Salsa is more than music. A movement born abroad and nurtured by immigrant communities in the heart of New York City, the uptempo, percussive and horn-driven music combined Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythms to create the first pan-Latin musical genre that reflected the people who performed, enjoyed and danced to its beats. Major record labels such as Fania, and the artists signed to them, took those influences and focused on making music in Spanish but without targeting any culture in particular. The inclusive nature of salsa music created immense social power and pride among its listeners, who used salsa as a springboard for activism. Here, the museum shares select images that showcase how salsa music influenced activism in s New York City, as well as the unique dance culture that continues to define the genre today. By Jessica Lipsky on June 14, You have guaracha, mambo, cha-cha-cha. In El Barrio, the South Bronx and the Lower East Side — places with large Latino populations and where many musicians lived — the exuberance of salsa music served as a soundtrack for activism and reclamation. Yglesias While salsa may be thought of as simply dance music, its musicians and lyrics spoke to the realities of daily life.
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New York Salsa Artists Highlights
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By Raquel Laneri. It was a real happening. Some more traditional musicians have grumbled that salsa was just a clever name for good, old-fashioned Cuban son music, a 19th century folk tradition that mixed Spanish melodies with African clave rhythm.
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