Books on Salsa

S

sunsoul

Son Montuno
I am going to buy three or four books on various aspects of salsa. I would appreciate a few recommendations, as I don't know what is worth buying...

My main interests being:

History of Salsa
For example: The Book of Salsa: A Chronicle of Urban Music from the Caribbean to New York City

Autobiography
Something like: Adventures of a Salsa Goddess or Travels on the Dance Floor: One Man's Journey to the Heart of Salsa

Music
Something basic that outlines the structure of the music, such as: Salsa! The Rhythm of Latin Music

Anyone want to vouch for these books, or any other?
 
Travels on the dance floor

Hello Sunsoul,

As it happens, I'm reading 'Travels on the dance floor..' at the moment - I'm about half way though.

Unlike most book reviews you read, I find this book (so far) not a page-turner, and easily put-down-able. Perhaps my expectations were too high, and reading about salsa is just not as enjoyable as actually dancing; or perhaps the writing makes me feel a bit remote from the author and as a result don't really care what he's doing.

It's okay, and I'll finish the book; but it's put me off reading any other 'salsa memiors' (unless it's Soplo's, of course :D );

Regards
HalfMan.
 
HalfMan said:
Hello Sunsoul,

As it happens, I'm reading 'Travels on the dance floor..' at the moment - I'm about half way though.

Unlike most book reviews you read, I find this book (so far) not a page-turner, and easily put-down-able. Perhaps my expectations were too high, and reading about salsa is just not as enjoyable as actually dancing; or perhaps the writing makes me feel a bit remote from the author and as a result don't really care what he's doing.

It's okay, and I'll finish the book; but it's put me off reading any other 'salsa memiors' (unless it's Soplo's, of course :D );

Regards
HalfMan.
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I also wasn't a great fan of Travels on the Dancefloor. I feel that if I wasn't already a dancer and already a fan of the music, I'd be more seduced by the exotic trappings. But I came away with the impression that he wasn't a good writer, dancer or musician, but just thought "this might make a good book".
 
Thanks for the feedback... I just went a bit crazy and ordered six books that look interesting, and I will let you know what I think in a few months time.

I ordered:

Faces of Salsa
Divine Utterances: The Performance of Afro-Cuban Santeria
The Book of Salsa
From Afro-Cuban Rhythms to Latin Jazz
The City of Musical Memory: Salsa, Record Grooves, and Popular Culture in Cali
Musica!: Salsa, Rumba, Merengue and More
 
I've purchased Salsa: The Musical Heartbeat of Latin America by Sue Steward. It's pretty nice with illustrations and so forth.

I wish there were more books about salsa dancing, moreso than the music, but I guess it's still a relatively new artform.
 
whoever has read the book - Book Of Salsa ( english version )by Cesar Miguel Rondon, Ca(c)sar Miguel Ronda3n, C. Sar Miguel Rond N. can u give a review abt it ??
 
ranjani said:
whoever has read the book - Book Of Salsa ( english version )by Cesar Miguel Rondon, Ca(c)sar Miguel Ronda3n, C. Sar Miguel Rond N. can u give a review abt it ??
Click to expand...

I am still waiting for this book to arrive, when it does I will give you my thoughts on it.

For now, I will say that Faces of Salsa is a great book, and thoroughly recommendable. It comprises of a series of interviews with some of the greats like Johnny Ventura, Cachao Lopez, Ruben Blades, Wilfrido Vargas, Juan Formell, Willie Colon, Juan Luis Guerra, and so on.. They go into all the details of how salsa developed, its cultural context, the relationship of Cuban son to the broader, emerging Caribbean sound, the merengue-salsa dynamic, and a ton of other stuff. Very easy to read, and full of insightful comments by living legends on the role of music and dance in their lives.. A+
 
thank u . i really read some good reviews about this book ' Faces of salsa ' after i bought 'Book of salsa ' :-/
 
ranjani said:
thank u . i really read some good reviews about this book ' Faces of salsa ' after i bought 'Book of salsa ' :-/
Click to expand...

Funnily enough, Book of Salsa just arrived through the door a couple of hours ago. Let me read it and then I will post my thoughts. Initial impression is that it provides a very detailed account of the evolution and development of salsa(s), and it also has a detailed discography and description of a load of salsa musicians and bands.
 
Sounding Salsa, by Christopher Washburne

Musicians will mainly be interested in this one. An insider's perspective on playing Salsa music.
 
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