Salsa music Conga drums, one of the foundational instruments of salsa music. Salsa is primarily Cuban son, itself a fusion of Spanish canción and guitar and Afro-Cuban percussion, merged with North American music styles such as jazz. Salsa also occasionally incorporates elements of rock, R&B, and funk.[6] All of these non-Cuban elements are grafted onto the basic Cuban son montuno template when performed within the context of salsa.[7] Salsa as a musical term[edit] "In 1973, I hosted the television show Salsa which was the first reference to this particular music as salsa. I was using [the term] salsa, but the music wasn't defined by that. But promotion certainly wasn't the only factor in the music's success, as Sanabria makes clear: "Musicians were busy creating the music but played no role in promoting the name salsa Globally, the term salsa has eclipsed the original names of the various Cuban musical genres it encompasses. Issues of identity and ownership[edit] Lyrics[edit] Instrumentation[edit]
Celia Cruz History of Salsa While some respected cuban music historians have popularized the myth that salsa originated in Cuba the earliest evidence of it was in the Puerto Rico with Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera. Salsa started having as background the rich heritage of the Plena, the Afrocaribean form of music that that evolved in Puerto Rico and the influence of more melodic rhythms brought in and developed by mainline Puerto Rican musicians that lived in the United States during the 20's, 30's and 40's and began returning to Puerto Rico after the second world war. These arrivals not only gave the newer Puerto Rican musicians a rich treasure of sounds from all over Latin America, including the Cuban Son and the Guaracha, but also placed on them the responsibility of being creative before those that knew the difference between talent and gimmickry. It is here as in other times across the history of Cuba and Puerto Rico that music met. Cuban music was instrumental in the development of the salsa.
Cajun Music History A great specialty of the folk music of North America is that, like the nation itself, it is derived from several different cultures. When the Europeans migrated to the newly found American continent, they took with them the music of their lands. The music that we hear in North American nations as of today, is an evolved form of the music derived from several European folk traditions. The origin of Cajun music can be traced back to the Acadian colonists, who had settled down in the province of Acadia. This region stretched towards the east of Quebec, and included the Maritime provinces, parts of New England and Maine, and stretched till Philadelphia. What is Cajun Music Cajun music cannot be simply defined as the music of Louisiana. History of Cajun Music In 1764, several French colonists and Acadians migrated to South Louisiana form Nova Scotia (Canada). A major boost to Cajun musicians came in the 1800s, when increasing trade brought in accordions to Louisiana.
Reading/Research Room The following summary of the history of Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco music is based entirely on information included in the sources listed at the bottom of the page. Anyone who wants to gain an understanding of the development of French music in Southwest Louisiana needs to start with these sources. The best way to experience the history of Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco music first hand is to listen to the many historical recordings now available. Both Cajun music and the Creole music that evolved into Zydeco are the products of a combination of influences found only in Southwest Louisiana. According to Alan Lomax in his notes to a CD collection of field recordings in Louisiana that he and his father, John Lomax, completed in the 1930s, "the Cajun and Creole traditions of Southwest Louisiana are unique in the blending of European, African, and Amerindian qualities." Origins of Cajun Music Dennis McGee performing in the LSUE Acadian Center in 1976. Introduction of the Accordion The Rise of Zydeco
Tex-Mex Mixed beef and chicken fajita ingredients, served on a hot iron skillet "Tex-Mex" (portmanteau of Texan and Mexican) is a term describing a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Tejanos influenced by Mexican cuisine. The cuisine has spread from border states such as Texas and those in the Southwestern United States to the rest of the country as well as Canada. Tex-Mex is most popular in the state of Texas. Tex-Mex is very different from the Southwest cuisine found in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. In some places, particularly outside of Texas, "Tex-Mex" is used to describe a localized version of Mexican cuisine. Common dishes[edit] Some ingredients are common in Mexican cuisine, but other ingredients not typically used in Mexico are often added. History[edit] The word "Tex-Mex" first entered the English language as a nickname for the Texas Mexican Railway, chartered in southern Texas in 1875. Notes[edit]
Cuco Valoy In a career beginning in the 1950s and continuing into the present day, Cuco Valoy has known success singing son, salsa, merengue, bachata and bolero, in addition to playing and singing Afro-Dominican folk styles like palo. Not only has Valoy’s career run the gamut of Dominican musical forms, he has also seen the music from the vantage point of singer, percussionist, guitarist, producer, and even on-air disc jockey. Known chiefly as a vocalist, Valoy recorded both the rhythm guitar and the bongo for the son duo Los Ahijados which he fronted with his brother Martin, and often played piano or bass on his later merengue recordings. Valoy was born in 1937 in Mano Guayabo, near the capital of Santo Domingo. Cuco’s professional career started in the late 1950s with Los Ahijados ( The god-children), a traditional son group he formed with his brother Martin and named in response to the great Cuban duo Los Compadres (The Godfathers).
Salsa Music & Dance - SalsaGente - Cuban-style Salsa dance in Santa Cruz, California Dance like no one is watching! Following information was compiled from various sources on the InternetFollowing categories are covered below:1. Salsa Music and Dance Around the World (New York, Los Angeles, Cuba, Colombia, West Africa)2. New York (USA) Salsa Music During the 1940s and 50s, Cuban musicians had a huge influence on the New York music scene.But once Fidel came to power, diplomatic relations fell apart between Cuba and the US. These days New York salsa has a distinctly Puerto Rican sound ‚ smooth, polished, classic salsa. Leading musicians playing NewYorican Salsa: Celia Cruz Willie Colon Eddie Palmeiri The Spanish Harlem Orchestra Jimmy Bosch Salsa Dance The high concentration of Puerto Ricans and NuYoricans in New York, means that the New York salsa dance style is strongly Puerto Rican influenced, with an emphasis on fast flash footwork. But, there‚is also a strong Latin Hustle influence in New York salsa dancing. The current New York salsa style is called Mambo or Salsa On 2.
What is Tejano Music? Tejano music is from the Mexican origin population of Texas and is sung in Spanish. While Tex-Mex is not Tejano because Tex-Mex is bilingual, as in the Texas Tornados song, “Hey Baby, Que Paso.” Regional Mexican and Musica Tejana, not Tejano, are all-inclusive of the sounds of the different ensembles such as orquesta, conjunto, norteño, grupo, banda, mariachi, trio, tropical/cumbia, vallenato and includes Tejano. (Burr, 1999, Peña, 1999) Tejano music incorporates many standard evergreen Mexican music compositions in the ranchero style such as “Tu, Solo, Tu,” and “El Rey” by Jose Alfredo Jimenez. The name Tejano refers more so to a geographic area than a blending or mixing of cultures, since Mexican music created in Texas or the sounds of Mexican popular music as developed in Texas are now heard around the world. Only a few Tejano bands play polkas or waltzes and they definitely do not have flutes.