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Salsa Music
Sunday 04th of November 2007 09:12:44 PM
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It’s hot. It’s spicy. It makes you want to move those feet right across the dance floor. What is it? “It” is salsa music, and with a combination of percussion, melodic instruments and maracas, it can get anyone’s feet tapping.
Salsa music, like salsa dancing, is a hybrid of many cultures, influenced by the people and places that have played it over the years. The predominately Spanish Caribbean genre has strong Cuban base surrounded by an intricately woven blanket of Puerto Rican and other Latin styles, along with a little jazz, pop, rock and R&B. The Cuban son montuno, the Puerto Rican bomba and the Dominican merengue are just a few of the cultural influences that have shaped salsa music over the years. Some of the earliest roots of the music, however, actually trace back to African influence. It’s no wonder then that salsa music is a bit difficult to place on a timeline of events. The use of the music has been traced to numerous points throughout the 20th century; though, the term “salsa” actually came long after the music it describes was created. Largely, it refers to the breed of salsa music that was popularized in the 1960s and 70s.
The word salsa means “sauce” in the Spanish language—quite appropriate for a brand of music that is spicy, hot and a combination of many elements. Take a moment to stop and listen to the next salsa song you hear—if you can sit still, that is—and see if you can cipher out all of the instruments at work. The first thing to stand out will likely be the percussion: Cowbells, claves, congas and other instruments that pound out a steady, strong beat. Playing around those pieces will be brassy trombones and trumpets, rhythmic guitars and some melodic piano keys. Add in a few other items like maracas or guiros, which will vary from song to song and artist to artist, and you’ve just broken down that hot salsa music you’re listening to!
One thing that you often won’t find much of in salsa music is lyrical content. What lyrics you do hear will often be simply words calling you to dance, along with other simple words and phrases. Some modern salsa music contains lyrics that fall into the “romántica” or “erótica” categories; the former being music filled with sentimental, lovelorn lyrics, while the latter focuses on more sexually explicit content. Mostly, salsa music focuses on the music itself.
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