as presidential candidate, Blades moved to New York in the mid-'70s, following his dream of becoming a salsero. A job in the Fania Records mailroom led to a guest spot in conguero Ray Barretto's band. It was only a matter of time before stellar producer and trombonist Willie Colón discovered the young man's potential and decided to produce Blades' debut, 1977's Metiendo Mano. The record was vibrant and refreshing, Blades' voice sounding uniquely poignant, and Colón's production guaranteeing an authentic salsa spirit. Songs such as "Pablo Pueblo" talked of the downtrodden people of Latin America. This theme would recur often in Blades' work over the years. The Blades/Colón collaboration came to full fruition on 1978's classic Siembra, which included the seven-minute mega-hit "Pedro Navaja" and was, until recently, the best-selling salsa album of all time. Everything came together on Siembra: Blades knew how to swing, but at the same time he was a masterful storyteller, creating vivid tableaus of Latin American magical realism. By the early '80s, the singer signed to Elektra in a bid for creative freedom. He replaced his big band with a jazzy sextet named Seis del Solar, and released his all-time masterpiece, the concept album Buscando América (Searching for America). Here, the gritty stories revealed a more cynical yet still hopeful Blades. Miraculously, he was able to enlighten without sounding preachy, telling complex stories while delivering some of the spiciest salsa in the business. Blades was never able to match the brilliance of Buscando América, but all of his Elektra albums offer their share of intriguing tunes. During the '90s, he gradually abandoned his salsa roots, searching for a universal pop language similar to that of a Sting or a Peter Gabriel. As a result, most of this output sounds somehow tepid compared with the Afro-Cuban splendor of the past. Blades also increased his involvement in politics during this time, ultimately running for president of Panama in 1994, on the ticket of his own Movimiento Papa Egoro party; he came in second place. And Blades is currently
proving all of his critics wrong with Mundo (Sony Discos/ Columbia)
a spectacular return to form that fuses Celtic, African, Brazilian
and Afro-Cuban idioms for a soulful feast that nourishes the mind
and the soul. Joe Arroyo At age 10, Colombian singer Joe Arroyo was
already performing the salsa hits of the moment at a whorehouse in
his native Cartagena. Customers and prostitutes alike were very
impressed with this working-class black performer and his booming,
syrupy voice. When the police happened to raid the place, the whores
would hide the young singer in their bedrooms. Fruko y sus Tesos was the perfect vehicle for Arroyo to master his vocal skills. Throughout the '70s, the band was a veritable factory of hit singles, and many of them were performed by Arroyo: "Manyoma," "El Caminante," "Nadando" and, in 1975, the self-penned "Tania." In 1981, Arroyo founded his own orchestra, La Verdad and began experimenting freely with many kinds of music. He treasured the folklore of his land (which includes tasty local styles such as vallenato, cumbia and gaita), and felt a strong affinity to all things African. Better yet, he had an instinctive understanding of the many dances to be found in the Caribbean. When the above-mentioned genres weren't enough to satisfy his voracious appetite, he invented his own-"joe-son"-a sparkling blend of son, calypso and merengue best exemplified by his mega-hit "La Noche." Sadly, Arroyo fell prey to the excesses associated with the salsa
lifestyle, including a much-publicized addiction to alcohol and
drugs. Inevitably, his voice suffered the consequences, turning his
live performances of the last few years into hit-and-miss affairs.
