David Neri

May 5,2009

BBL 3023

The University of Texas at San Antonio History of Salsa Music

History of Salsa Music

Question: What is salsa music and how popular is it?

Salsa Music, is a very popular style of music of Latin American music, especially Central, South America and the Caribbean. Salsa has achieved worldwide popularity, attracting performers and audiences not only in Latin American communities but also in such non-Latin countries as Japan, Spain, France, Germany and Sweden. In terms of style and structure, salsa is a reinterpretation and modernization of Cuban dance- music styles-especially the son- by the 1950s and Guanguanco by the 1960s in Puerto

Rico.

Question: What is son?

The son emerged around 1900 as an urban, popular dance-music style in Cuba. It derived some features from Hispanic music, including its harmonies and the use of the quitar and a similar instrument called the tres (three double metal strings). To these, it added characteristics of the rumba, a style of dance music with Afro-Cuban origins.

Features derived fi-om the rumba include a rhythmic pattern known as clave and a two- part formal structure. This structure consists of a songlike first section followed by a longer second section featuring call-and-response vocals and instrumental improvisations over a repeated chordal pattern. By the 1940s the son had become the most popular dance music Cuba, Puerto Rico, and much of urban Africa; Puerto Ricans who moved to New

York City brought the son with them. History of Salsa Music 2

History of Salsa Music

Question: In what years was salsa music popular and how did it adapt to the styles of the

times?

The 1950s were a particularly dynamic period for Cuban dance music. Cuban and

Puerto Rican performers in Havana, Cuba, and New York City popularized the mambo as a predominantly instrumental, big-band style. The mambo, together with the medium- tempo chachacha, enjoyed considerable popularity in the United States. Most importantly, the son was modernized by adaptation to horn-based ensembles of 10 to 15 musicians and distinctive, often jazz-influenced instrumental styles.

Question: Who were some of the performers of the time?

By the 1950s, New York City had become host to a large and growing Puerto

Rican community. A wave of social and political activism, cultural self-assertion, and artistic ferment swept through this community in the 1960s. The newly founded Fania

Records successfully promoted several young performers of Cuban-style dance music, and the music-now repackaged as salsa-became linked to the sociopolitical effervescence of the era. Bandleaders such as Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, Johnny

Pacheco, Ray Barretto, Tito Puentes, and Palmieri led the musical movement Eddie, in which salsa became a self-conscious vehicle for Latino pride, unity, and mobilization throughout the Hispanic Caribbean Basin countries and among Latino communities in the eastern United States. Most importantly, however, salsa, with its intricate and driving rhythms, its brilliant horn arrangements, and its vocals, served as exuberant and exhilarating dance music. History of Salsa Music

History of Salsa Music

Question: How would you define salsa music?

Well salsa music is the type of tropical music originated in Cuba. Salsa music is also is basically black music in combination with white music. The black part is the percussion and the white part is the piano and guitar and the brass section.

Question: What are the best memories of music in my career?

One of the best memories of music in my career was a concert that I went to see in Germany the performer was Dizzy Gillespie.

Question: What was your first recollection of salsa music?

Well, I grew up I'm from Puerto Rico I grew up in Puerto Rico so recollection is about salsa music has been all my life.

Question: Who are your musical influences?

My musical influences are Eddie Palmier;, Tito Puentes, Willie Colon, Ruben

Blades, Johnny Pacheco, and some others that I don't have time to mention right now.

Question: Do you feel you identify with a certain type of music you are judged or looked at differently?

I think so by some people that don't like salsa music there are other people that they don't care. Those that don't like salsa music if you play your music they look at you as if you were from another planet. History of Salsa Music 4

History of Salsa Music

Question: Did familylfi-iends have an influence on what you play?

Yea, of course, especially my family has also listened to salsa music since I can remember.

Question: How do you identify yourself! What do these words mean to you?

Well, I identify myself with the traditions from my island from Puerto Rico with my music and with all the traditions from the island.

Question: At what age did you become aware of the different varieties of music?

Early I say when I was probably like eight years old or ten in Puerto Rico with have also what we call Folkloric music which is different from salsa music we also listen

American music to rock and roll in Puerto Rico we listen to jazz we listen to classical music.

Question: How did musician lifestyle affect your family?

I don't think it had no effect because on my family because my family everybody likes salsa music.

Question: Was music an escape?

Yes, sometimes it can be if I feel sad of depressed. Sometimes salsa music makes me feel more relax more like wanting to dance wanting to move so yea sometimes it can be an escape. History of Salsa Music

History of Salsa Music

Question: Where were you escaping to or from?

Well, sometimes like I said before if sometime makes you feel sad or depressed you know that type of thing any type of situation can be a family situation or a work situation or something it can be a problem with your Mother-in-law who knows.

Question: What is the meaning behind styleldress?

Basically, I think what we are trying to do is express movement express in the way we feel I think that the main thing in the way we feel.

Question: Does this mean music and style mean more?

No, I think it is all a part of the way you feel the way you react to music.

Question: Do people who like your music style dress a certain way? Dance a certain way?

Well if you're going to dance salsa you have to be prepared to move. So I think you have to dress accordingly you know to the movement your going to be doing. So you're not going to be dancing salsa all the time. So whenever you going to be dance salsa you have to dress according if you're going to be doing some fancy stuff then of course you have to be prepared for that. History of Salsa Music 6

History of Salsa Music

Question: Did/ Do people comment on your style?

Yes, salsa is a very how can I say a controversial that can be controversial within the same Latin community, because some people don't think that salsa is a style of music they still thinking in the old Cuba patterns like son and one one coe. They still thinking about the old rhythms but the new generation thinks that salsa is a valid style of music.

Question: Advice to people who want to become a musician/particular style of music.

Well if you want to become a salsa musician you have to practice and practice and practice not only that but you have salsa, salsa is a music you have to feel and if you don't feel it very very difficult to play salsa music. The other thing is salsa music it doesn't follow the four by four you know it's very how can I say you have to improvise a jot in salsa and also when you become a salsa musician you play for the people who dance so you have to sacrifice a little bit your main concern is people dancing. That's the reason that Salsa repeats so much and repeats and repeats so you need to take that into consideration.

Question: Radio station you listen to?

Well, I listened to the radio station that plays salsa music and you know that there are not that many here in Texas. History of Salsa Music 7

History of Salsa Music

Question: Future of music? Is it too commercialized?

It's like everything its money you know if there making money everything is good if there not making money then you know it all going to disappear.

Question: How do you feel about copyright laws?

Yeah, I think if you have a song and that's the mechanism you have to protect if you write a song you know if those laws don't exists then you wouldn't have a mechanism to protect your music creation

Question: Do you think the music of today sends the same message it did in the past?

No I don't think so, No I don't think so Different time's different eras different messages in the Vietnam Era we have a lot of songs about Vietnam before that it was very romantic music now today with the rap and some of the other styles its seems that the music is very hostile there is a lot has a lot of profanity.

Question: Does your favorite band stand for something?

Well my favorite band would be salsa, salsa band and they basically play salsa music sometimes the lyrics can be funny.