By Stacy DeBroff
When people hear Salsa music, they usually find it harder to sit still than to get up and move to the beat. This hypnotic rhythm, the most popular type of which is called “Mambo,” finds its roots in both Europe and Africa. When Africans were transported as slaves to Haiti and Cuba they brought their musical heritage with them. Mambo, like the conga and bongo, was originally a Bantu name for a musical instrument used in a ritual to mean “conversation with the gods.” In the 18th century, this fiery African beat gradually blended with the European settlers’ country-dances, or contradanza, as they were known in Spain.
• The new mesh of Caribbean syncopation soon transformed into the strong beats and romantic lyrics of Salsa. Children especially enjoy the freedom of being able to dance on or across any beat.
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