In choosing my term paper, I, had decided to write about the Caribbean music. In special about the Guaguanco, or Salsa, as you might have come to know it today. I, would mention some of the historical background of this music. For example: how cultural elements, such as Africans, Indigenous people, Spanish and European has influence this rhythm. The diversity of some of the instruments use to play Salsa and their origins are accounted for in here also. They came from different parts of the world as you would see. The instrumentation, which give this rhythm its unique flavor, that makes this music so famous today. I, am mentioning, various of the big names in this music, like Salsa singer, band leader, and how they all come together for the evolution of this sound, every once and then. This events is called The Fania All Stars’ concerts.

As I, continue my paper, you would see how these melodies, from the street, have ended in Madison Square Garden, as a main event every year, making a profit of millions of dollars. It has propagated like fire, even movies and documentaries, had been made in its name. Salsa is not always festive, but there are occasions when it’s used to mourn babies, who has die at birth ( Baquine ), and in the wake of an adult

( Velorio ). There are other religious rituals where Guaguanco, it’s also use. I, would mention some of them briefly later in this paper. To end this essay, I would give you my personal experience as a Salsero, person who loves Salsa, myself.

To a lot of people the term Salsa is something new, in their vocabulary, in the old days in Puerto Rico it was called, Guaguanco. This is the same melody that Dezi Arnas, called Rhumba, Son Montuno, or Pachanga. It blends Rhumba, with other musical forms of the Caribbean. For example: from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and other Latin America strain. This includes Charanga, Cha-cha-cha or yam-bu from Spain. In Puerto Rico, was known as Guaguanco, the low lifer’s music in the old days.

The main source of this Caribbean music, has come from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic among others in the later years. Lets us not forget New York City, where it was baptize as Salsa, and it has been a basic part of the Latino’s communities for the last 30 years. It was launched like this in New York City, because some people had Soul, but we had more flavor ( Salsa, is sauce, in Spanish ). Now, it has spread all over the World, places like Japan, Germany, Africa, and Central and South Americas have heard or danced to it today. Even China, have their own Salsa band is an Orchestra call "La Luz" ( The Light ), very famous among the Latino community.

As for its historical background, I would first say that this is an Afro-Cuban invention known as Rhumba. The union of enslaved Africans, Indigenous, Europeans, and Spaniards, all had a specific traditional music of their own, which have contributed to the rhythm. The wave of Conquistadores, explorers, colonist and missionaries, that came to the Caribbean, during the first century of the conquest of this area, produced a mix-racial and cultural effect denoted in its music. Even though public dancing was prohibited in the middle of the XVII century, music was still a delight for the people of the Caribbean.

The African musical influence has touch places like Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Paraguay. In one way or another this is reflected in their aboriginal repertory of music. For example: the enslaved people, would en-light their hard work at the plantations, throughout the Caribbean, with songs that were in unison with deep breaths and shouts. These songs, could be from the regular life of the enslave, or from their religious belief, or perhaps to just amuse and divert their labor. The Africans, had a cylindrical, conic instrument in a form of a barrel. It was cover with leather, which was tune by fire or with the hands. This is known today as a Conga, and it was used mostly for religious purposes. For example, in Vu du, Santeria, Shango or Macumba, African religion or deities or religions. The African’s marimbas, and the xylophone, is two more of the instrument contributed by them. This last one, the Xylophne, was modified with wood in the new world. The African people, have a believe that we must dance, since the gods are dancers themselves. This would also keep the deities happy, and benefit them in response to their music.

Of the Ibero-America countries, that had the more influence of the African’s music are Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. Another contributions of the Africans, are other instruments, verse of the melodies, rhytmicity and expressive elements of the Son Muntuno. These are the basics for the Salsa’s music. This is best heard in Descargas, a duel between musicians, singers or the percussionist, this brings euphoria to thousands of Latinos at festivals or concerts. For example, the drumming style and some melodies, were preserved through religions or cults such as Santeria (a religion dedicated to praise the saints, some times with animal sacrifices) .

Shamefully to said, there are places where the indi-genous’s music has silence forever. Specially, the urban centers, where the Spanish invaders impose their major influences. Most of the domestic ceremonial and cultural aspects of the Caribbean, have subsided to the elements of the Spaniard’s roots. This has provided each island, its own customs of music and rhythm’s elements. For instance, when the Spaniard’s missionaries, through the church’s music, influenced the indigenous, and the enslaved people with their melodies and rhythm. These had another major dominant sentimental’s effect on the music of the Caribbean.

Music, was an accompaniment in the diversifications of life in the Tropics. For example, to praise the country or God; it can be humorous, or in a simple form of personal expression, were some of the tunes the church used to communicate itself. Another occasions include Christmas carols, festivals dedicated to various Saints, Carnivals, Eastern, the Day of the Dead ( El dia de los difuntos in Spanish ), and zone or regional fairs. Most lead to each, own island’s expression to such events.