At 46, Arroyo looks considerably older than his real age. His
charisma, however, remains unchanged, as does his prodigious talent
for composing quality tropical music that transcends its genre. The
singer is, perhaps, the only salsero who continues to release an
album of new material a year without ever lowering his remarkable
musical standards. -ERNESTO LECHNER
Oscar D'León When Oscar D'León worked as a driver in his native Caracas, he would entertain himself by playing drum patterns on the steering wheel of his taxicab. A man of humble origins but boundless ambition, D'León taught himself to play the bass, was a founding member of his country's quintessential salsa combo, La Dimensión Latina, and eventually became Venezuela's most popular and influential singer, regardless of genre. The roots of this miraculous success story lie in D'León's unabashed passion for tropical music, specifically the classic big-band sound of Cuba in the '50s, when macho singers like Beny Moré reigned supreme. D'León had no qualms about imitating the style that he loved. Being Venezuelan, however, he brought to the mix the typically South American salsa aesthetic, which calls for faster, tighter arrangements, airy and acrobatic at the same time. Thus, many of D'León's recordings of popular Cuban songs (Orquesta Aragón's cheeky "Calculadora," Celia Cruz's smoldering "Melao de Caña") have become the definitive versions of these tunes. During the '70s, the trombone-heavy Dimensión Latina gave D'León plenty of room to grow and experiment. The singer performed on his trademark upright bass, and harmonized with the combo's other key vocalist, Wladimir Lozano. He also started writing songs for the band. One of them, "Llorarás," a throwaway idea that he brought reluctantly to the group, became La Dimensión's biggest hit, and D'León's all-time anthem. Eager to gain complete command of his musical direction, D'León created his own outfit, La Salsa Mayor. In 1978, he released the group's ultimate manifesto, an eponymously titled double-LP set loaded with honey-sweet boleros and flavorful salsa tunes. Up until the early '90s, D'León was pretty much invincible, recording numerous hits that still form the core of his impressive live show. By the mid-'90s, however, the singer had succumbed to the influence
of the watered-down salsa romántica style and the hits stopped
coming. But his live show did nothing but improve. An
obsessive-compulsive performer, D'León has absolute control of both
his audience and his band, merging one song into the next one with
precision timing and enviable stamina.
Persistent D'León fans were rewarded in 2000 with Doble Play, a
marvelous return to form that found D'León reunited with Wladimir
and honoring the warm, old fashioned sonics of the old Dimensión
school. All the while, his marathon shows remain the very best in
the business.
Eddie Palmieri Because of his unfailingly eccentric vision, jarring aesthetic choices and penchant for constant sonic excess, Nuyorican keyboardist Eddie Palmieri, better than any other artist in the vast landscape of Afro-Caribbean music, fits the definition of genius. Indeed, when you take a look at his prolific discography in the salsa and Latin-jazz genres, it is hard to believe that a single man is responsible for such a kaleidoscopic wealth of quality material. The younger brother of another talented performer, the late pianist
and bandleader Charlie Palmieri, Eddie began his musical training as
a timbalero, before switching to piano and developing his trademark
sound: furious, dissonant and percussive. By 1965, Palmieri was raising the temperature in his music with "Azúcar," a classic single, defined by an electrifying piano line that simply dared you not to shake your hips to it. A year later, he teamed up with vibist Cal Tjader for a couple of classy Latin jazz albums. It was in the '70s that Palmieri really blossomed as a composer and salsa anarchist. 1975's The Sun of Latin Music unveiled the pianist's two latest discoveries: electronics and 19-year old powerhouse singer Lalo Rodríguez. The combination was exquisite, and Palmieri improvised recklessly with established musical formats. One moment, he'd be the elegant classicist, caressing our ears with the formal beauty of a danzón. Then again, he'd quote the Beatles and grab your ears with a couple of noisy, psychedelic chords. This creative streak continued until the '80s, when the appearance
of the salsa romántica fad, which Palmieri hates with a passion,
forced him to retire into the safer world of Latin jazz. It was an
irreparable loss for the salsa genre, which made his return in 1998
all the more triumphant. Since then, the pianist has continued to
innovate and dream up new projects. The resurrection of La Perfecta
in the year 2002 is only the latest chapter in a career that will
hopefully continue delivering thrills for years to come.
