It is not only Cuban; nevertheless we must give credit to Cuba for the origin an

d ancestry of creation. It is here where Contra-Danze (Country Dance) of England

/France, later called Danzón, which was brought by the French who fled from Haiti,
begins to mix itself with Rhumbas of African origin (Guaguanco, Colombia, Yambú).
Add Són of the Cuban people, which was a mixture of the Spanish troubadour (soner
o) and the African drumbeats and flavora and a partner dance flowered to the bea
t of the clave.
This syncretism also occurred in smaller degrees and with variations in other co
untries like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico, among others. Bands
of these countries took their music to Mexico City in the era of the famous film
s of that country (Perez Prado, most famous ...). Shortly after, a similar movem
ent to New York occurred. In these two cities, more promotion and syncretism occ
urred and more commercial music was generated because there was more investment.
New York created the term "Salsa", but it did not create the dance. The term bec
ame popular as nickname to refer to a variety of different music, from several c
ountries of Hispanic influence: Rhumba, Són Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha cha cha,
Danzón, Són, Guguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena, Bomba, Festejo, Mer
engue, among others. Many of these have maintained their individuality and many
were mixed creating "Salsa".
If you are listening to today's Salsa, you are going to find the base of són, and
you are going to hear Cumbia, and you are going to hear Guaracha. You will also
hear some old Merengue, built-in the rhythm of different songs. You will hear ma
ny of the old styles somewhere within the modern beats. Salsa varies from site t
o site. In New York, for example, new instrumentalization and extra percussion w
ere added to some Colombian songs so that New Yorkers - that dance mambo "on the
two" - can feel comfortable dancing to the rhythm and beat of the song, because
the original arrangement is not one they easily recognize.
This is called "finishing", to enter the local market. This "finish" does not oc
cur because the Colombian does not play Salsa, but it does not play to the rhyth
m of the Puerto Rican/Post-Cuban Salsa. I say Post-Cuban, because the music of C
uba has evolved towards another new and equally flavorful sound.
Then, as a tree, Salsa has many roots and many branches, but one trunk that unit
es us all. The important thing is that Salsa is played throughout the Hispanic w
orld and has received influences of many places within it. It is of all of us an
d it is a sample of our flexibility and evolution. If you think that a single pl
ace can take the credit for the existence of Salsa, you are wrong. And if you th
ink that one style of dance is better, imagine that the best dancer of a style,
without his partner, goes to dance with whomever he can find, in a club where a
different style predominates. He wouldn't look as good as the locals. Each dance
r is accustomed to dance his/her own style. None is better, only different. Viva
la variedad, Viva la Salsa!

Read more: Salsa History of Salsa Dancing http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcou

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