Salsa in a Nutshell

Salsa music is a general term referring to what is essentially Cuban popular dance music, which was internationalized outside Cuba. The term "Salsa" was initially recorded, promoted and marketed in New York City during the 1970s. The various musical genres comprising Salsa include the Cuban son montuno, guaracha, chachachá, mambo, bolero and, to a lesser degree, non-Cuban genres such as the Puerto Rican bomba and plena, the Dominican merengue, and the Colombian cumbia. Latin jazz, which was also developed in New York City, has had a significant influence on salsa arrangers, piano guajeos, and instrumental soloists. Salsa occasionally incorporates elements from North American rock, R&B, and funk. All of these non-Cuban elements are inserted onto the basic Cuban son montuno template when performed within the context of salsa.

The first salsa bands were predominantly "Nuyorican" (New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent). The music eventually spread throughout the Western Hemisphere. Ultimately, Salsa's popularity spread globally. Some of the founding Salsa artists include Johnny Pacheco (the creator of the Fania All-Stars), Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Larry Harlow, Roberto Roena, Bobby Valentín, and Eddie Palmieri.

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