Essential Listening
HARD TO FIND BUT WORTH
HEARING: Name:
Andres Morales I started listening the music we call "salsa" today since 1956 if i remember when Mr.Ismael Rivera and Cortijo Band started in Puerto Rico with the introduction of the TV in Puerto Rico in 1955.About that time Ismael and Cortijo began with the rythms of Pachanga,Charanga.Ismael Rivera was using those rythms to play his song .Then he also used some songs with a kind of rythm called Bomba like "Mataron al Negro Bembóm" this was a sort of song mix with that rythm they were using to advertise the news of a fact in Puerto Rico,another song they used to announce the facts in Puerto Rico was "Perico" Quitate de la vía.Then later Ismael was arrested and went to jail for approximily 10 years.After That another band came to the scene in Puerto Rico the Gran Combo's Band with some mussicians of Isamel Rivera's band.Also the Gran Combo still playing music today.The Gran Combo's was using the Cuban rythms when Castro's took the power to rule Cuba.The Cuban music began to go down and the Puerto Rican musicians took the music and their rythms until they have perfectionated but with the Puerto Rican style also the word salsa wasn't in the mind of those guys but they introduce a lot of dance and rythms for example boogaloo,Jala,jala,pata pata,oriza,etc.I remembered that before the music was danced by the name of the rythm.If the rythm were guaganco the dancers danced guaganco,if the rythm were jala,jala,the dancers danced jala,jala,if the rythm were guajira the dancers dance guajira.Now the term "Salsa" doesn't changed the rythms but changed the dance because some people does't know how to see the difference between each other,and they have everything mix.While the Gran Combo were playing in Puerto Rico and making money there were others good musicians that being contributed to the latin music later called "Salsa" like Eddie Palmiery,Charlie Palmiery,Ray Barreto if i know from Mr.Barreto is that he was traveling a lot to Africa to learn and heard diferents rythms to put into his compositions if you hear Barreto Wattussi,a big man from Africa and all the spirituality influence music from Barreto and from Cuba music came from the pious religion originated with the black pious religions that came from Africa and they mix the music and the religion to worships their gods and they mix the name of their gods with the spanish catholic religion. There are a lot of pious songs dedicated to pious religions i can tell Celia Cruz has a lot of pious songs in most of the music she sing for example they use the term Yemaya,Babalú,Ochún,Changó,Obatalá,Abacuá, some of those names are mixed with Mary the mother of Jesus and other saints from catholic religion.I remember that one time Willie Colón and Héctor La Voe played a song called "yemaya" i heard the word "changó" in some many songs of Barreto's Band,Palmiery's Band,Puente's and Celia's Band,Willie and Héctor La Voe Band,Fania All Star,Ismael Miranda and Larry Harlow Band,Richey Ray and Bobbie Cruz Band all the singers and bands or groups they have the music salsa or what ever you want to call mix with pious song dedicated to pious religious.I'm talking besides the what people call "Salsa Romantica" that is dedicated to other genres the genres of love.In resume only i can say that the blacks Cuban's mussicians invented the rythms that we have today but there is a diference between the Cuban salsa and the Puerto Rican Salsa and other countries salsa players i think that the Puerto Rican salsa is more sophisticate with more rhythm also i was reading last week an interview of a youngsters from the University of Cuba and from the tourist are and some of them said the best "Salsa comes from Puerto Rico and is the best place where they play "Salsa" than the Cuban salsa also we have the best singer in salsa in Puerto Rico and the best composer in Puerto Rico is for this reason i can say that Cuban's people own to Puerto Rican musicians to keep what they consider her music. Name: Gilbert Talking about the term of the word "Salsa", it all started in an interview with Richie Ray on a tv show. When they asked him "how to describe all that music?". Richie Ray came with the word "salsa" to describe how that music was developed. Since then, everyone started to call the afro-caribbean music "Salsa". But as you all know, Salsa has so many influences, from the cubans, son montuno, mozambique, guiro, etc., and from Puertoricans, jazz, bomba, and other variations, and some other countries have played a roll in this evolution until today. But the most important thing for all this music is that they all rest on the rhythmatic pulse of "La Clave" (2-3 or 3-2). For music writters, composers, dancers, musicians, etc., they all need to count of "La Clave". Because without this called "Clave" all will fall apart, no matter if you are cuban or whatever. As a dancer (front my point of view), it's very sad to see couples dancing without clave. Understanding how your steps match within "La Clave" is the most important thing we all need to know. It won't matter how many turns you could do if you are out of Clave. Sometimes, here in Puerto Rico, all we need is a pair of congas to dance, because you will not always hear the Clave (produced by two "palitos") in all records. The dry or "seco" sound that the small conga (quinto) produced is all we need to hear to dance in a "rumba". I recommend to learn