Salsa History

The salsa dance is believed to be the result of the fusion among Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Like all dances, salsa has its origin to boast of but unlike most dances, it cannot be singled out and attributed to an isolated lineage, devoid of all other foreign musical influences. So, if not one is solely responsible for the ancestry of its creation, who or what then makes up the infamous syncretism?
    In appreciating the core essence of salsa dance and understanding the entirety and beauty of its structure, there lies a need to trace back the roots from which it has sprung. A closer examination of its history would tell us that Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances, along with the occurrence of other countries’ influence, each played a significant contributory role in its evolution.
    The genesis of salsa can be said to commence at the height of the reign of King Loius XIV over France in its pre-revolutionary state, where dancing has been established as a maneuver for political control. In order to find favor in the eyes of the most revered king, one should have known and mastered all steps created by the so-called dance master. Dances were done at the king’s courts and new steps were introduced every now and then, leaving the aristocracy and the noble with little or no option but to forcefully teach their respective family members the dance steps. A prescribed dance pattern would have the man stand on the left, the lady partner next to his right. He leads holding the lady’s right hand with his left, while his right arm around his partner’s back. Such prescription is deemed to be the origin of the man and his lady partner’s close hold and manner of leading found in country dance (or contredanse) derivatives.
    It later on reached the Spanish court where it was called contradanza, making its way eventually to the Caribbean, particularly the islands of Hispañola and Cuba during the point of American colonization. Contradanza settled in Havana and contredanse found haven in Saint Dominique. There they patiently awaited the unfolding of the African movement, which will welcome them to the next phase of salsa evolution.
    Central to African religious and social practices are the traditional vocal orations and beating of drums. This paints the portrait of their concept of cooperative musicianship, where people are altogether involved in an activity. With the synchronization of drum beatings and variations on the part of other drummers, polyrhythms are created. These polyrhythms are a key component of salsa, parallel to that of a Spanish clave. The son clave, rumba clave and samba clave are but a few of the common keys descending form African key. The non-drummers, on the other hand, cannot be judged passive because they actively respond with the beatings by stamping their feet on the ground and have their knees flexed to absorb any shock. This leverage was used in moving the hips in counterpoint; this observed hip movement can be seen is salsa.
    Cuba’s manner of making music tended to be geographically distinct especially during late 1800s. Unfortunately, not a single village housed a permanent venue where traveling male musicians could perform upstage. As troubadours flourished, they carried with them news, folklore and instruments. With the use of tres (a Cuban guitar), marimbula (an African thumb piano), botija (a ceramic drum derived from olive oil jars) and bongos, they would play a music consisting of rhythmic chords that supported improvised lyrics sung to a clave.
    At this point in time, European inclination and preference invaded much of the west. Its music was suggestive of a quiet steady mood but with a rather more elaborate arrangement. Musicians were admired and supported as patronages and venues come to be more consistent and promising. The retention of orchestral structure and instruments held a similar promise as it would pave the way to the entry of jazz into Cuban music. Before jazz has claimed portion into Cuban music, the issue of collision and creolization already ignited between European music and that of African. The intercourse between Europeans, Africans and Native Indians inevitably created a significant presence of Creoles in the islands of Caribbean. Since then, Caribbean music has been tainted by European bias.
    The Caribbean cinquillo made its way into the daza, where it evolved into danzon, and into the habanera through the conradanza criolla in the nineteenth century. The latter found its way to Argentina, where it served as a precursor to what we are now more familiar with, tango. Quoting the words of Rebeca Mauleon in her “Salsa Guidebook for Piano and Enseble” (1993), the structure of danzon has been most accurately described as the following:
 “The danzon form consists of an introduction called the paseo (A), the principal flute melody (B), a repeat of the introduction (A), the violin trio (C). Innovations by several composers led to the addition of a fourth section (D) called nuevo ritmo, later known as mambo. This section added elements of the Cuban son…”
As Spain’s grasp on her colonies weakened and as the sense of individual identity through reformed thought heightened, dances in the form of group engagements ceased to be performed as one and were instead executed as individual couples. Such individualization of dance opened the door for the long awaited African movement.
    Fulgencio Batista, a prominent political figure and strongman of Cuba for almost three decades, was closely associated with two Americans who displayed unwavering interest in the state. One was a US ambassador in the name of Sumner Welles, who at the same time functioned as a president’s advisor. It was his doing that helped Cuba became a beneficiary of the “Good Neighbor” policy as implement by President Roosevelt. The other man was Meyer Lansky, who aided the establishment of hotels and casinos in Havana transforming it into “Latin Las Vegas”. The sphere of American influence was inconceivable and it highlighted few of yesterday’s renowned gentlemen, Ginger Rogers and Frank Sinatra. This emphasis also earmarked the next grand movement in the formation of salsa – the introduction of jazz.
    Jazz encompasses the mambo and chachacha. The mambo, as differentiated from the danzon, is well characterized by increased tempo, adoptive of jazz lines and is geared towards American brass instrumentation. On the contrary, the chachacha is still interpretative of the primitive charanga, only that a conga drum is added. The salsa dance evolved from the mambo. It follows a six-step pattern danced over eight beats of music, with a mixture of few additional Hustle steps.
    The exquisite sexiness of the salsa dance swept the world off its feet, creating a deep affiliation between dance and music and consequently incorporating harmony among varying Latin America’s dances – a testimony of the rich heritage the salsa dance possess.