Where and by whom the Salsa music was created is something that is not very clear.

Most tend to say that its origin is Cuban, others that comes from Puerto Rico, some that came from the Latino colony in New York and well, almost all countries that have part of their soil wet by the Caribbean Sea are in dispute.

What is clear to everyone is that Salsa music is a derivative of the mixture between the Son, the Son Montuno, Guaracha, the Afro-Cuban Jazz and Mambo, all music styles from Cuba and very popular in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s in Latin America and the United States.

Another thing that everyone also agrees on is that, the first time that the word "Salsa" is used in the title of a song, and the sound and music cadence resemble a lot to the modern Salsa is the song "Echale Salsita" from the Septeto Habanero de Ignacio Piñeiro, produced in 1933.

“Echale salsita” - Septeto Habanero de Ignacio Piñeiro- Año 1933

Other true thing is that the international push of Salsa music and the name "Salsa" as such for style, was given by the Latino community in New York with the creation of the record label Fania Records in 1964 and the musical group founded by the company, the orchestra Fania All Stars.

Musicians like Ruben Blades, Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, Tito Puentes and Celia Cruz among others, joined the Fania All Stars.

“Tiburón” - Ruben Bades – 1981

Salsa is the trade name that is given but what we interpret in Latin America and we call Salsa is just Cuban music. – Ruben Blades

In Cuba, with the triumph of the revolution on January 1, 1959, there was a break in the relations of all kinds with almost the entire world.

Therefore, the Cuban Salsa took a slightly different development from the rest of the world. In 1969 Juan Formell, director of Los Van Van, introduces the electric bass in Son orchestras(until then was used only bass). Also they begin to experiment with synthesizers and keyboards.

“Sandunguera” - Juan Formell y los Van Van – 197?

“Eso que anda” - Juan Formell y los Van Van – 197?

In all those years, the Cuban musicians experimented a lot with the Salsa music in Cuba.

Always based on the format of Salsa music, musical elements of other international styles that somehow came to the island were adopted. Groups such as the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna(Cuban Orchestra of Modern Music) came to the fore.

“Vehicle” - Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna – 197?

“Pastilla de Menta” - Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna – 1967

“La fría” - Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna - 196?

The Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna in 1973 became the orchestra Irakere keeping its director Chucho Valdez.

Begins to mature what is now known as the Latin Jazz.

Musicians like Arturo Sandoval (trumpet), Paquito D'Rivera (alto saxophone), Jose Luis Cortes "el Tosco" (flute) and Enrique Pla (drums) among others, passed through the ranks of this group. Irakere not stopped experimenting with the fusion of international rhythms with Salsa, as it did when they were the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna .

“Bacalao con pan” - Irakere – 1979

“Ese atrevimiento” - Irakere – 1979

“Baila mi ritmo” - Irakere - 1980

And from all this mix comes at the end of 1980s, as the result of the work of Jose Luis Cortes "Tosco" and his group NG la Banda, the Cuban Timba style. And what is the Cuban Timba style? Well, it is nothing more and nothing less than modern Cuban Salsa.

Cuban Timba is the modern Cuban Salsa.

“Necesito una amiga” - NG la banda – 198?

“Los Sitios entero” - NG la Banda - 1989

“La bruja” - NG la Banda – 1994

There are so many missing names in this post of musicians who contributed to the development of the Salsa music in Cuba.

People and musical groups like Gerardo Machado, Benny More "El barbaro del Ritmo(The Barbarian of Rhythm)", the Conjunto de Arzenio Rodriguez, Bebo Valdez (father of Chucho Valdez), Peres Prado and his creation, the Mambo, and Enrique Jorrin and the Aragon orchestra with the Chachachá, among others.

Modern examples of exponents of Cuban Salsa we have in orchestras like the Charanga Habanera, Pablo FG y su Elite, Issac Delgado, Dan-Den, Charanga Forever and the veteran orchestras NG la Banda, Irakere and Van Van who are still playing , among many, many others.

So, how is Salsa danced in Cuba?

It is different from the "cabaret" style or "professional" Salsa danced in the ballrooms of New York or the Salsa danced in Colombia and Puerto Rico.

The dance is called Casino

It is danced in couples but there are also what we call "Ruedas de Casino(Casino wheels)" where several couples dance in sync. And now, of course, a demonstration of how is salsa danced in Cuba and... Long Live Salsa Music!

Yeah, yeah, I'm dancing there :D

"Gozando en la Habana" - Charanga Habanera

Source used to check some names and dates Wikipedia

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