salsa

salsa, hybrid musical form based on Afro-Cuban music but incorporating elements from other Latin American styles. It developed largely in New York City beginning in the 1940s and ’50s, though it was not labeled salsa until the 1960s; it peaked in popularity in the 1970s in conjunction with the spread of Hispanic cultural identity but attracted new audiences in the 21st century. Among the musicians who have been important innovators of salsa and blended its style with other genres such as pop and jazz are Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, Rubén Blades, and Marc Anthony. The term salsa also refers to a dance that is associated with the music.

Roots of salsa

The roots of salsa (Spanish: “sauce”) are in the son. Combining elements of the Spanish guitar-playing tradition with the rhythmic complexity and call-and-response vocal tradition of African musical sources, the son originated in rural eastern Cuba and spread to Havana in the first decades of the 20th century. Highly syncopated, it employs an “anticipated” rhythm structure wherein the bass line precedes the downbeat by a half-beat, creating a distinctive pulse. Pioneered by bandleader Arsenio Rodríguez, the son became the framework on which was hung a wide variety of dance-oriented Afro-Cuban musical styles, from the bolero to the conga and from the rumba to the mambo.

Development of salsa and significant artists

Afro-Cuban music spread throughout Latin America, notably to Mexico. However, New York City became the forge for its transformation into salsa, beginning in the 1940s with the contributions of the orchestra led by Cuban émigré Machito (Frank Grillo), which blended Afro-Cuban styles with jazz and big band approaches. Another Cuban émigré, Celia Cruz, became the reigning diva of Afro-Cuban dance music in the 1960s, as it evolved into salsa with smaller ensembles comprising rhythm and horn sections and through huge contributions by a number of musicians of Puerto Rican heritage, most notably bandleaders Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente (a virtuoso timbale player and vibraphonist), and Eddie Palmieri (a pianist who brought progressive jazz influences into the mix).

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Frequently but not always up-tempo, or “hot,” salsa grew to incorporate increasingly diverse influences and performers—from Panamanian activist-singer-songwriter Rubén Blades to Mexican American rocker Carlos Santana. Pop music acts such as Cuban American singer Gloria Estefan and her band, Miami Sound Machine, blended salsa into their songs, bringing Latin music to Top 40 radio in the 1980s and ’90s.

Salsa music in the 21st century

Although its international popularity crested in the 1970s, salsa retained a large audience into the 21st century. Top-selling artists and singers, many of whom notably mix Latin styles with genres such as hip-hop, include Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Jennifer Lopez.