about this basic concept before attempt to dance. The videos that Josie sell are very helpful, LA style is not so different than the style we dance in Puerto Rico or in New York. As a puertorican musician and dancer, we all know Cuba's contribution, and we really appreciated what they did in the past. If they danced before than Josie, or me, good for them! What Beni Moré, Arsenio Rodriguez, Perez Prado, La Orquesta de Machito, La Sonora Matancera, La Orquesta de Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Richie Ray y Bobby Cruz, Larry Harlow, Willie Rosario, La Fania, Ruben Blades, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera, Los Van Van, El Gran Combo, La Sonora Ponceña, El Conjunto Clásico, Tito Nieves, Frankie Ruiz, Bobby Valentín, Oscar D' Leon, Marc Antony, and so many others did, was great! I strongly recommend to hear music from all of them. So when we think about "Salsa" (dancing or playing), think about the wise words from Richie Ray. Salsa is a mix from all the afro-caribbean rhythms and styles, jazz, and even classical, and music all around the world.But all of these music rest on "La Clave" (no matter if you hear it or not...it's there. That's why you see dancers doing ballet or jazzy moves within Salsa steps. Name: Richard Bosch CommentsWell...interesting subject. My father was never one for words and still has an extensive collection of records from the 50's, 60's and 70's. He never really discriminated against any good music. Being Puerto Rican we listened to what was available. I have to say that in PR, Maelo and Cortijo were very influential. If you take a look at my fathers collection, the worn out records tell a story of what people wanted to hear and I assume what was influencial. True salseros seemed to prefer what would have been called musica titere. Guys who spoke of what was happening in the streets like Colon, Maelo, Lavoe. There was a heathy respect for the cutting edge of the Palmieri Bro's and R Ray and B Cruz. Not to mention the powerful trombone of Barry Rodgers. Real musicians. I see now days that people are more interested in the commercially successful artist such as Puente. My father has very little Puente albums and most are untouched. He threw many parties. But records by La Tipica, La Perfecta, Colon and Lavoe, Maelo, Cortijo, the Lebron Bro's, L Harlow, T Rodriguez and a slew of "unknowns" to current fans are well worn and currently well kept and enjoyed to this day. These guys form the real base of salsa. I can still remember my fathers description of what he felt the first time he saw La Perfecta with trombones. The man is 67 now and he describes it like a sexual experience. He also saw Puente but not with the same excitement. We saw the both in concert here in Austin prior to Tito's passing and Eddie's conga man R Flores blew us away. Eddie still has it on stage...recordings are up for debate. To listen to what is popular now is to cut yourself short. It doesn't really matter where the music originates from as long as it is good and the artist is a musician.....not a lip synching wannabe. I let the music speak for itself. The point is that the music was created.
Name: JASON THE PR PLAYA CommentsThe History Of Mambo/Salsa The Beginning The first dance of Afro-Cuban origin to obtain success with the American public was the rhumba. This rhythm was introduced in the 1930s through a 78 RPM rendition of El Manisero (The Peanut Vendor) by Dan Azpiazu and his Havana Casino Orchestra. The song was composed by Cuban pianist, Moises Simons and became a popular favorite and paved the way for the rhumba craze.The band though that really popularized Latin rhythms, during this time, was that of Spanish violinist, Xavier Cugat. His repertoire was eclectic but it did not lack in quality. Two of his vocalists were Miguelito Valdes and Frank Grillo (better known as Machito). Cugat enjoyed great commercial success and was responsible for the growing Latinization of American music. El Barrio During the late 1930s and 1940s in New York's El Barrio Latin musicians, mainly Cuban and Puerto Rican, crossed over to develop a blend of Latin and Black American (jazz) rhythms. Many of these musicians worked in the jazz orchestras of the era. Two bands developed during this era of musical exchange. One band was led by Puerto Rican pianist Nora Morales and the other was fronted by vocalist Machito. The heart and soul of the Machito Orchestra was Mario Bauza, the musical director. He was also Machito's brother-in-law. Mario was an accomplished jazz saxophonist & trumpeter. He played with Chick Webb & Cab Calloway. It is during these gigs that he honed his jazz arrangements. Soon the Machito Orchestra became the most exciting orchestra in the Latin field, taking over the crown of Xavier Cugat. These bands had a more direct Afro-Cuban sound than that of their predecessors. Also they added the lush orchestrations of jazz with its brass and wood sections to the traditional rhumba instrumentation based on percussion instruments (tymbal, bongos ans congas) plus piano, bass, claves and maracas. Another band that enjoyed success during this period was that of Cuban born pianist Jose Curbelo. This band included two musicians who would later become legends on the New York Latin music scene, Puerto Rican singer Tito Rodriguez and El Barrio born percussionist Tito Puente. Cubop During the second half of the 1940s, many jazz musicians entered