Miami, Fla., United States
Despite being declared dead and even buried many times, salsa is not only still in force, but has constantly fed reggaeton and other popular rhythms today, some of its main proponents told Efe.
“Those who say salsa is dead don’t go to parties or discos where young people take a break from dancing to our songs,” says Puerto Rican Victor Manuel, who received the award he received at the last edition of the Premio Lo mentions Nuestro.
“It is no coincidence that they chose a salsa singer for this recognition. Our genre has never stopped playing, even in the boys’ playlists,” he added, after receiving a plaque in recognition of the 3,000 million listeners of his songs on the major audio streaming platforms.
Tito Nieves, the Puerto Rican artist identified as “El Pavarotti de la Salsa,” laughs at questions about the future of the genre. “We are very good. There are more and more festivals, we are good at streaming and we are still present and influencing different styles of music,” he assured.
THE MEETING PLACE OF SALSA AND REGUETON
The success of Karol G’s latest album Mañana será bonito — number one in all of the Spanish-speaking countries excluding Argentina, according to Apple Music — and the persistence on the popularity charts of Bad Bunny’s songs. show that reggaeton is still the most successful music genre in Spain.
However, with roots in 1960s and 1970s New York and Cuba, salsa has not only inspired today’s reggaeton artists, including those above, but also makes a significant appearance on tracks like Jennifer Lopez’s “El Anillo”; in the chorus of “Te Boté” by Casper, Nio García, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny and Ozuna and is the basis of “La Modelo” by Ozuna and Cardi B and “Me Gusta” by Shakira and Anuel AA.
Additionally, several urban Latino artists have said they’ve fulfilled their dreams by releasing salsa songs, such as Daddy Yankee and Maluma, who released “De Vuelta Pa’La Vuelta” and “La Fórmula” respectively in 2022 and this January. published. in collaboration with Mark Anthony.
For Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Tito El Bambino, “Salsa is the heart of every urban artist. It was the music we grew up with and it influences everything we do.”
For Christopher Washburne, doctor of ethnomusicology and professor at Columbia University, “Salsa is a genre that has always evolved” and that remains “fresh and exciting” thanks to the impetus of new generations of musicians.
SUPPORT FOR NEW ARTISTS
Tito Nieves says that there is no other genre of music that has its own congress, referring to a gathering of some of the best salsa dancers in the world that celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022 and whose international edition will be held in New York in 2023 .
Among the new exponents are Dionicio, the first openly gay salsa artist; the Peruvian Yahaira Plasencia and the American Luis Figueroa.
There’s also Cimafunk, a Cuban musician who’s gained popularity for his innovative style of fusing salsa with funk, soul, and other genres, and La Sonora 69, a Los Angeles-based salsa band created by combining elements of the Classical salsa has gained popularity with influences from contemporary Latin American music.
Víctor Porfidio is a Colombian singer and producer known for his unique fusion of salsa with electronica and pop, and Orquesta Akokán, a salsa band from Cuba, triumphs for their traditional and authentic style and for their ability to transform the sound of reproduce the golden age of Cuban music.
For Nieves, “the new ones are great. There is a lot of talent and love for salsa. With the right support, salsa will not continue as it is now, it will last forever.”