What would it take for salsa to have a revival?

That’s the official song video? The song must be very popular.
In latin america, yes. Comments are all in spanish.
A lot of people use YouTube to listen to a song rather than Spotify. A lot of people”views” are probably the single listeners. What video accompanies, doesn’t matter.
Yes, me too, I also use YT for just listening songs, but I also watch the videos quite often to get an idea about the musicians. People only listening to Spotify lists often have no idea how that people look like they hear so often.

So maybe only 10 million watched the video - that's still a lot for a salsa dance lesson.
 
100 million views by now - who would have thought a salsa dance lesson video gets 100 million views in ten weeks! :oops:
Reggaeton is incredibly popular. This track might not be reggaeton but that's what the artist is famous for, so the above comes as no surprise.
 
A lot of people use YouTube to listen to a song rather than Spotify. A lot of people”views” are probably the single listeners. What video accompanies, doesn’t mamatter.
Reggaeton videos are usually extremely consumerist/materialistic and bad taste. Body builders covered in tattoos driving expensive cars meet and charm surgically-enhanced women. That must be what appeals to people who enjoy such 'music'.

With the different style of music Bunny also had the opportunity to do something different in the vid.
 
20 years ago a lot of salsa artists would get reggaeton vocalists to collaborate on tracks. Andy Montañez did it to a higher and more successful level than others with his version of the Adalberto Álvarez tune. I can't recall any other salsa tracks with guest reggaetoneros becoming successful.
Jerry Rivera w/ reggaeton rapper Voltio did a cover of MI LIBERTAD that was a real mega-hit stonker at the time.

That's stonker, not stinker. I know my British slang mate.
Likewise I can't imagine Bad Bunny or any other reggaeton artists will be producing more successful salsa songs.
I can. Not just 20 years ago but within the last 5-10 years reggaeton artists have continuously recorded odes to Salsa or featured Salsa vocalists on their tracks. Tego & Don Omar recording EL NAZARENO. Maluma with LA MUMURGAThe collaboration between Calle 13 and Ruben Blades.

Karol G. had already recorded a "Salsa" version of her hit anthem AMARGURA, arranged by Sergio George, prior to Bad Bunny's hit. The Kid Rauw Alejandro has been the most consistent at interpreting Salsa. Granted he's nowhere near Bad Bunny's success. Then again no one is.
Time will tell.

What's known as "Ueban Music" has always trended in the direction. 35 years ago a chunk of the U.S. Latinx vocal artistry along the eastern seaboard (La India, Marc Anthony, Huey Dunbar, Brenda K. Starr, George Lamond, Christy I-Eece, etc, went from recording freestyle and house music, to "Salsa Romantica." The bottom line is that, no matter how hardcore or authentic an urban artist might be, all roads will always lead to pop. That's been the formula since before the days of the Boogaloo. Always changing it up to be fresh and stand out from the rest. Because that, as much as "maintaining the roots" (like the "Buena Vista Social Club") is also part of the tradition. Exploration. Whether it succeeds or not.
 
"But I think this song, more than giving salsa a push, will give a push to making more authentic music and will push artists to perhaps be more honest in their songs, make music from the heart and redefine what “modern salsa” means. This song has a classic essence, but at the same time it sounds new.

What’s good is good. For example, this song has a piano solo. A trumpet solo. I hadn’t heard a salsa with a solo in the longest time. It has an essence that resuces the beauty of old salsa.
That's the reason I dig Baile Inolvidable. First of all it swings like F&%#. It's literally adopting the "less is more" appraoch of the golden age and doesn't feature an incessant amount of notes as was common on Salsa Romantica tracks. He let the rhythm section be heard and doused the horns until it was time to let them roar again. I happen to dig his vocals for the same reason I dug Angel Canales and Mon Rivera. They didn't sound like ANYONE else. They were distinct unto themselves. I rather hear Benito than another pretty boy vocalist or grizzled veteran singing love songs with a Salsa Romantica backbeat. I'll tell you this much. I think his "Salsa" track appeals to both the pop commercial crowd who dig Marc Anthony's music, and the folks who immerse themselves with Ray Barretto or the music of Orchestra Harlow. MUCH more than what the SHO and other alleged "Salsa Dura" artists of the 21st century have produced thus far.