Latin bands and many jazz band leaders started to include afro-cuban elements to their arrangements.This fusion led to the emergence of a new trend: Cubop. The movement was led by Machito and Dizzy Gillespie among others. After hour jam sessions were the rage at many established jazz clubs. Jazz greats such as Charlie "Bird" Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, the emissaries of bebop, would jam with the best Latin musicians at the time. Mambo It is also during this era that a new cuban-originated rhythm was introduced: The Mambo. Quite different in its beat and with more syncopation than the rhumba, the mambo first succeeded in Mexico thanks to the cuban bandleader Damaso Perez Prado. Prado started to attract local attention in Mexico in 1948 with his first mambo recordings. His popularity quickly rose due to the success of his song "Que Rico El Mambo" a year later. Mambo soon took over Mexico. The mambo was introduced in the States by the Latin orchestras of New York, who were well aware of its success in Mexico. After leaving the Jose Curbelo Orchestra to form their own respective groups, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente jumped to make their own mambo recordings which found immediate popularity in New York ballrooms. The mambo did not gain nationwide appeal until the west coast tour of Perez Prado and His Orchestra in 1951. The success of his tour was enormous, as Americans saw him as "Rey Del Mambo", the true personal personification of the new dance craze. The Palladium In 1951, the mambo reached its highest point when the illustrious Palladium Dance Hall changed its music policy to become the mambo center of the world. During its prime the Palladium regularly featured the Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez and Machito Orchestras. It became common for other ballroom owners to insist that their musicians include the new Latin rhythm to their repertoire. 1955 saw the success of the cha-cha-cha, a mambo derived rhythm slower and more rocking in tempo. The cha-cha-cha became an overnight success, but its popularity lasted less than that of the mambo. Prologue Another important orchestra in the 1950s that contributed to the emergence of Latin music was that of cuban born vocalist Beny More, ex-singer for Perez Prado's Orchestra in Mexico. Another great vocalist to come out of Cuba during this era was Celia Cruz, who made many great recordings with Tito Puente. After its heyday in the 1950s Latin music has gone through many changes, both in rhythm and popularity. Through the decades it has influenced some of pop music's most popular songs. Today it has attained its goal of becoming mainstream in popular music. There are many other great musicians who are equally responsible for the incredible sounds of mambo/salsa. I will profile one each week with a selected discography of their works.
Name: A K Jonsson The term salsa it is just only a comercial used by FANIA records in the early 70's to make money from the music of the style of Benny Moré (read below). Today the term covers many rithms from the caribean, and latinoamerica. Since there are a lot of people trying to make other peoples' music their own, I'm inserting few afro-latin-caribean rithms below together with their creators in brackets. (Only the most known are included here) From Cuba comes: 1-Guaguanco (an african-cuban sometimes called rumba).It is the basic and the root of the cuban music. 2- Mambo (Perez Prado and others from Cuba) 3-Cha cha cha (Enrique Jorín) 4-Son (comes from danzon, son montuno and later son. The son as it is played today is what Benny Moré already already played in the 50's) 5-Songo (Juan Formell y los Van Van) 6-Timba (a variation of the songo) 7-They have others rithms as well Many people from latinoamerica cannot dance nor play today's cubans rithms which are based on timba. By the time FANIA were making money with thier sons (using the term salsa) Cuba was already in the creation of new rithms. This country is without any doubt the musical center of the region. Since the music has evolutionated the dance has followed it. The so called NY-style, LA-style, etc are in fact just only the way of dancing in the 50's in Cuba and it is sometimes known as "baile de salón". This is still practice in the contry side (rural areas) when cubans music from the 50's together with the cuban country music (= known as guajiras which a version of the son montuno) are played. Meanwhile the new dancing has been imposed due to new cuban rithms such as timba, which is very popular in the cities (and also in the rural areas too). This style is known outside Cuba as "Cuba casino-salsa style" In other words: There exist two major different styles in Cuba: The rural and the city style. The rural is influenced by the farmers (mostly white people) while the city style has the guaguanco sign => afro-style. It is easy to see where people comes from (urban or rurals areas) by observing their styles. Since most of the foreigner goes to the cities they think By the way, their is no dance called salsa nor music term either (in the stricktly and correct way). The dance is called casino and that's why the term "Rueda de Casino" when many people dance casino doing a rueda (=wheel). Republica Dominicana 1-Merengue 2-They have others rithms as well Colombia 1-Cumbia 2-They have others rithms as well
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