Salsa

Salsa on vinyl: from New York to Caracas

In short: Salsa emerged in New York in the late sixties and seventies: musicians from Puerto Rico and Cuba combined son, mambo and guaracha with jazz and big-city energy. The Fania label with its All Stars – Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades – became the centre; Venezuela and Colombia also developed major salsa scenes. The Vinyl Room currently has 49 salsa records.

What is salsa?

Horns, piano montunos, congas, timbales and a singer trading lines with the chorus: the Fania All Stars are represented with “Commitment”, Wayne Gorbea and Javier Vazquez with New York salsa.

From Venezuela come Los Dementes with pianist Ray Pérez and Nelson Y Sus Estrellas, from Colombia the compilation series “14 Cañonazos Bailables”. Plus Orquesta Exito, Costa Brava and Manny Burgos.

What to look for

Many salsa records came out in the USA on Fania and related labels, others directly in Venezuela or Colombia – often with their own sleeves. Which edition you get is noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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FAQ

What is salsa? Dance music from late-sixties and seventies New York, built from Cuban son, mambo and guaracha with jazz.

What was Fania? The New York label that became the centre of salsa with the Fania All Stars.

Is there salsa from Venezuela? Yes – here, for example, Los Dementes with Ray Pérez and Nelson Y Sus Estrellas.

What is “14 Cañonazos Bailables”? An annual compilation series of danceable hits from Colombia.