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Why is Afro Latin History Important for Salsa?

What is the history behind of your favorite music genre?

Eight Afro-Latino men pose for a photo holding various instruments, from drums, double base, and guitars.
Sexteto Habanero (circa 1925), an early Cuban son band from Havana, Cuba.

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Introduction

Afro Latin history is crucial in understanding salsa. From salsa’s origins in Cuban son to salsa clubs, Afro Latin history offers a look into how complex relationships between race, ethnicity, and class shape the history of this musical genre. Afro Latinos, people whose race is Black and ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino, can use Afro Latin history to better understand their identity, migration story, and the societal issues in their communities. Come learn more about how Afro Latin history and salsa music tells all Americans stories.

The Afro Latin History of Salsa

Afro Latino history has always been part of the history of the Americas.

In the 1500s, the transatlantic slave trade brought tens of millions of Africans to the shores of the Caribbean and Latin America. An estimated between 10 to 16 million enslaved Africans survived the transcontinental slave trade.[1] The descendants of enslaved Africans influenced the region's culture and customs. African, Indigenous, and European people intermingled and created a new cultural identity: Afro Latino. Afro Latinos include people who are from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and other countries in Latin American and the Caribbean. Each ethnic group has unique histories of migration that shape their history in the United States and their contribution to salsa music.

The Afro Latin roots of Latin dance and music are often erased.

An example is tango, which has its origins in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tango was advertised to Americans as a “descendant of the eighteenth-century minuet” and was brought to New York from Paris and Broadway.[2] The tango that entered New York was not the same as the tango from early 1900s Buenos Aires. The repackaging of tango erases its Afro Cuban influence of habanera and its similarity with ragtime and jazz.

However, by affirming Afro Latin history, one can preserve cultural and community history. One of salsa’s predecessors is the Cuban son, which rose to public popularity in the 1920s with studio recordings. Early son bands include the Sexteto Habanero and the Sexteto Nacional from Havana, Cuba.[3] These son bands toured across Latin New York to record their music and to perform for public audiences. The son cubano influenced other music trends and eras afterwards.

Afro Latin history also highlights social and historical context of the influences of salsa artists and musicians.

What is the story behind the song? Many salsa musicians wrote songs and arrangements that reflected the socio-political climate. Songs with social themes were widespread among Afro Latino artists and listeners, especially for those from Puerto Rico and Cuba. Musicians and cultural workers produced patriotic and anti-colonial songs that appealed to a wide range of audiences. Among these were Rafael Hernández’s “Lamento Borincano” (1930), which spoke of the economic condition of poor Puerto Rican farmers in the 1920s. Fania All-Stars’ “Anacaona” (1971) honors Anacaona, a Taina warrior and chief, who rebelled against Spanish colonists. Both songs derive their influence from Afro Latin history in the social conditions to pre-colonial resistance.

Afro Latin history helps us understand intersections of race, ethnicity, and class within salsa music.

As with Black Americans, Afro Latinos faced racial discrimination and exclusion due to the color of their skin. These sentiments were common and institutionalized. Racial segregation extended into salsa music clubs and limited who could perform or attend in certain venues. Salsa music clubs passed out event flyers and posters inscribed with “para raza blanca” (“whites only”), and restricted events to light-skinned musicians and white audiences.[4] This racial prejudice was prevalent among musicians as well. Bobby Capó recalled how Spanish musician Xavier Cugat refused his services, saying: “What a pity you are so dark.”[5]

Class is also important to understand salsa. New York City in the mid-1900s started to develop “uptown” and “downtown” identities. The “uptown” scene comprised mostly of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Latino musicians from local neighborhoods and communities. Uptown comprised of the working-class community of Spanish Harlem (also known as El Barrio or East Harlem). The “downtown” scene, on the other hand, were mostly tourist clubs. These spaces are perpetuated the aesthetics of the tropics, money and glamor in Latin music and entertainment.[6]

Class is not only in the spaces that salsa frequented, but also in how attendees were expected to appear and behave. Salsero Pete Bonet was the manager of the famous Corso Club in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In an oral history interview, he said: “Men had to come well dressed. They couldn’t come with a shirt. Here just entered the cream, the good people. Los titeres who came in sneakers or majones could not enter the Corso.”[7]

Throughout Afro Latin history, some places held segregationist policies or enforced class expectations. However, public spaces like Orchard Beach and Bethesda Foundation at Central Park were open for Afro Latino musicians and families. Here, they could enjoy music, watch cultural performances, and be in community with one other. Orchard Beach became “the Bronx Riviera” after Ernie Ensley performed during Salsa Sunday which drew in American Latino families. And at Central Park, Afro Caribbean music would flow as a sound of pride and existence.[8]

Conclusion

Salsa is not truly salsa without an understanding of Afro Latin history. From musical traditions brought from enslaved Africans to Cuban son bands touring New York, Afro Latin history grounds salsa music as it flows throughout the Afro-Latino diaspora. By understanding Afro Latin history, one is better informed of our shared histories in place, culture, and community. Afro Latin history within salsa music allows us to see what has been systemically erased, define contested identities, and find spaces where we are affirmed and safe.

This article was researched and written by Marjorie Justine Antonio, ACE Intern, Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education.

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Last updated: August 2, 2023