Salsa's Evolution

Salsa is an extension of a music art form development stemming from an ancient music structure. It is contemporary harmonic structures, chord changes, rhythmic patterns and the sense of interpreting these by street- schooled musicians. The incunabula is in the 17th century arrival of the Iya, Itotele, and the Okonkolo -- the euphoria inducing, two-tone, truncated cone, Bata drums -- to the New World, via the Yoruba of West Africa. The Bata drum is sacred to the deity Chango -- the thunder god who suffered the consequence of playing with fire and becoming lightning itself. The "thunder" in these drums is origin to the "toques" used on stretched hide percussion instruments of the dance hall.

Pregones, indigenous chants, call-response pattern, and popular wording, constitute the "sonero's " craft. A "soneo", a singing art form that cannot be taught, will improvise within rhythm, melody and semantics -- being the call part of the aforementioned call-response vocalization pattern.

The Puerto Rican migration becomes the major adherent of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Puerto Rican music, readily absorbing new elements without losing any of the music's identifying factors. Formally, innovatively, staunchly, and exclusively, the "jibaro" reveres this music amalgam.

The evolution of the music presents all the idigenous and avant-garde tunes, technology, and rhythms, abundantly available in their purest forms, in New York City. New York City and its varied immigrant and national cultures give the music additions in their original versions. Spanish Harlem issues the greatest interpreters of the music. Salsa consists of effortless changes of energy, which are controlled by complete command of adopted and intrinsic rhythm, music form, and instrument.

Building on the original "Afro-Jibaro-Antillano" foundations, adopted music forms, played by virtuosos, the music metamorphosis' includes: Bomba (Holande, Yuba, Gracima, Sica, Guembe, Cuembe, Lero, Calinda, Belen, Paule, Cunya, Marianda), Plena, Bolero, Mambo, Cha-Cha-Cha, Guajira, Son Montuno, Changui, Son, Danza, Guaguanco, Columbia, Joropo, Decimas, Rumba, Comparsa, Vals, Descargas, Seis Chorreao, Seis Vegabajeno, Aguinaldo, Oriza, Marzurca, Minuet, Seis Bombeao, Seis de Controversia, Seis Andino, Seis Marianda, Seis Bayamones, Seis Villaran, Seis Matatoros, Seis de la Culebra, Seis del Juey, Seis Amarrao, Seis Enojao, Seis de Pepe Orne, Seis Sanduro o Zapateao, Seis de la Enramada, Seis del Machete Amarrao, Seis Dorado, Seis Mapeye, Seis Valseao, Seis Fajardeno, Seis de Oriente, Seis Una Y Una, Seis del Sombrero, Seis del Panuelo, Seis Tumbao, Seis Milonga.

These take a vertiginous intertwining path towards the moniker "salsa"; therefore, it is the musician you hear, whether in the street or hallowed hall, evoking the relaxed security and proud intensity of keeping a three-century tradition intact.

Drafted by: Jose Obando, CEO

Edited by: Ana Flores

SALSA IS NUYORICAN. This is supported by the following contributions: ARTISTIC, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC.

Artistic: An overwhelming majority of the artists that interpret salsa are Nuyoricans and Puerto Ricans.

Social: Nuyoricans and Puerto Ricans use salsa as part of their national identity. This community gave emergence to the term salsa. The community maintains the transgenerational aspects of social/contact dancing and instrument instruction. Since the 1900's, Spanish Harlem (El Barrio), has been providing continuity of the social and musical aspects of salsa.

Economic: The Nuyoricans and the Puerto Ricans represent the majority of purchasers of the musical recordings and the assistants to venues presenting the artists.