About Salsa

Salsa is a form of upbeat Latin dance music in 4/4 time that is currently produced worldwide. The musical forms that Salsa evolved from are largely Cuban but its evolution took place in and around the Caribbean and the U.S. over the last half of a century.
Salsa dancing has many different styles. The most common dance styles in North America are those of either New York‚ or L.A. Cuban Style, though not as common as the aforementioned, is still widely used due to the popularity of Rueda de Casino. Rueda, as it's called in short, is a dance of Cuban origin in which patterns are executed and partners are exchanged in response to "calls" made by one of the dancers. This is generally done in a circle, as the word, "Rueda" translates into "Wheel".

Some of the instruments that make up your average Salsa ensemble include Congas, Piano, Assorted Horns, Bass, Timbales, Clave, Guiro, Guitar and Bongos. One of these instruments that stands out is the Clave.
The Clave is made up of two sticks, usually wooden, struck together to produce a high-pitched sound. They play out a pattern of 5 strokes that make up the foundation of every Salsa song. Even when it's not present in the song, the clave feeling still is. Clave is very important for the dancer to learn to hear. It will help you to hear the music better thus creating a better dance.
Another instrument of importance to the dancer is the Congas. Many of the tones produced by these drums are hardly audible against the piano, horns, and other percussion of a song in full swing but it marks some crucial beats for any dancer. Firstly, there are the commonly heard open tones that fall on either the "4", the "4 and", or even just the "and", the "and" being a half beat after the "4". This is, of course, if you repeat the count after 4 beats. If using a full dance measure of 8 beats the "4" is substituted by "8" in the second bar and the count reads: 1,2,3,4 and, 5,6,7,8 and (repeat). The "4 and" or "8 and" beats are what would make up the first two "Cha's" of the musical form "Cha Cha Cha"( a cousin of Salsa ). The beginner dancer can use these tones to easily find the "one" or "five" count by saying Cha Cha Cha along with the music. The final "Cha" is the "one" or "five". Also useful, though somewhat harder to hear, are the closed tones marking the "two" and the "six".

The final instrument that we will mention which is of great importance to the dancer is the Bass. In Salsa music, the Bass takes on a percussive quality. It gives body to the music and soul to your movement. It not only marks the beats but can tell you how to move through them.
Either way, which instruments one does or does not favour when listening to and dancing to Salsa music is individual . What is important is that you allow yourself to be guided by what you hear in the music.

More Information

New York Style:New York Style is characterized by it's fancy footwork and Shines. It is said to be smoother for the lady with less emphasis on tricks and stunts. <Return>

L.A. Style:L.A. Style is known for it's flashy, crowd-pleasing moves. It incorporates fast tricks, flips and dips. <Return>

Cuban Style:Cuban Style is most commonly identified by it's circular patterns. As well, the partners generally maintain contact throughout the dance. <Return>

Rueda de Casino:The word Casino is representative of a style of turns used in the dance. Rueda is a group dance done in a circle involving two or more couples. It originated in Cuba over 50 years ago and apparently got it's name from the club in which it was originally danced. <Return>

Clave:Clave is two wooden sticks that when struck together, produce a consistent high pitched sound. These sticks are used as both an instrument and also a reference point for musicians playing the song. The Clave in Salsa music has 2 main patterns and another 2 variations. The most popular form is called, "Son Clave" and it comes in both Regular Clave (3-2) or Reverse Clave (2-3). There is also the less popular Rumba Clave or Guaguanco. This form is almost identical to Son Clave but has the 3rd stroke of the (3) part, fall a ½ beat later. <Return>

Clave Feeling:Clave feeling exists when the Clave itself is not actually present in the song. You can hear it and identify the form simply by listening to the structure of the song and how the other instruments relate to one another. This, of course, does take some practice but is essential for the Dancer to learn. <Return>

Tumbao:The Tumbao is the pattern played by the Conga drums. It is reinforced by the Bass.

Cha Cha Cha:Commonly shortened to "Cha Cha", this musical form is a close relative of Salsa. It's tempo is slower and it is often danced in a playful manner. Many modern pop songs have used Cha Cha as a back beat. <Return>