Salsa
Chronologies
1990s-beyond
From the Caribbean to New York City
To
the 1850s
1930s
to 1940s
1950s-1960s
1970s
-1980s
From
the Caribbean to New York City
The
musical ingredients of Salsa come from Afro-Caribbean communities especially
Cuba and Puerto Rico
Mexicano
music, rhythms, culture prominent in Texas, California and much of the southwest.
Louisiana-born
composer Louis Gottschalk visits Brazil, Cuba, central America, creates Latin-influenced
music that is immediately popular in American homes and concert halls.
Ballroom
Dance virtuousos and vaudeville entertainers Vernon and Irene Castle introduce
the Argentinian tango to North America
Movie
idol Vanlentino introduces the tango to American audiences in the film, Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse; New York's El Barrio, a community predominantly
of Puerto Rican descent, is well established in New York; the first Latin record
shop opens in New York.
El
Barrio's second Latin record shop opens; the first Puerto Rican-owned record
company opens; beginnings of Latin/jazz fusion heard in the music of Duke Ellington
and Cab Calloway. The rumba craze is introduced
through the vaudeville performance circuit. 1860-1900 Louisiana-born composer
Louis Gottschalk visits Brazil, Cuba, central America, creates Latin-influenced
music that is immediately popular in American homes and concert halls.
Puerto
Rican "plena" and "bomba"
elements far more prominent in Latin music; Charlie Palmieri hired flute player
Johnny Pacheco in his group, as the flute becomes far more widely-used in Latin/jazz
ensembles. As the US and Cuba break off relations, Cuban emigres move to Puerto
Rico and Miami, and a stronger Cuban flavor is added to the mix of Latin jazz
and salsa musics. Current salsa leaders Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Willie
Colon and Eddie Palmieri establish themselves on the music scene, while the
"bugalu" signals the start of a new musical fusion:
Latin soul.
Salsa
gains long overdue recognition, while Latin/jazz moves in and out of vogue over
the next two decades. New elements of Latino music are introduced from Panama,
Colombia, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
1970s
-1980s
Dominican
merengue becomes popular. Traditional salsa declines and salsa romanica emerges.
Recently a return of salsa with Japanese combo and later popularized by former
hip-hop singers who return to Latin music.
