Salsa: A Musical Evolution

"Salsa means sauce or juice and originally was used to describe a flashy solo musical performances" (music).
There are many versions and stories of who have invented Salsa. Most people agree that Salsa was created by Cubans; others say that salsa was created by Puerto Ricans. Salsa is the product of a mixture of different rhythms that emerged in the Spanish neighborhoods of New York around the 1960s.
Since then, Salsa music has been played in every single continent of the world.
Not only Spanish speaking countries listen to Salsa; this music is even listened in countries like Japan. That country even has its own Salsa band. The name of the band is Orquesta La Luz. They sing in Spanish even though they dont speak it. The only person that can speak Spanish fluently is the female singer. They sound like a band from New York, and its just because theyve got the Latin flavor in their music.
The roots of what is known today as Salsa Music are African. In the time when slavery was beginning, Spanish and English would go to Africa to collect slaves to be sent to America. Slaves were sent in Ships to the New Continent like carrying animals. While in America, these people did not have the chance to expose their culture to others. They were like machines, they were only allowed to work. As Spanish and English had their own music and traditions Africans as well did. Somehow their traditions survived through the centuries and now their music are the roots of the most popular kind music of the world like reggae, Salsa and Jazz (Fania c.d.).
In the beginning of the century, in Havana Cuba, a new form of music was born. It was the Son Montuno(country song). It " incorporates a near perfect balance of Spanish and African elements. The first Son conjuntos (groups) were formed by a combination of drums and guitars. In the early forties, instruments such as pianos and trumpets were first incorporated in the Son conjuntos.
Arsenio Rodriguez was one of the most notorious players of Son Montuno. He was a blind Tres Player, which is a Cuban instrument that looks like a guitar, but has only three strings. Son Montuno is still played today, but people just call it Salsa. Son Montuno is considered as the origin of all the Latin rhythms (The rhythm of Latin Music).
Around the 1930s some Cuban musicians traveled to USA and established in New York. In 1937 Mambo is created by Israel "Cachao" & his brothers Orestes. The word Mambo is always related to Perez Prado. This Cuban musician was the biggest exponent of this Music. He invented the Mambo dance and had the best mambo band of the time(Classic Salsa). Today most of his songs are still being played. For example, Mambo # 5, one of the most popular songs today, was a creation of Perez Prado.
Cuban music dominated the U. S. market for twenty years. It was until the 60's when Salsa comes out. In 1964, in New York, Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Mussucci creates the most recognized recording firm of Salsa, FANIA RECORDS (Salsa Origins). Johnny was the musical director and Jerry was in charge of the Legal papers. FANIA is conformed by the best Salsa artists as Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Ismael Rivera, Cheo Feliciano, Larry Harlow, Ismael Miranda, Yomo Toro, Celia Cruz, and many more. This famous recording firm has produced the best salsa music ever recorded.
The majority of the FANIA artists are still alive. Some of them have been playing for more than 20 years. For example, Celia Cruz is a Cuban singer who is in her early eighties right now. She has not quit singing, and she can still dance like a young girl. As Celia most of the FANIA members are getting old, but they can still play with the same "sabor"(Flavor).
In the beginning of the company, Johnny Pachecos car was used to sell, to storage, and to deliver the Salsa records. It was until 3 years later when they got an office at 850 Seventh Av. in New York. The company grew fast and was powerful enough to rent an office (David Carp). In the70s FANIA RECORDS was already dominating the Salsa Market in U.S.A., Puerto Rico and South America. In the 80's FANIA was not doing so well, its artists were busy with their own groups, so it was hard to put them all together. Besides, it cost a "lot of money". But it was not the end of FANIA, they ocassionally would get together and do some concerts. By mid 90's FANIA regrouped again, they did a tour through South America. They also recorded some videos and C. D.'s. All the songs they played were new version of the songs that make them famous.
One the most remarkable moments of FANIA history, was when they did a concert in Yankee Stadium in 1973. Suddenly, after other important bands had played, two voices begin introducing "THE FANIA ALL STARTS". One by one the member of FANIA were coming out. As they were getting on the stage, people were screaming louder and louder. After the presentation, all the musicians played a song together. They played for several hours, musician after musician were getting on the stage to play their songs. That night, even Carlos Santana played with FANIA. It was an unforgettable concert. FANIA has given concerts all over the world. They have been in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. Anywhere they go, the tickets are always sold out.
One of the best Salsa musician is "El Maestro" Johnny Pacheco. He was born in the Dominican Republic, and when he was very young he moved to New York with his family. His father was Zacarias Pacheco who was a famous bandleader in the Dominican Republic. Johnny Pacheco has multi-instrumental talents. He first started playing in his father's band and by the age of twenty he had created his first band.
Johnny was a big Cuban music fan, so the first kind of music he played was "charanga". This was a kind of music originated in Cuba. It was very popular around the 1930's Johnny is known as one of the best Salsa flute players, and when playing "charanga" no body can beat him. After playing charanga for about 20 years, Johnny changed his style to Salsa. That's when he founded the FANIA with Jerry Massucsi.
Johnny Pacheco was given the nickname of "El maestro" when he started to play with FANIA. He's directed FANIA since 1964. He's had the best Salsa musicians under his direction.. He is not only the bandleader, he has also are written numerous Salsa songs and the flute player of the band.
Puerto Rico has given birth to the best singers of Salsa. Among them are Cheo Feliciano, Bobby Cruz, Andy Montanez and the greatest Salsa singer ever Hector Lavoe. The singer as people know him, started to sing very young. Johnny Pacheco in an interview with Mary Kent said that he first met Hector, when he was playing with his band at the club Havana San Juan. Johnny said I used to see this skinny kid sit by the bandstand and listen to the group. One day he asked me if he could sing with the band. I had no idea who he was. I told him to come where I was and asked, are you a singer? He says, yeah, I can sing. Then, Johnny Pacheco let Hector Lavoe sing a song with his band that night. Johnny instantly knew, that Hector would be very famous.
Since Johnny Pacheco had already signed Pete Conde Rodriguez and Chivirico Davila in his band, Hector Lavoe formed a duet with Willie Colon (Mary Kent). Willie Colon is the best trombone Salsa player. He started playing Salsa very young too. My father told me that Willie was fourteen the first time he played in public. Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon formed one of the best duets of Salsa Music. Songs like Che che cole or Ausencia are still being played today and are considered as two of the best Salsa songs ever recorded.
He never had any kind of musical training. He had a unique voice and he had an extensive range as well. One thing that characterized Hector, was his involvement with people while signing. One of his most popular songs is Mi gente (My People). In this song Hector gives tribute to people. He says that people are the most wonderful things on earth and he is proud of them. The best part of this song is when people sing. The chorus of the song is actually sang by people, so people become part of the show.
Like most of the best singers and musicians, Hector Lavoes life had a sad ending. In 1987, Hector fell off from the 9th floor of a hotel Puerto Rico. He survived the accident, but he never told any body what happened that day. It was never known whether he jumped, or somebody tried to kill him. After the accident, his vocal cords were damaged, so he lost his voice.
Five years later, Hector died in New York from a hart attack. My father told me that the real cause of Hector's death was an over doses of Heroine. He was very depressed because he had just lost his only son (Hector Lavoe). Hector will be always remember as "the singer of singer's"
Salsa music is what I called "a unique product". It has unique ingredients that were slowly mixing until get the final result. - Holmes Palacios

IN THE NEXT ISSUE:
An interview with Grammy award musician Al Delory