Salsiology : Afro-Cuban music and the evolution of salsa in New York City

'Salsiology' is a participant-observer's attempt to understand one genre of Afro-Hispanic music: Salsa. The title is the result of three sociologists— Juan Flores, Mauricio Font and the author—playing Cuban rhythms on a barcounter and one, Juan Flores, proclaiming the rhythm “Salsiology!” Thus, the title and core of the present work is an unpretentious effort to explore the origins, contours and present state of a music commonly referred to as ‘Salsa’. This work is geared towards a general readership that has little or no formal training in music and wishes to know how the music took root in New York City and some of the social processes that made it possible. [...], the book does make some critical and timely contributions to the already published works on Afro-Hispanic music. It is hoped that the questions left unanswered by this work will serve as a catalyst for further writing on Salsa. If this present work accomplishes that with all its deficiencies, then 'Salsiology' will have played an important role in the field of ethnomusicology. Part 1 draws upon Robert's “The Roots” in order to trace the roots of African and Spanish music throughout the Western Hemisphere and to clearly establish the historical antecedents of Salsa. William Gottlieb and Larry Crook provide readers with two contrasting views of the Cuban Rumba. The former is a nineteen forty-seven journalistic interpretation of it and the latter is an ethnomusicological analysis of the same rhythm. Essays by the authors, Quintero-Rivera, Flores and Duany describe three forms of Puerto Rican Music—Danza, Plena and Bomba—and their relationship to modern-day Salsa. This section sets the historical framework for Part II. Part II is comprised of two essays that make up some “Sketches of Pioneers.” The first essay centers on the founding fathers of Salsa who were mainly AfroCuban. These pioneers later exchanged ideas with Afro-American jazz musicians and thereby incorporated jazz into “pure” Cuban rhythms. By the early 1950's, 'Newyorican—Puerto Ricans born in New York—musicians began setting the stage for what is generally called Salsa. The second essay in this section shows that Hispanic women also played an important—but peripheral—historical role in the evolution of Salsa. Part III is a collection of essays and interviews about some of the people and places in N.Y.C. that helped to “institutionalize” the music and dances: Dick “Ricardo” Sugar, The Palladium, Ernest Ensley, Symphony Sid, Jack Hooke, Izzy Sanabria, Art D'Lugoff, the Village Gate, Al Santiago and the Cheetah. The main thrust of this section is to allow an “insider” to “paint” a picture of the disk-jockeys, clubs, club-owners, promoters, a recording company owner and dance enthusiasts who assisted in “institutionalizing” the music in the 1950's 1960's, and 1970's. Part IV begins with Max Salazar's essay about the “invasion” of R & B music by Latin rhythms. This is followed by a panel discussion of the New York City roots of Salsa, two interviews with Newyorican musicians—Johnny Colón and Andy Gonzaléz—experiencing and promoting Afro-Hispanic/ Afro-American “transculturation.” Part V 1s a present day examination of several different issues that have a bearing on the life of music. It begins with being given a lesson in "How to play Salsa Piano." Then an interview with Papo Pepin, his experience as a conguero/sideman and his instructions to future percussionists, a look at Salsa enthusiasts in the Bronx and a macrosociological discussion of Salsa from a theoretical and analytical viewpoint. The last essay is an autobiographical account of the author's venture into the field of Afro-Hispanic music. All the essays and interviews included in the book were selected with a general readership in mind. The rigid academic frameworks that usually characterize scholarly works, such as the