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Final Reflection

Final Reflection Coming into this class, I knew very little about salsa as a dance, music, and culture. Now, after having been in this class for the past eight weeks, I feel that I have learned so much about the many different types of salsa and all of the rich history and culture of the salsa. Prior to this course and all of its valuable information and discussions, all that I thought of the salsa was that it was just a Latin dance that was danced to a certain type of music. But, now my viewpoint of the salsa has changed tremendously from where it was before. I learned so many valuable things about rhythm, music, types of salsa, and the history of salsa. But, if I had to choose three of my main key takeaways from learning about salsa throughout the course of this past semester would be that salsa is an extremely diverse and inclusive dance and culture, how salsa has changed and morphed into something new in a drastic way over the many years it has been a very popular dance, and that s
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Week 7: Bachata Power and Changing of Guard

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Rhythms and Musicality Bachata Power and Changing of Guard are two popular rhythms in bachata music that have distinct characteristics and musicality. Bachata Power is a more upbeat and energetic style of bachata, characterized by a faster tempo, syncopated rhythms, and complex footwork patterns. The music typically features strong bass lines, electric guitar solos, and percussive elements such as bongos and congas. Bachata Power is often associated with the Dominican Republic, where the style originated, and is a popular choice for social dancing in Latin dance clubs. Changing of Guard, on the other hand, is a slower and more romantic style of bachata, characterized by a steady rhythm and a focus on the emotional content of the music. The music typically features acoustic guitar, soft percussion, and lyrical melodies. Changing of Guard is often associated with the Dominican Republic's traditional bachata music, which is slower and more melodic than Bachata Power. In terms of music
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Week 5: Eddie Torres and Modern Salsa/Mambo

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Rhythms and Musicality Modern Salsa and Mambo music are characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythms and musicality. They typically feature a combination of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican rhythms with a focus on percussion instruments. Salsa and mambo music often have a fast tempo and use syncopated rhythms, where the emphasis falls on the offbeat. This creates a sense of energy and excitement that is integral to the dance styles associated with this music. Modern Salsa and Mambo music developed in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s as a fusion of various Afro- Cuban rhythms, jazz, and R&B. The music was characterized by a fast, syncopated rhythm and a focus on improvisation. Modern Salsa/Mambo music usually follows a 4/4 time signature, with a strong emphasis on the second and fourth beats. The genre features a variety of instruments, including percussion (such as congas and timbales), brass and woodwind instruments, and also the piano. The music is characterized by syncopated
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Week 3: The Palladium Era

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 Salsa Rhythms: Musicians, Lyrics, Singers From all of the material that was provided for this week, I was able to learn all about the different rhythms, musicality, and the inspiring musicians that were present in the Mambo and the Palladium. There are many West African rhythms that were present in Mambo music and that is because of the Africans who moved to Cuba. They brought over music with them, which they created from Yoruba drums. One of the leading cultural inspirations of the mambo genre of music and salsa is the brilliant black composer and instrumentalist by the name of Orestes López. He worked in the leading danzón orchestra of Cuba in the summer of 1939. He suspected that if singing mambos in the Kongo religion of Cuba brought down spirits, then singing mambo from a bandstand might similarly activate a strong and vivid dance reaction. This is precisely what took place, first on the bandstand, and then on the dance floor. It is apparent to see how big of an impact that Orest
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Week 1: What is Salsa?

 January 15, 2023 Jensen Davis DCE 306 Professor Olarte Salsa Blog Entry #1 Hello, my name is Jensen Davis. I am currently 18 years old and my birthday is January 26th. My pronouns are he/him. I am from Temecula, California. I used to play tennis in high school. I am a freshman and I am currently studying software engineering here at ASU. Salsa Rhythms: Musicians, Lyrics, Singers I think that the most important thing that I learned throughout the videos and this first week of this course is the importance of rhythm within the salsa. Everything about the music and the dance connects back to the rhythm. Rhythm can mean anything from the music that is being danced to, the movements within the dance, or the rhythm between the two dance partners. I realized the upbeat and passionate nature of the salsa dance. I realized how they sing about things that are important to them, like their family, friends, and especially their homeland. I think this is what is so special about salsa. Culture: Re
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