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Cuban salsa is one of the dance rhythms that has most captivated people from all over the world and this dance arouses emotions and sensations in anyone who decides to dance it, just by listening to a Cuban salsa song you will want to get on the dance floor. dance. Everything about the sauce is fascinating, from the origin of its name, to another series of events that you will want to know about.

The art of dancing in Cuba is made to the sound of the clave and the bongo. The so-called “Pearl of the Caribbean” carries in its bowels the cultural mixture and from the good chords emanate, and merge, different styles to dance. A highly valued possibility is to attend clubs with dance floors where you are warmly welcomed by the local staff. But first, you should know that good dancing is practiced throughout Cuba.

Salsa in Cuba dates from the 16th century, when there was a mixture between the rhythm of the Africans and the Hispanic music that the Spanish brought. From this mixture a variety of Afro-Cuban rhythms emerged: son montuno, chachachá, mambo, the guaracha, brass band and guaguancó.

Do not miss! Salsa Festival this 2023

The 5th edition of the Salsa Festival in Cuba will be held from February 22 to 26, 2023.

In these facilities you will be able to enjoy orchestras, artists, troupes, DJs and dance teachers of national and international stature. Location of the Festival De La Salsa In Cuba 2023:

Club 500 José Antonio Echeverría, sito en Calle 12 entre Calzada (7) y 3era. Vedado La Habana.

Best places to dance salsa in Cuba

Although in Cuba you can find different places to dance salsa, as in almost any corner of the island, some of the most recognized are:

The house of the Trova, it is located in Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba.
Havana Center and Plaza.
The Gardens of 1830.
The Rosado room of the tropical

One of the references when it comes to salsa dancing is Havana, in fact it was here where the first vestiges of this musical genre began to appear.

If you are in Cuba, in Varadero you will also find excellent night spots for you to show your talent in salsa. Trinidad, Mataró or Martorell are likewise cities where you will find a variety of places to dance salsa, in the latter even important events and salsa courses are held.

The 70s would mark the boom of salsa, from this moment it would be known throughout Latin America, and would even reach the United States.

Between 1970 and 1990, great exponents of salsa would become known, who are still recognized worldwide today, we are referring to: Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Tito Puente, Fruko y sus Tesos and Fania All Star.

How did salsa get to New York?

It is no secret to anyone that Cuban salsa has become a very popular rhythm in New York City. This was thanks to the migration of Latinos that occurred after the Second World War to New York, they were positioning themselves in Upper Manhattan, a marginal area.

All these migrants found in salsa a way to express their feelings, in this way it became popular in New York and would later spread throughout the world.

Salsa is a rhythm of great complexity

Those who perform the Cuban salsa rhythm are undoubtedly highly talented people, since it is a rhythm that is produced with the execution of various percussion instruments such as: timbales, conga, maracas, bongos, Cuban güiro and piano.

In addition to a series of string instruments, including the double bass and another group of wind instruments, such as the saxophone, trumpet and trombone.

Exponents of the Cuban salsa

Cuban salsa curiosities

Salsa is the most frequently danced musical rhythm in Latin America and the world.
The greatest exponents of salsa, those who made up the Fania All Star, had a popularity comparable to that of the Beatles.
In the 1970s, the greatest exponent of salsa was the Puerto Rican Héctor Lavoe.
The oldest salsa group that still has recognition for its contribution to this rhythm is Sonora Ponceña.
One of the greatest salsa composers in the world has been Tite Curet, in fact, the Fania All Star, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and Rubén Blades owe part of their success to this author’s compositions.
Myrta Silva went down in history as the first woman to be part of La Sonora Matancera de Cuba, one of the oldest orchestras in the world.
Salsa is not danced in a single way, there are many styles, for example: the Cuban, New York, Puerto Rican style, among others.

Join the fun of dancing in Cuba

Cuba breathes musicality. Salsa, rumba, guaguancó, punto guajiro, salsa or casino will be rhythms that will accompany you throughout your visit and wherever you are. The atmosphere that you will perceive everywhere will help you to take the first step or achieve the first corridor.

You already know the places to dance salsa to the beat of Cuban music, from the most classic to the most popular. For this reason, during your visit, plan to venture into the rhythm that this endearing land awakens. The experience will become a fantasy come true.