historical and musician-oriented approach, have been avoided. It is hoped that in this fashion this book will be “readable” for scholars, musicians and the general public, especially salseros. SALSIOLOGY Contents Photo Credits Preface Prologue I. From Whence Comes the Music Introduction 1. The Roots (John Storm Roberts) 2. What Makes Rhumba? (William Gottlieb) 3. The Form and Formation of the Rumba in Cuba (Larry Crook) 4. Ponce, The Danza, and The National Question: Notes Toward a Sociology of Puerto Rican Music (A. G. Quintero-Rivera) 5. Bumbum and the Beginnings of La Plena (Juan Flores) 6. Popular Music in Puerto Rico: Toward An Anthropology of Salsa (Jorge Duany) II. Sketches of Pioneers and Players Introduction 7. Founding Fathers and Changes in Cuban Music called Salsa (Vernon W. Boggs) 8. Latin Ladies & Afro-Hispanic Music: On the Periphery but not Forgotten (Vernon W. Boggs) Photo essay follows page 119 Fernando Ortiz Septeto Anacaona Bebo Valdes Juan Tizol Machito and his band Olga Guillot and friends Candido Tito and Dizzy Rudy, Mario, and Dizzy La Lupe III. Popularization of Afro-Cuban Music in New York Introduction 9. The Palladium Ballroom and Other Venues: Showcases for Latin Music in N.Y.C. (Vernon W. Boggs) 10. Dick “Ricardo” Sugar: Salsero de Salseros (Vernon W. Boggs) 11. Ernie Ensley, Palladium Mambero (Vernon W. Boggs) 12. Symphony Sid, D.J.: According to Jack Hooke (Vernon W. Boggs) 13. Salsa meets Jazz at the Village Gate (Vernon W. Boggs) 14. Visions and Views of a Salsa Promoter Izzy “Mr. Salsa” Sanabria: Popularizing Music (Vernon W. Boggs) Photo essay follows page 193 Antonio Arcaño y Radames Giro: Havana Helio Orovio: Havana Charanga America at Sweetwater's Village Gate Jammin' at Orchard Beach Ray B., Awilda R., and Alfredo C. 15. Al Santiago: Alegre Superstar (Vernon W. Boggs) 16. The Cheetah: A Pictorial Essay (Vernon W. Boggs) Photo essay follows page 231 Cheetah Cheetah Cheetah Cheetah Cheetah Cheetah Palladium Tito Rodriguez and Maxwell Hyman T.P. and band at the Palladium Ernie Ensley and Bill Kornblum Eddie Palmieri, Joe Cuba, Symphony Sid, Mongo Santamaria, and Charlie Palmieri Birdland Birdland Apollo Theatre Apollo Theatre J. Hooke, Macho, and Paco Chocolate, Emmanuel, and Machito Record Mart Store Barretico, Aché, Leonardo and wife in Havana Al Santiago and friends Ismael Rivera Cortijo y Su Combo Cal Tjader The Latin-Jazz Quintet Village Gate Dick “Ricardo” Sugar IV. The Transculturational Process Introduction 17. Afro-American Latinized Rhythms (Max Salazar) 18. Salsa’s to New York like an Apple’s to Sauce! (Vernon W. Boggs) 19 Johnny “Mr. Boogaloo Blues’’ Colon (Vernon W. Boggs) 20. A “bottom man” speaks out: Andy Gonzalez, Bassist (Larry Birnbaum) 21. Back-to-Africa: The ‘‘reverse’’ transculturation of Salsa/Cuban Popular Music (Al Angeloro) Photo essay follows page 306 Joe Cuba Sextet Yambu Izzy Sanabria Oscar D'León (on trombone) with David "Fathead" Newman (on sax) Obini Bata in Havana Celia Cruz and Willie Colon Tito, Patato, and Andy Wilfredo Stephenson Salsa Ná Ma Batá The author and friends From left to right: Angeloro, Blum, and Salazar Nicky Marrero Nueva Manteca with Nicky Marrero Grupo Mabay in Havana V. Salsiological Issues Today Introduction 22. Secrets of Salsa Rhythm: Piano with Hot Sauce (Robert L. Doerschuk) Photo essay follows page 324 Hot Salsa live in N.Y.C. Charanga Nueva in Stockholm Conjunto Alfarona X 23. Papo Pepin: Mr. Tumbao (Vernon W. Boggs) 24. The Profile of a Bronx Salsero: Salsa's Still Alive! (Vernon W. Boggs and Rolf Meyersohn) 25. Salsa Music: The Latent Function of Slavery and Racialism (Vernon W. Boggs) Photo essay follows page 359 Papo Pepin WBAI Studio A Studio A Miguel Quintana Epilogue: The Author as Salsero 26. The Odyssey of Desperately Seeking Clave: Researching Afro-Hispanic Music (Vernon W. Boggs) Appendix Musical Score: Gonna Salsalido (David Zinn) Selected Bibliography About the Author