The History of Salsa Dancing
Salsa in the Spanish language originally means “sauce” which is
associated with the different spices that people use in the Latin and
Caribbean countries. Today, the word “salsa” is popular in the English
language as a form of dance or music. Although there’s no definite way to
explain what Salsa dancing is, most salsa enthusiasts describe Salsa as
colorful variations of Latin music and styles. Even until today, most people
still argues about the through origin of Salsa dancing, but it doesn’t matter
whether it came from Puerto Rico, Cuba or Africa, what’s important is that
the rich culture of the Latin people are expressed and enjoyed by the
whole world through Salsa dancing.
A big part of the history of Salsa dancing may have come from Cuba
mostly because of its mixture of Spanish and African cultures. Most dance
historians believe that it was because of the French that came from Haiti
where the ones who introduced the “Danzon” to the Cubans. This particular
dance was influenced by the African style of music which includes the
Colombia, Yambu and Guaguanco. As the popularity of this dance grows,
the Cubans then started to mix their “Son” to this dance. The “Son” is a
traditional music and dance style in Cuba which is a combination of the
African drumbeats and “Sonero” or the Spanish Troubadour. Other
countries that contributed to the development of Salsa are Colombia,
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, where each of these countries may
have different styles of Salsa dancing. Salsa was later brought to Mexico
City by the bands from countries where Salsa dancing is popular.
Even though Salsa dancing has its roots from Cuba, the Salsa dance
that we have today in U.S. were greatly influenced by the Puerto Ricans. It
started in the 1950’s when the Puerto Ricans brought Salsa dance and
rhythm in their communities in New York. This particular dance was
featured in different performances around the city and was later adapted
and spread not only in New York but across the entire U.S. Over the years,
Salsa dancing continues to evolve not only in the U.S. but in other parts of
the world as well. The dance has been mixed with the various cultures,
sounds and style which add to the complexity and diversity of this dance
style.
Today, you can find a lively community of Salsa enthusiasts in almost
all major cities around the world. The popularity of Salsa dancing is still
rapidly growing as more and more styles of dance and music are being
incorporated in the traditional Salsa dance. You can now find modern
variations of Salsa in western countries like in the U.S. which include Salsa
Hip-hop and Contemporary Salsa dance.
Salsa in the Spanish language originally means “sauce” which is
associated with the different spices that people use in the Latin and
Caribbean countries. Today, the word “salsa” is popular in the English
language as a form of dance or music. Although there’s no definite way to
explain what Salsa dancing is, most salsa enthusiasts describe Salsa as
colorful variations of Latin music and styles. Even until today, most people
still argues about the through origin of Salsa dancing, but it doesn’t matter
whether it came from Puerto Rico, Cuba or Africa, what’s important is that
the rich culture of the Latin people are expressed and enjoyed by the
whole world through Salsa dancing.
A big part of the history of Salsa dancing may have come from Cuba
mostly because of its mixture of Spanish and African cultures. Most dance
historians believe that it was because of the French that came from Haiti
where the ones who introduced the “Danzon” to the Cubans. This particular
dance was influenced by the African style of music which includes the
Colombia, Yambu and Guaguanco. As the popularity of this dance grows,
the Cubans then started to mix their “Son” to this dance. The “Son” is a
traditional music and dance style in Cuba which is a combination of the
African drumbeats and “Sonero” or the Spanish Troubadour. Other
countries that contributed to the development of Salsa are Colombia,
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, where each of these countries may
have different styles of Salsa dancing. Salsa was later brought to Mexico
City by the bands from countries where Salsa dancing is popular.
Even though Salsa dancing has its roots from Cuba, the Salsa dance
that we have today in U.S. were greatly influenced by the Puerto Ricans. It
started in the 1950’s when the Puerto Ricans brought Salsa dance and
rhythm in their communities in New York. This particular dance was
featured in different performances around the city and was later adapted
and spread not only in New York but across the entire U.S. Over the years,
Salsa dancing continues to evolve not only in the U.S. but in other parts of
the world as well. The dance has been mixed with the various cultures,
sounds and style which add to the complexity and diversity of this dance
style.
Today, you can find a lively community of Salsa enthusiasts in almost
all major cities around the world. The popularity of Salsa dancing is still
rapidly growing as more and more styles of dance and music are being
incorporated in the traditional Salsa dance. You can now find modern
variations of Salsa in western countries like in the U.S. which include Salsa
Hip-hop and Contemporary Salsa dance.
