Salsa music originated in the 1930s-1960s as Latin American immigrants in New York fused their diverse musical styles. The word "salsa" comes from the Latin American sauce used to spice up food, and was later yelled by musicians to introduce energetic acts. Salsa features percussion instruments like congas and timbales, along with piano, bass, horns, and vocals singing about love, culture, or patriotism. It has a flexible structure divided into "playing abajo" and "playing arriba" sections, and has been performed by famous artists like Fania All-Stars, Hector Lavoe, and Celia Cruz.

1. Salsa Music:
The music of the people

2. Brief history of salsa music
• 1930s-1960s: Latin Americans
(especially Cuba, Puerto Rico,
Dominican Republic and
Colombia) emigrate to New
York.
• Their different music styles
mixed, fused, and evolved into
what we know as salsa music.

3. Where does the word salsa
come from?
• Latin American sauce used to
spice up the food.
• Musicians started yelling the word
Salsa! to introduce an energetic
musical act.

4. Clave patterns
* Clave patterns are the most fundamental
rhythmic element of salsa music
Son Clave Rumba Clave
3 - 2
2 - 3 2 - 3

5. Instruments
• Heavy use of percussion
*Congas, bongos, timbales, güiro, and maracas

6. Instruments
• Other rhythm section instruments:
* Bass player - plays “tumbao”
* Pianist - plays montuno
> Along with the percussion, they are responsible for keeping
the groove and the clave where it’s supposed to be.

7. Instruments
• Horn section:
* Trumpet
* Trombone
* Saxophone
> They are in charge of filling the sung verses with melodic
lines; and playing the moñas, which are the soli sections.

8. Instruments
• Vocalist
* Interprets the song
> Most songs are about love,
heartbreak, culture, or patriotism.
* Keeps the audience full of energy
* Sing the soneo (improvised part
in the chorus section)

9. Instruments
• Other instruments that can be found in salsa music are:
* Vibraphone
* Flute
* Puerto Rican Cuatro
* Cuban Tres
* Guitar

10. Music structure
The structure of salsa music is open
most of the time.
- Intro
- Verse
- Interlude
- Chorus (Open)
- Moña and/or Mambo (Open)
- Chorus (Open)
- Solos (Open)
- Chorus (open)
- Coda (Ending)

11. Music structure
Salsa music is divided in two important
sections:
* Playing abajo
* Playing arriba
Playing abajo:
- Mostly on verses
- The timbal player plays the cascara
pattern:
- Bongo player plays the bongo instead
of the cowbell
Playing arriba:
- Mostly on chorus and moña
- Timbal players plays cowbell
pattern:
- The bongo player plays a cowbell
that’s different from the timbal
cowbell.

12. Salsa performers
Salsa has had a lot of amazing performers such as:
• Fania All- Stars – started in New York
• Hector Lavoe – Puerto Rico
• Celia Cruz – Cuba
• Grupo Niche – Colombia
And newest generation of performers like:
• NG2 – Puerto Rico
• Oscar D’ Leon – Venezuela

13.  Salsa music was the music created by the people of Latin America
for the people of Latin America.
 It is still the genre for Latin American people, but now also for
people all around the world.