When the French fled from Haiti, they brought their country-dance the 'Danzon' to Cuba. This was soon infused with African Rhumbas like the Guaguanco, Colombia and Yambu which the African slaves brought with them to the Caribbean. Eventually, the Cubans also began blending this dance with the 'Son', a traditional Cuban style of music and dance which was a mixture of the Spanish Troubadour (Sonero) and the African drumbeats.

This syncretism also occured in smaller degrees and with variations in other countries such as the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Puerto Rico. Bands from these countries took this exciting music style to Mexico City in the era of famous films of that country. A similar movement also occured in New York City shortly after that. This passionate dance and music style quickly gained popularity in these two major cities where it exploded onto the Latino scene thus marking start of more commercial influences in Salsa. 

Modernisation of Salsa

It was here in 1950s New York where the term "Salsa" first emerged as a popular nickname referring to a variety of different Latin music and dance styles like the Rhumba, Son Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Danzon, Son, Guaguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Plena, Bomba, Festejo, and Merengue, among others. While some of these dance styles have still maintained their individuality on the modern latin dance scene, most of them were mixed and merged to create the dance and music style that we now know as "Salsa".

Salsa varies from place to place. In New York for example, the Mambo was modernised with the addition of new instrumentalisation and extra percussion to Colobian songs so that New Yorkers - who were more accustomed to dancing the Mambo On-2 - would feel more comfortable dancing to the rhythm and beats of those songs. 

Salsa Today

Much debate still arises as to whether the dance we call Salsa today was more heavily influenced by the Cubans or the Puerto Ricans. While the original dance style has deep Cuban roots, modern day Salas was also largely shaped by the Puerto Rican community in 1950s New York. The evolution of Salsa from origins to the Salsa of today was a long process with not one person or place being able to claim it as their entirely. Instead, Salsa has grown through time to unite different sounds, cultures and meanings and it is this diversity and complexity that now represents the very core of this enticing and surprising dance style.

Today, every major city around the world has a thriving Salsa community. This global phenomenon continues to grow and evolve everyday with more and more dance styles being fused with it to produce modern Salsa off-shoots styles such as Contemporary Salsa and Salsa Hip-Hop.