Some Historical Facts About Salsa

In this Salsa Class Melbourne blog, let’s have a look on some of the historical facts about Salsa. How it took place and how it became so popular.

Salsa is one of the most compelling and important musical phenomena of the 1900s. In many Hispanic cities, it continues today the most favourite style of dance music. Salsa expresses a mix of Latin musical genres, but its prime ingredient is Cuban dance music. The sources of salsa began in Eastern Cuba from the Cuban Son about 1920 and Afro-Cuban dance like Afro-Cuban rumba. There, Spanish and Afro-Cuban musical components were merged, both in expressions of rhythm and the instruments applied. By mid-century, then this music arrived in Havana where international influences were assimilated, especially American jazz and favourite music listened on the radio.

By the end of the l950s, many Cuban and Puerto Rican people including performers had lived in the U.S., particularly in New York. This formed the environment where salsa music developed its expansion. “El Barrio” A Spanish Harlem was the convenient place where this took place. Many bands were created; immigrants proceeded to make an Afro-Caribbean song, but they modified the music to their new world. They were inspired mainly by American jazz. Slowly in the 50s and 60s, salsa was emerging. Some of the most popular musicians of that time were Tito Puente, known as King of Mambo, and Celia Cruz called as the Queen of Salsa.

The beginning of salsa music is also joined almost to Fania Records which was established in 1964 by the artist Johnny Pacheco and an Italian-American divorce lawyer called Jerry Masucci. The two met at a gathering in an NY hotel. They beat a deal to originate what grew as the most famous recording label in Latin music’s history. Fania was known as “the Latin Motown,” with one enormous hit after another enhancing and successful all over Latin America. Many professionals became very popular with the advertisement they got from the recording label “La Fania.” Fania Records reproduced Cuban music into a sound more relevant to Latin New York, and they called the music “salsa.” By the l970s salsa was becoming so successful that Fania’s groups and artists were travelling all over Latin America. This decade was the genuine “blooming day” of salsa.

The kind of salsa tune that Fania developed came to be regarded to as “hard salsa.” Then in the 80s, a different form of salsa which was easier and more romantic was turned, with experts Latin musicians created to have an influence on mainstream U.S. music. Latin music was enhancing and popular here and starting to intrigue the rest of the world as well.

Both types of salsa endure successful today and with the fame of the music, came the reputation of the dance.

Visit to Salsa Class Melbourne to know more and to learn this popular Salsa dance