Take a Musical trip

Salsa 


     I would like to take you on a musical trip to Cuban music, the Salsa. 

I chose salsa because I have always wanted to learn salsa and swing dancing. My husband loves to dance, but I have never been taught to, so maybe someday in the future, I will learn. 

Salsa was first invented in the early 1900s in eastern Cuba. The salsa is a dance, but its music comes from various rhythms and styles of music put together to make a catchy tune to dance to. The two main styles of music behind the salsa are Cuban son and Afro-Cuban rumba. The salsa music was created by a man of Bantu descent 

Here is a link to Cuban son music

here is a link to Afro-Cuban rumba music

Salsa  LINK 

this is an extra video I thought I would throw in for the salsa dance that I enjoyed, and I hope you all will, too 

salsa dance

The two kinds of music used are very similar in terms of instrumental usage, but each style has a slightly different speed. The Cuban music has the same speed throughout the song and uses more string instruments, whereas the Afro-Cuban rumba is more drumming and has different beats throughout the song. 

Each of these styles of music is good by itself, but when you put them together, the beats blend so well, and the rhythm sounds amazing and made me want to dance in my chair a little bit. 

the main instruments used in salsa music are the  

  1. 1. Vocals (salsa singers are typically called soneros)
  2. 2. Piano
  3. 3. Guitar or tres (a Cuban musical instrument similar to guitar)
  4. 4. Trumpet
  5. 5. Trombone
  6. 6. Saxophone
  7. 7. Double bass
  8. 8. Congas
  9. 9. Bongos
  10. 10. Timbales
  11. 11. Claves
  12. 12. Cowbell
  13. 13. Maracas
  14. 14. Guiro
  15. (guide to salsa music) 
  16. to learn more about the musical instruments and patterns this is the website I have found more information on, and all of the listed instruments that are listed above- link

the culture behind the music and dance. The salsa is to let one express themselves through the music and how they let there body dance to the rhythm of the music. According to the UA Cuban Center, the Cuban salsa emphasizes the human sexual interplay between a man and woman and their everyday experiences. 

Works Cited

“Guide to Salsa Music: A Brief History of the Salsa Genre - 2024.” MasterClass, 2 November 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-salsa-music. Accessed 19 March 2024.

“Los Fabulosos – Cuban son music (potpuri).” YouTube, 29 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC17ft55p-g. Accessed 19 March 2024.

Prapaso, Anan. “"RICARDO" ORIGINAL THAI SALSA SONG OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO BY SIAM CUBANO BAND.” YouTube, 25 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqRnrqYVUrI. Accessed 19 March 2024.

“Salsa Dance Origin, History & Facts - Lesson.” Study.com, https://study.com/academy/lesson/salsa-dance-origin-history-steps.html. Accessed 19 March 2024.

“Salsa Instruments.” SalsaIsGood, https://www.salsaisgood.com/timing%20lesson/instruments.htm. Accessed 19 March 2024.

“The Rhythm of Havana: The Importance of Salsa and Ballet in Cuban Culture” – Shelby Calambokidis – UA Cuba Center.” UA Cuba Center, https://cuba.ua.edu/the-rhythm-of-havana-the-importance-of-salsa-and-ballet-in-cuban-culture-shelby-calambokidis/. Accessed 19 March 2024.

“Traditional Afro-Cuban Rumba Music and Dance at Callejón de Hamel in Havana, Cuba.” YouTube, 6 September 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vbfi-_okXk. Accessed 19 March 2024.

Comments

  1. RenéeMarch 23, 2024 at 10:08 PM

    Interesting post! While the example of rumba music sounds pretty dissimilar to the salsa, I noticed in the dance that a lot of the moves were similar — particularly the shaking of the chest, and the working of the arms and legs in a kind of swaying, jogging motion — but everyone was spread out in a line, not facing each other in a couple’s dance, like they would have in the salsa.

    With the Cuban son music, though, I don’t think I would’ve really noticed a difference between it and salsa, if you hadn’t pointed it out. The Cuban son music reminds me of a lot of the music I hear at Mexican restaurants — it’s complex, but somewhat regular (it turns into background music pretty easily). The salsa music, on the other hand, grabs your attention more; it has more variation and a kind of smooth or “slick” quality to it, and it’s more jiving. Very interesting to hear the differences, now that I know to listen for them!

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