The Definition Of Salsa Music

The definition of Salsa music is hard to pin down. It is basically a mixture of different Spanish influences. Salsa music is similar to the Cuban big-band music you will find in nightclubs and in concert halls, and the Spanish melodies are infused with jazz and rock influences for a distinct sound.

Salsa Influences
Many Cuban and Latin musicians have risen to fame by perfecting their own version of Salsa music. New York City's Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants get the credit for the birth of Salsa. The music primarily reflects Cuban beats, but it also has jazz, rock, pop and R&B beats as well, and it lends itself well to different types of dancing for both couples and individuals.

Jazz musicians also play an important role in the history of Salsa. Often times they would experiment with Latin music and Afro-Cuban elements, and they played up the drum beats.

Salsa Superstars
The music, which is meant to spice up the dance floor, has been performed by legends such as Tito Puente, Arsenio Rodríguez and Celia Cruz.

Puente studied percussion at Julliard in New York, where he developed his own Salsa style. He was a fan of big band, and he blended that type of music with Latin and African beats. He started Puente's Latin Jazz Ensemble, which has toured the world playing Salsa music for its loyal followers.

Rodríguez revamped Salsa as we know it today by adding in more cowbell, opening up a section for melodic solos and expanding the role of the tres as a solo instrument. Cruz, a legendary singer known as the "Queen Of Salsa," added even more spice to the salsa through her extravagant costumes and theatrical style.

The word "salsa" itself honors the many cultures and ingredients that have given rise to what we know today as Salsa music. Plus, the Salsa always brings the heat to the dance floor.