La Isla Bonita

Puerto Rico has a long history of rich culture and music. Music from the island country is vibrant, sensual, and festive. Its musical influences include: the mambo and the son from Cuba, the merengue from the Dominican Republic, American jazz, and romantic ballads from Spain. The most prevalent genres of Purto Rican are: danza (rich in harmonies, resembling classical music,) plena (narrative songs about contemporary events,) bomba (African rhythms, masks, and spiritual worship), and the most famous of them: salsa.

Salsa began in the late 1960’s to describe this new genre. It’s birth was in New York City. Just as Nueva York is a mix of so many cultures, so were the influences that brought about salsa. Salsa is for dancing, and its rhythms are caliente, and compelling.