From Spain and Portugal, we inherited the romanticism, nursery rhymes and proclamations or town’s cries. As instru-ments we have from them bells, organs, diatonic harps, flutes, violins, trombones, mandolins, accordions and a medieval type of guitar that later became known as the cuatro ( a small tenth cord guitar ). The Spaniards brought with them the guitar, accompany by other instruments or a singer to the Caribbean region.

Even though, a lot is known of the Pre-Colombian era, little has been study on the Caribbean’s music in this period. Nevertheless, we know that Incas, and Mayas used Kettledrums ( Timbale ), bongos, percussion’s cups, and guiros, ( A pod that is scrape transversely to have later a stick rubbed against it to produce an exquisite sound ). This Guicharo or Guiro, some times, was made of human or large animal bones. For example: the femur, the upper leg bone of both groups. animal and humans.

Flutes and a diversity of castanets, were also used for entertainment or religious purposes by both groups, the Incas, and the Mayas. In the Inca empire, the habitants had this favorite small warping drum, which they used at festivities, this is now the bongo, used in the Salsa music. In South America, there were a huge variety of flutes, whistles, and trumpets made of bam bu, snails or clay; these are its contribution to the composition of the Caribbean’s music.

As per the European’s connection, the Caribbean’s music inherited the Brass bands, and also the dancing to music. For example, the Waltz. The broken’s heart songs, and sad poems in the music came from them mainly. When the Europeans came to the Caribbean, they brought the Opera music with them. The pianos, violins, harps, the Orchestra’s settings and the small assemble of musicians, were integrated into the Caribbean sphere of playing music. These cultivated inside the colonies, which is represented in its tropical melodies and dance.

Contributions to the Salsa’s movement has been possible from individuals like Ismael Rivera, Hector Lavoe, and Willie Colon, which I would mention in this paper. Other artist includes Machito, Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Ruben Blades, Celia Cruz, Yomo Toro, Joe Cuba, Joe Bataan, Tito Rodriguez, Santos Colon, Pete "El Conde ( The Count ) Rodriguez, Cheo Feliciano and Ismael Miranda. The majority of all these artists come together to form the events of Fania All Stars, the biggest Salsa’s concerts ever done to delight the Salseros of the world.

Our African’s roots in the Guaguanco are better noted in the songs of Ismael Rivera, now deceased of a cancerous throat polyp tumor. This was a black Puerto Rican man, born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. The humble son of poor parents, became one of the kings of the Son Montuno. "El Sonero Mayor," ( The Major Meistersinger ) or Ismael or "Maelo" as he was kindly known, started his career with the band of Tito +Curet and Cortijo y su Combo, ( Cortijo’s combo ). Rafael Cortijo’s band, also brought representation of the Africanization of the Caribbean music in the 1950's. Some are still the roots of musical practices such as Afro-Antilles, Neo-Africa, and Afro-American rhythms. Their song had the pure African’s beat of congas, bongos, and voices.

El Sonero Mayor, is another good example of the Afro-Antillan music of the Caribbean. Through his rhymes Ismael Rivera, would praise our African heritage and traditions. This was his tool to organize and structure his improvisations, creating the quality and sonority of his work. Maelo, was one of the most influential Salsa singers of Puerto Rico. With his Afro-Antillan melodies, he gave the matrix to Guaguanco, that bombarded the region in the late 50's, 60's and late 70's. His songs, was a mix that, predominated with the sociological events of our countries. How the black-white relation has affected our islands is manifested in various ways in his proses.

One of the things that made, Ismael Rivera, so great was the way he would improvise rhythmically, verbally, and melodically against the paraphrasing of the chorus. These improvisations are known as inspirations among the singers.

He would praise our African’s heritage as a part of our Caribbean’s societies in his melodies. He would use the answer and respond with the chorus to structure his sonata, sometime in a controversial motive, such as the oppressions of the Africans slaved, which made him famous in the Salsa world.

The other two examples I, have chosen are Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon. Hector was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He left the Island at a young age, and came to New York City, where he raised his artistic career to higher level. Lavoe’s profession took him around the world including the Caribbean and South America, where he became famous. He was born with the gift to express himself through his melodies. This made of him the grand figure in the Latin music industry in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. El Cantante de los Cantantes ( The Singer of Singers ), as Hector, is still known, charis-ma’s, transcended in his natural talent of inspiration, that millions have come to love.

In the winter of 1976, the record name "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", based on the movie with the same name by Clinteastwood in Hollywood, came out to the records stores. In it Hector Lavoe, under the production of Willie Colon, under a contract with the Fania recording company; made some of his first distinguished hits. The Good was Yomo Toro, a Cuatro guitar player; Willie Colon was the Bad, and Hector was the Ugly. El Cantante de los Cantantes, was name the ugly, because he could express his feelings and emotions of the good and bad of our country. His seductive rhythmicity, instigated the common people, to dance with emotions, perhaps ugly ones.

