Salsiology: Afro-Cuban Music and the Evolution of Salsa in New York City

by Vernon W. Boggs

Boggs presents a readable, even exciting, history of Salsa, showing how Afro-Cuban music was embraced in New York City, how it has undergone cycles of popularity, and how it has been replicated abroad. Extensively illustrated with photographs of the bands and clubs as well as the key leaders and promoters, a night at the Palladium, the Cheetah, or the Park Palace comes alive. In addition, Boggs provides interviews with such key figures as Palladium Mambero Ernie Ensley and Izzy 'Mr. Salsa' Sanabria.

From its roots in Cuba through present-day Salsa clubs, Boggs provides a tour of a popular music form that has had a significant impact in the Latin community as well as among contemporary pop and serious composers. This book is required reading in the fields of musicology, black studies, American culture, sociology, anthropology, and for students of contemporary Latin-American culture.

Genres: Music

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Caden Mccann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In general, a good overview of how “Salsa” music moves from Cuba to Puerto Rico and then through migration to New York City, where the music really comes into its own as Latin music forms intermingle with jazz and the music develops a more streetwise rhythm. In contrast with the other commentator here, I liked the somewhat scattershot way Boggs compiled this book (i.e. articles from other academics, interviews with figures involved in the scene, photo spreads), you can tell Boggs was a purist who really lived and breathed this stuff.

[Kael Shipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but underwhelming. I think the author made a good-faith attempt at making the book accessible, but it really read like a bunch of field notes. The first 5th of it was what I was really thirsty for: a somewhat academic history of salsa, including it's primary musical ancestors and the socioeconomic mechanisms by which those roots intermingled.

The rest ended up being mostly interviews that were nominally interesting, but really didn't need to dominate the book.

I would say this is good for an afternoon in the library, but maybe not all that worth taking home.

One of the really valuable parts about it, though, was the list of wonderful musicians and musical forms I was able to scrape from it. I'm still working through them.