I sincerely hope he records more.
 
"“Salsa… consolidated itself in the ‘70s as kind of a one of the most significant musical cultural contributions of Puerto Ricans to the world, to the United States, to Latin America, but that music was indebted to plena, to jíbaro music, to bomba music into aguinaldos,” says Moreno."

And no mention of Cuba in the whole article.

Consider the source. It's a TIME Magazine publication quoting university professors and the dummies who run Craft records, the owner of the Fania catalog.

They don't know anything about Salsa. They're farmers.
 
Doing a 6-minute-song indeed was kinda provocative. Current songs are mostly between 2-3 minutes - it is said due to the reduced attention time span of nowadays people. You can check today's Spotify Top 50: second longest song among the 50 has 4:44 min. (I guess the content of this link changes every day, so might be different if you check in the future).


Few contemporary Salsa singers or orchestras record solos anymore. They also don't record (like at all) aguinaldos, or plenas. Least of all the current Puerto Rican Salseros who are actively performing. Like Bunny did. Which went to #1 globally. A first time ever for those genres. Even Son has yet to achieve that. It's been close, right? Top 40. Gloria Estefan. But not like Bunny's DTMF album.
 
I think there's a major issue that partly comes from professional dancers and DJs: they’ve been playing the same songs for the past 30 years.
There’s actually new salsa music being released, but it rarely gets any spotlight.


Bachata, like it or not, constantly brings out new songs, and many popular artists have their tracks remixed in bachata style.


That said, we’ve seen that it is possible — with salsa cover of Rauw Alejandro, or salsa tracks by Bad Bunny — so there’s still hope!
 
I think there's a major issue that partly comes from professional dancers and DJs: they’ve been playing the same songs for the past 30 years.
There’s actually new salsa music being released, but it rarely gets any spotlight.


Bachata, like it or not, constantly brings out new songs, and many popular artists have their tracks remixed in bachata style.


That said, we’ve seen that it is possible — with salsa cover of Rauw Alejandro, or salsa tracks by Bad Bunny — so there’s still hope!
I see this, the problem is a lot of salsa djs in the dance scene just plain suck (very little variety, whether it's digging the archives for classics or seeking out newer stuff), and crucially a lot of dancers who'd be the market for salsa music DGAF about the music. It's more the attitude to the music from the dancers, the music just isn't important. It's just background noise. Imho a lot comes down from the top - promoters, teachers, even a lot of DJs.

Bachata, I guess because it is more easily accessible because the bachata most ppl dance to here basically is just western pop music, the barrier to entry is much lower. More bachata dancers will listen to bachata when not dancing. Those same dancers are now drawn to salsa by bad bunny, yeah the purist in me is all 'pffft!', but if it's a 'gateway drug' so to speak, bring it on.
 
That's the reason I dig Baile Inolvidable. First of all it swings like F&%#. It's literally adopting the "less is more" appraoch of the golden age and doesn't feature an incessant amount of notes as was common on Salsa Romantica tracks. He let the rhythm section be heard and doused the horns until it was time to let them roar again. I happen to dig his vocals for the same reason I dug Angel Canales and Mon Rivera. They didn't sound like ANYONE else. They were distinct unto themselves. I rather hear Benito than another pretty boy vocalist or grizzled veteran singing love songs with a Salsa Romantica backbeat. I'll tell you this much. I think his "Salsa" track appeals to both the pop commercial crowd who dig Marc Anthony's music, and the folks who immerse themselves with Ray Barretto or the music of Orchestra Harlow. MUCH more than what the SHO and other alleged "Salsa Dura" artists of the 21st century have produced thus far.

I sincerely hope he records more.
I've only listened to it once and it didn't grab me, but maybe if I heard it a few times it would grow on me. There are a few salsa/son albums and tracks from this century that I really like, but not loads, and for whatever reason SHO have never grabbed me.
 
within the last 5-10 years reggaeton artists have continuously recorded odes to Salsa or featured Salsa vocalists on their tracks. Tego & Don Omar recording EL NAZARENO. Maluma with LA MUMURGAThe collaboration between Calle 13 and Ruben Blades.

