How do you research Salsa?

Richie Blondet

Richie Blondet

Son Montuno
What are things you do to pursue a basic or in-depth knowledge of "Salsa?"

How do you go about it?

How far do you go?

What, Where and or Who do you turn to for the purpose of procuring details to your quest?
 
I'm not great at it lol. But I try to go back as far as recorded music allows. And try to find info or interviews on web pages that aren't salsa blogs that seem to parrot the same things.
But I pale in comparison to you guys.
My goal or more for the intention and waning of the moves I do. Like the reason for gripping the pant leg in Cuban (aside from it being men's style or masculine), and seeing how old Danzón and Son moves relate to salsa etc.
That way I can articulate the moves as properly as my middle aged skinny-fat white @$$ will allow
 
1derpalm said:
I'm not great at it lol. But I try to go back as far as recorded music allows. And try to find info or interviews on web pages that aren't salsa blogs that seem to parrot the same things.
But I pale in comparison to you guys.
My goal or more for the intention and waning of the moves I do. Like the reason for gripping the pant leg in Cuban (aside from it being men's style or masculine), and seeing how old Danzón and Son moves relate to salsa etc.
That way I can articulate the moves as properly as my middle aged skinny-fat white @$$ will allow
Click to expand...
So you pursue online resources that aren't traditional "Salsa" specialty sites. May I ask what type of web pages would they he?

Out of curiosity why only go as far back as the dawn of recording technology? I ask because Danzon dancing precedes the advent of such tech.
 
Richie Blondet said:
What are things you do to pursue a basic or in-depth knowledge of "Salsa?"

How do you go about it?

How far do you go?

What, Where and or Who do you turn to for the purpose of procuring details to your quest?
Click to expand...
You‘re speaking specifically about Salsa, correct? As my research was more in Cuban music, my list would be long, but I haven’t researched salsa itself enough. Here my answer would be shorter and “Richie Blondet” would be a main element. Although I still want him for a Latin music talk as a “dessert” for my researches.
 
Latinjazz said:
You‘re speaking specifically about Salsa, correct? As my research was more in Cuban music, my list would be long, but I haven’t researched salsa itself enough. Here my answer would be shorter and “Richie Blondet” would be a main element. Although I still want him for a Latin music talk as a “dessert” for my researches.
Click to expand...

LJ,

Cuban music IS Salsa. Or the other way around. And, again, I'm not looking for you to list specific resources (ex. "Congahead.com," etc) but, if you're willing to, to share how you go about it. Where do you begin? Do you focus on individual artists? Do you pursue ethnomusicological studies or scholarship? Oral histories? Discographies? Is youtube a resource? Print publications? Etc.
 
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1) Talk (correspond) with people who are more deeply interested, mainly DJs, but not only. Musical dancers often have heard music, that's new to me. Or they have insights that I've not had. But I also talk to people who just come to party for a drink and fun. They have their own perspectives, some are knowledgeable.
2) Music wise I listen one thing I like or find interesting, then I look up more context until it's too much. Song->Album->Band->Time period or location->Style. I just listen and go either wider or deeper, it depends. Probably with grooves wider (I'll check many bands), with melodies deeper (I'll check one band but deeper, or composer). First song usually comes from some party, film, radio. When outside I scan music much of the time.
3) When I go to specific style events, I will learn about that kind of music automatically, want it or not. I've never wanted to listen to more than one Marc Anthony song. Now I'm 60% sure, I spelled his name correctly.
4) And instruments are another entry point. I might be interested in some specific instrumentation, groove. Then I'll look up players, will try to find some charts, some lesson videos. So I learn a bit about how it's made. But for that to make sense, I listen to some specific songs from specific artists. And we enter the cycle of #2 often.
5) I try to figure out what my partners enjoy in music. Sometimes it might be something new to me. Then I listen to that, think how to incorporate in dance? How I should change to make dance organic? And I listen to specific songs. Enter the cycle.
6) I talk to musicians. Often times secondary (and so on) sources will add too much interpretation, both simplifying and embellishing. I can make my own conclusions, so I'm interested in raw data points. I collect them and some time later a pattern might emerge. Then I test it, try to find musical examples that contradict. Usually there are always exceptions. They might die off, but they might birth a new styles.

But really, that list is too artificial, I go with the flow these are just some of common paths.
I've not read a book except educational text books about how to play, what to play in general band. No history books, I wanted some.
I've been to Cali, NYC, LA, SF. Salsa cities where it firstly means sauce, but also where bands create original music, where people listen to it on radio in the car, where people learn dancing from the grandmothers. Less artifice, less skill as well, more feel and just living.
 
Richie Blondet said:
LJ,

Cuban music IS Salsa. Or the other way around. And, again, I'm not looking for you to list specific resources (ex. "Congahead.com," etc) but, if you're willing to, to share how you go about it. Where do you begin? Do you focus on individual artists? Do you pursue ethnomusicological studies or scholarship? Oral histories? Discographies? Is youtube a resource? Print publications? Etc.
Click to expand...
I’ll post my list about how I research. And I don’t agree with “Cuban music IS Salsa”, not even the other way round, but I’m not going to start a war with Godzilla who would inhale me before breakfast. :)
Give me a couple days, I’m on my trip back home from Spain.
 
Might be too early to tangent, but in all this I don't trust nationalists. If people are too obsessed with their specific country, city, era, whatnot then I take what they say with the grain of salt and recheck. Often they have been misleading or outright wrong. Such people might live on particular island, or might be just frequent visitors.
And I find that people with radical and wild political views have deeper interest in salsa. Not sure if there is a connection or maybe I'm just attracted to such people for some other reason. Or they to me. But while they might weave alien conspiracies each Sunday, with regard to music they often are specific, deep, insightful.
 