In 1977, Hector, plays in Madison Square Garden, with the Orchestra of Joe Cuba, filling the place at capacity, making enough profit for both players. Lavoe also used to like to start his acts with jokes or pranks, therefore was nickname El Nino Travieso de la Fania ( The Little Rascal of Fania ). Sadly to said, that alcohol abuse and the drug addiction, of Hector Lavoe, was one of the reason, Willie Colon, fired him from his band. Hector, left other people manages his finances, they took more than necessary or supposed to, leaving him in financial’s difficulties. Tragedy continue to followed him, when his little son, is shot by a stray bullet, killing the child days later. Years, before dying of Aids’ complications, he mysteriously falls the nine floors from a hotel room in Puerto Rico. Surviving the fall, because of the central air conditioning plant broke his fall. He is considered one of the best Salsa’s singer, now and forever.

Willie Colon, you may know him, he ran for public office, few years ago. At the beginning of his career, he dependent on Hector Lavoe to make his hits come through. He was the composer and producer of most their songs, which later became famous. In 1971, in and afford by Willie Colon, he brought the Guaguanco, to million of listeners in the United state and America. DJ’s like, Joe Gaines, symphony Sid, and Richardo Sugar help Colon, and Willie, and Hector to acquire national recognition. El Malo de la Salsa, (The Mobster of Salsa), Willie Colon brought the song name Che-che-cole, ( Che-che means Big shot in Puerto Rico), to Symphony Sid at old W.EV.D station in 46^th Street and Broadway avenue, the D’J like so much the melody that he play it five times in his shift. After that Sid, got contaminated with the Caribbean music. In difference to DJ’s like Roger Dawson, from New York City, who criticize the rhythm as from people, whom conduct was loud and delinquent. He nickname Hector as the Bad Boy of Salsa, little did he know.

When we talk about the Salsa music, we can not do it without mentioning its main events of it. Some are conducted here in New York City, others are in places like Zaire in Africa, Puerto Rico, Germany, London, and Europe in general. One of the first big event of Salsa, was conducted in a club called Cheetah in New York City, in August 26, 1971. Under the direction of Johnny Pacheco, music director of Fania, the production of Larry Harlow, and Jerry Masucci as the executive producer, a live concert was produce live. This was made into a movie, and later, became a documentary with the same name, In it, we see the Fania All Stars’ artist together for the first time for an event. Fania is a recording studio, whom decided to put together the best Salsa players, of each individual band, and do concerts all over the world. The highlight of this event was a duel between the two congas players, Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barreto. In it we can appreciate the African heritage in the Caribbean’s music. We can also admire the indigenous influence of trumpet, flutes, timbals, and bongos. Even an American drum was used that night. This event now is conducted in Madison Square Garden, every few years, this fall was the last one of this century. Also Salsa festival are conducted every year at the Madison, for the last 27 years, I myself have being to the last five.

Now, to conclude my paper, I, would give you my insight on this matter of Salsa music. As I, was raised in Puerto Rico, guaguanco has always been part of my life. Beginning with my childhood, when my Abuelo, ( grandfather), would give me quarters and dimes to dance to this music. Friends and neighborliness would chose a street corner to play congas, and next thing you knew we come together in a Rumbon,

( same as a desgarga). This is also called Salsa Brava, theme of national and political elements are done, or when the violence and restlessness of the common people is expressed in the reality that most of them confronted. Here it was this rhythm so seductive and electrified, you heart start humming inside of you. I was told by my grandparents that dancing to music has it magic rituality, medicinal purposes, or in reference to gratitude toward God. I remember being told about the Baquines, a child’s wake and how music will provide a good ambience for the child soul, whom wonder around until he\her found the way to heaven. This didn’t surprise me since I have being at velorios ( an adult’s wake), where the rosary has being done singing and with congas and bongos, even beer cans were used to produce a Son Montuno.

We own this to the missionaries, whom found music an instrument to their objectivity of teaching the Christian’s doctrines to the indigenous and the enslaved Africans. The aboriginals showed an availability to learn the long songs and the complicated European liturgics through singing along. Their later categorize music as sacred and profane. Well, the Caribbean music is the profane. Festivals like in Bogota, Mexico, Rio de Janeiro, San Pablo, and Santiago de Chile, proves it. We can see the repercussions of individual activity, which has cause a benefit to the Latin Music. There are known recently in the States but for a long time in Latin America, they have International recognition for the beauty of their creations and the force of their originality in music. Personalities like Ricky Martin, Julio Iglesias, Chayanne, and Marc Anthony are now the new improvisers of the tropical music.

It is incredible that a music that was once belief to be from the streets, now are in almost everybody house. This cultural music like the Tango, Rhumba, Mariachis, Guarachas or Cha-cha-cha, Boleros ( slow dance), Bamboleo ( sway) and even Salsa, it all express the inquisitory characteristic of our Caribbean’s countries. What it’s on people mouth’s. This music came from far villages (Aldeas or Pueblos), to the main cities and install itself in the suburbs of the Capitals. Inside of parties, and life music, with an inventive of its own, has incorporated, raising, invading, conquering masses, to the envy of those whom believed themselves superior to the trivia of this loudness called Salsa. Yet it influence has reached Europe, America and Asia. Now the romanticism of the Spaniards, being play with African percussion and the sonority of the Caribbean aboriginals is now called Salsa.