Rumba, Mambo, Salsa: Dance Forms Native to New York

The percussion of Africa, European instruments and indigenous tones combine to create a unique and festive sound of American musics. Perhaps no other style of music incorporates this combination of world influences better then rumba, mambo, and salsa. The history is as fascinating as the dance is beautiful.

Although not truly a product of Cuba, much of the origins of salsa can be traced to the island nation in the late 1800Õs. The English/French dance known as Contra-Danze arrived with the many French living in Haiti and mixed with the African-influenced Rumba, which is an African word for Òchorus of voices.Ó The mix was named son, which was short for Sonero, a type of wandering minstrel. From that son evolved other forms of the music, including cha cha, salsa, and mambo. While different regions like Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico have adapted their own style of salsa, their forms all derive from the son of Cuba.

Although salsa and mambo have different styles in different locations, they are all linked by the similarity of the dance. Rumba was essentially a flirtatious dance that accurately simulates the mating rituals of the natural world with hip movements constituteing much of the dance. In the transformations to salsa the thrusts and drumbeats became a slower, more sensual movement to an eight count. Steps move either from forward-to-back or side-to-side, on the 1, 2, and 3 counts in one direction, then on the 5, 6, and 7 in the other. While the early forms of mambo and rumba included only these steps, the modern form of salsa incorporates complex turns that bring out the elegance and sensuality of the dance.

Salsa is now the most popular form of Son, but rumba and mambo are still popular throughout the Caribbean and North America. There are many organizations and venues that still preserve the original forms of Son. La Esquina Habanera, a dance club and restaurant located on 14th Street and Summit Avenue in Union City, NJ, has a traditional rumba, including dances of the traditional African origins. Raices Habanera, an orchestra put together by David Oquendo, gives breath-taking performances every Sunday night.