Karol G. had already recorded a "Salsa" version of her hit anthem AMARGURA, arranged by Sergio George, prior to Bad Bunny's hit. The Kid Rauw Alejandro has been the most consistent at interpreting Salsa. Granted he's nowhere near Bad Bunny's success. Then again no one is.
If I still DJed then I would probably have all those tunes downloaded and assessed as to their suitability for different audiences. I can't imagine I would ever want to listen to any of them at home though so I'll happily live in ignorance.
 
Those same dancers are now drawn to salsa by bad bunny, yeah the purist in me is all 'pffft!', but if it's a 'gateway drug' so to speak, bring it on.
If that is or becomes the case then it's great news. Although from my perspective as someone who would never consider going to an SBK or Cuban salsa event: I can't imagine it will actually result in events playing mostly salsa (i.e. not timba/timbatón/reggaetón cubano) ever appearing.

Events playing mostly salsa do exist already in the UK, and not just in London, but there are not many of them and no matter how many times I relocate they're never near where I live.
 
Events playing mostly salsa do exist already in the UK, and not just in London, but there are not many of them and no matter how many times I relocate they're never near where I live.
They're actually not uncommon here :) but not because salsa is more popular, but because we're at the end of the world and trends haven't hit here yet. It can feel like travelling back in time. The social I'll be able to hit tonight will play salsa, maybe a random cha, and, merengue. Yes, merengue (which I actually enjoy). You can also find T-stances ... But pleasantly bachata and zouk free zone. I haven't been able to get to Sydney for a while for a salsa trip (much better scene there) so I'm not sure the extent to which it's developed.

As eclo noted, the DJs play a dismal list of same-old same-old, often old commercially songs or ruining better songs with overplaying them. At the same time, many of the dancers don't know the artists and will be seen, for example, trying to dance salsa to a cumbia track. One reason I try to attend an occasional Saturday night social which is expensive and mostly populated by beginnerish dancers (although it doesn't seem to be running this year :() is that the DJ really knows his music, and the organiser will chat music with you. (That being said, he's been trying to get me to perform with his team, which I'm simply not interested in.)
 
If that is or becomes the case then it's great news. Although from my perspective as someone who would never consider going to an SBK or Cuban salsa event: I can't imagine it will actually result in events playing mostly salsa (i.e. not timba/timbatón/reggaetón cubano) ever appearing.

Events playing mostly salsa do exist already in the UK, and not just in London, but there are not many of them and no matter how many times I relocate they're never near where I live.
At least speaking for the North America at large, the events like salsa congresses and other festivals (SBK) are attended by microscopic percentage of those who dance and listen to the music. Among those who regularly go dancing in the clubs, far less attend their hometown festivals. Some will only go for one of three days for a few hours. It is the performance team members for whom such events are important.

Therefore these kinds of events can not set any trends or influence much of what is happening in the wider salsa world. When it comes to music, I don’t think all salsa dancers of the world put together have any influence of where salsa music trends. Those who only listen are many times larger in numbers than those who dance.
 
They're actually not uncommon here :) but not because salsa is more popular, but because we're at the end of the world and trends haven't hit here yet. It can feel like travelling back in time. The social I'll be able to hit tonight will play salsa, maybe a random cha, and, merengue. Yes, merengue (which I actually enjoy). You can also find T-stances

I like merengue (in very small quantities) but detest T stance. I don't follow though, so it's unlikely someone would try to force me into one.
 
from my perspective as someone who would never consider going to an SBK or Cuban salsa event
Actually I've been to Cuban salsa events where the emphasis is on timba and even some son moderno and I enjoyed it, although not something I would bother with on a regular basis though. (At home I can listen to real salsa music.)
 
but detest T stance. I don't follow though, so it's unlikely someone would try to force me into one.

We used to discuss our stance on T-stance often in 2008/9 in here. While they largely died out and I hardly seen any in the last 13 years or so, I do remember the beginner as well as intermediate followers to be enthusiastic about it.

I wonder if t-stance was influenced by LA style (more showy).
 
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