The real path is probably like this:

I want to listen to more versions of "lluvia con nieve", a common song by Mon Rivera.
In this path I hit Puerto Candelaria
I figure out they're not that good at salsa, but as an live band actually great and can be both sophisticated and raw.
I like their non salsa music more.
And in one song there is collaboration with Maite Kontele
I look her up. I recognize a song. But this time I listen to it from different perspective, because I arrive to it differently.
I listen more to her, find her play and composing interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEQijWH3L7U
Alain Pérez - I've heard about him from Cuban salsa dancers - big star. But now I look at him as a featuring singer in Maite's song.
Then I listen to her collab with Oscar d'Leon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ozy_nNabJM
And I listen to his song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RZhosTgYi8
 
Salsaforums first and foremost, no other salsa related entity comes close. Books and research papers. Numerous Facebook groups . You tube content. Befriend dancers from different generations. (I got friends from the Palladium era.) Last but not least I want to give a shoutout to Richie Blondet, who not only puts out great content but encourages us to follow the music and to be discerning with what we ingest salsa wise. @Latinjazz this if for you: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/HRGf5vcyFiuCGuj8/?mibextid=UalRPS
 
Richie Blondet said:
So you pursue online resources that aren't traditional "Salsa" specialty sites. May I ask what type of web pages would they he?

Out of curiosity why only go as far back as the dawn of recording technology? I ask because Danzon dancing precedes the advent of such tech.
Click to expand...
I meant for my ears.
I guess sights like Cubajunky and such. Interviews with old Cubans. Things like that. I guess I meant that when I started researching salsa to get into it, I was reading the same thing on so many blogs (LA is on 1, Nw York is on 2 and you must do multiple sound and dad shines, Cuban is Circular with bent legs and fee wide). Just generic stuff. The same generic stuff.
I'm less interested in who did what (which is wierd because I am so OCD about that with things like hip hop).
I wt own a rabbit whole about bolero son and that was how I found out more about Habanera and such. I dunno.
Like I said, I'm not on the level of most on this site. I use it as a means to enrich my understanding and try to find archaic moves to add. I'm small potatoes
 
Since nobody's posting, another interesting point of entry is this thread. https://www.salsaforums.com/threads/old-salsa-photos-thread.42218

I look at posters and try to picture, how the shows were organized from producers/booking agents/audience perspective. I try to imagine what kind of people went there, how much did it cost for them with regard to income. How much they cared about music? How much for other services and opportunities at the venue? If it's in the hotel, was the concert free for hotel guests?

Which artists played together (though apparently some posters are misleading)? Who was promoting them?
How much time did they spend rearranging instruments and how much they actually played? Or maybe they played on the same instruments? A house instruments? There are DJs mentioned, so were there soundchecks on the stage while DJ played? How did that impact quality? Did they talk to audience a lot? How many songs did they perform? Were there many instrumental solos when there were many featuring artists? How many bands from those that performed together also shared a band members? Did they do it to save cost?

I might look up addresses and try to picture how that area looked like.
I look at the venue opening and show start schedules and try to understand what kind of people went to shows, how they organized the rest of their life.
I look at the font size and try to understand why promoter wanted to emphasize one or another artist.
---
So I try to find info on internet about these questions and piece the puzzle together.
 
Smejmoon said:
Since nobody's posting, another interesting point of entry is this thread. https://www.salsaforums.com/threads/old-salsa-photos-thread.42218

I look at posters and try to picture, how the shows were organized from producers/booking agents/audience perspective. I try to imagine what kind of people went there, how much did it cost for them with regard to income. How much they cared about music? How much for other services and opportunities at the venue? If it's in the hotel, was the concert free for hotel guests?

Which artists played together (though apparently some posters are misleading)? Who was promoting them?
How much time did they spend rearranging instruments and how much they actually played? Or maybe they played on the same instruments? A house instruments? There are DJs mentioned, so were there soundchecks on the stage while DJ played? How did that impact quality? Did they talk to audience a lot? How many songs did they perform? Were there many instrumental solos when there were many featuring artists? How many bands from those that performed together also shared a band members? Did they do it to save cost?

I might look up addresses and try to picture how that area looked like.
I look at the venue opening and show start schedules and try to understand what kind of people went to shows, how they organized the rest of their life.
I look at the font size and try to understand why promoter wanted to emphasize one or another artist.
---
So I try to find info on internet about these questions and piece the puzzle together.
Click to expand...
Where on the internet do you seek the information? Just a general Google search? Or...?
 
Reading this question I realized that something profoundly changed around 2010: before I would have gone to my local bookstore, a good one who has books about everything. Now I search in google or youtube.

But interestingly my best source of information turned out to be an old-style printed book I ordered two years ago after having read good reviews in this forum: "Spinning mambo into Salsa" from Juliet McMains. I read it twice and will reread chapters again. I was surprised such a good book exists, I had expected less. It's a nice feeling to lay in bed in the evening and turn the pages. But I know these printed days have come to an end.

Still I haven't been to that bookstore, I should take a look next time.
 
Richie Blondet said:
What are things you do to pursue a basic or in-depth knowledge of "Salsa?"

How do you go about it?

How far do you go?

What, Where and or Who do you turn to for the purpose of procuring details to your quest?
Click to expand...
Honestly, I come to this website and message you :P There's some musicians or old-time dancers that I reach out to, google some stuff and a few books I can look through, but I've found the Q&A on this forum really helpful.
 
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