Music for New York Salsa: A Guide to Cuban Son and Jazz

New York salsa is a free-form dance style. It was born from Eddie Torres' long observations of dancers in New York's discos and bars. The American city has always been known for its colorful population, as most of it consists of immigrants. They all brought elements of their own culture.

Eddie, while studying salsa techniques, developed his own. It's called "New York salsa" or "modern mambo" (Torres' definition). Its distinctive features are the central role of the woman and the linear movement structure, which allowed many couples to dance in small spaces.

This type of salsa uses Cuban music — son (translated from "son" as pleasant sound) and jazz elements.

Son is a product of several musical genres. It includes son montuno, cha-cha-cha, mambo... The music originates in the 19th century and is a symbiosis of Spanish and African traditions of sound construction.

Son became famous during the carnival in Santiago thanks to Nene Manfugas. To produce the melody, he used a simple peasant box with three stretched strings. His invention was sensational.

Later the instrument became known as the tres, and now it is a national treasure of Cuba. Traditional son also used drums, maracas, claves (used to set the tone), and marimbulas (plucked). Later, the double bass was added. Thus, the music combines the traditions of African percussion instruments and Spanish string instruments.

The vocal part is also important in Cuban son. The melody is built on the frequent repetition of the chorus and rare use of verses.

The chorus is performed by a choir, from which we can conclude that son is largely a collective affair. The verse is solo. The vocals also combine two cultures: the Spanish "décima" (collective performance) and African solo singing.

Why does New York salsa emphasize Cuban son? The rhythmic melody is perfect for dancing. Salsa is primarily about vibrant emotions expressed through fast movements. Not all music can match the required tempo.

In New York salsa, the first step is taken by the woman, thereby making her the center of attention and the dance. She performs the most complex movements. However, their sequence is determined by the man. Thus, the psychology of partner relationships is preserved here.

The dancer "allows" others to admire the woman. This teamwork, yet individual work, can also be seen in Cuban son. The verse is performed by one person, just as the dancer takes on a solo part. However, the central motif remains the chorus, which makes up most of the song.

Consequently, the leading role in the dance is not taken by the female partner, but by both dancers. They are equally important. Thus, the philosophy of New York salsa complements the ideas of Cuban son.

Improvisation and freedom of expression of emotions and mood are inherent in both the dance and the melody. Rhythmic sounds help partners move.

However, salsa uses not only Cuban son. Jazz motifs are equally important. They create an atmosphere of lightness and ease. That is their purpose. The partners' bodies are as agile as the performers' voices or musical instruments.

All this combined leads to a feeling of flight not only for the dancers but also for the viewers. Jazz also creates the female part. As a rule, it is filled with tenderness, grace, and passion. This musical direction determines the central role of the female partner in the dance.

We can outline conditional criteria for music for New York salsa: ease, rhythm, polyphony, mobility, and light. In two words: celebration of life.