It is easy to feel like this style of music has been around forever with how popular it has been for recent decades. The origins of this highly energetic and danceable genre of music can be traced back to New York City, where many great cultural styles emerged. Following a wave of Puerto Ricans and Cubans moving to the city, many of these people went on to be the great pioneers of this music. Look for great
Latin salsa bands in Roswell GA.
The styles of music from Cuba that first helped form this musical genre included everything from mambo, guaracha, son montuno, to cha cha cha. From Puerto Rico, there was the boma and the plena. While these are the essential influences that make up the traditional feel of the genre, nowadays it is common for more modern styles like rock, funk, and R&B to be present in compositions and performers' stylistic choices.
Ray Barretto, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Larry Harlow, Roberto Roena, Willie Colon, Bobby Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, and Hector Lavoe are all big-name salsa artists who are essential listening for anyone with a serious interest in the style. A highly popular band in this genre is the Fania All-Stars band, created by Johnny Pacheco.
It may not be surprising that the word "salsa" means sauce in Spanish, and it makes a lot of sense why this musical genre was given such a name. The first thing a lot of people think of when it comes to this kind of music is a spicy, wild, and intense experience.
Bongos might be the first instrument a person would name when thinking of this style of music, but they are not used in a string charanga band. This type of instrumentation features a section of strings including the cello, violin, and viola. It also makes use of the regular popular instruments like piano, bass, flute, timbales, and congas.
A string charanga arrangement is not the most common form of a band like this, but there have been a number of popular charanga groups. They consist of a string section of violins, cellos, and violas, as well as the usual congas, piano, timbales, bass, and flute. Bongos are excluded from this format.
Those who are familiar with the sound of a guiro, one of the common traditional instruments that gets a lot of use in this genre, might not know the instrument by name. It makes what is known as a ratchet sound, similar to the sound of a washboard, and is comprised of a hollow gourd with an open end. By rubbing either a stick or tines against the notches in the side, the player adds a distinct sound to the music.
The main reason why people can't help but get up and dance when this type of music is played is because of three drums that lock down the beat. These are called the congas, bongos, and timbales. These instruments and the way they are played are also a big part of why this music sounds so cultural.