Salsa Music 102
For the first two or so years of my salsa dancing life the biggest barrier to overcome was finding out the rhythm in salsa music. I used to ask girls if they could just start and I would jump into the music after them. In fact when I first started dancing it was all about merengue and bachata because it was all so much easier to hear. This became even more frustrating because it was so hard to get a clear, simple answer. I was told to “dance to the tumbao…OK whats that?” “Find the clave… but not every song has it” while all this advice was well intentioned it seemed to make the issue even more complicated.
The main reason salsa in particular is tough is because it doesn’t have a standard, constant underlying base line. So most songs will have a boom, bang-boom, boom, bang or something like that is constantly repeating. In salsa the underlying rhythm is composed of overlying instruments rather than one beat and these instruments follow a clave 2-3 or 3-2 rhythm… OK I am confusing myself. It’s what makes it so unique as a musical form.
Over time it became easier to listen and now its become one of my big sticking points when talking to other dancers. In fact when I look at the dance floors all over the world its pretty common to see people dancing on all sorts of different rhythms. This is OK in and of its self (don’t hate me there are just as many debates about correct timing), but it becomes very obvious when someone is just counting without the music when their timing changes throughout the song. More specifically dancing on1 or on2 and then all of a sudden you are on5. This becomes more obvious when the music has pauses, beat changes, instrumental solos. Many dancers don’t even notice. Also this is not your fault but to truly get an advanced stage of salsa you don’t need to learn more moves you need to dance more to the music.
OK so you have read this far and you are thinking “OK tell me how to dance to salsa music already” very well reader here are some tips for you. Think of them as a process, start with step 1 and then build off of that to step 2 and then step 3.
Grooving: Start every song by slowly rocking left and right with your partner. This has NEVER failed me. Over time your body will naturally fall into a rhythm based on what you are hearing. Your partner can also help here by slightly speeding or slowing you down while you are rocking. This has the added advantage of starting songs off with a casual feeling rather than just jumping into steps/moves. Here is a video example http://ping.fm/CCOm4
Counting 4&8: This is more advanced, but because we all teach counting salsa to 1,2,3 – 5,6,7 people will naturally fall into a 6 count instead of an 8 count rhythm. Therefore most everyone will learn how to dance slightly too quickly. This is why ever after step one and you start on the right beat, after a move you will be off of it. Here is an example. http://ping.fm/sM63H
Find the instrument: In my experience most salsa songs, usually have one instrument that tends to stand out more than the others. Piano, trumpet, or some percussion. What ever instrument you can hear being clearly try to follow its rhythm. Since they will all sequence in a round of 8 you will be able to do your steps to it. This video is a little complex, but if you are at this stage you should be able to handle it. http://ping.fm/mo3Ty
Think of these tips as a starting point. It took me well over a year before I could naturally find the the rhythm. As a lasting thought remember that salsa is a street dance and is only limited by your own creativity. In the salsa world there are people who dance on 1, on 2, on 3, and on 5. So chances are as long as you start sooner or later you will be fine. Good luck. If you want anymore info you can always ask me questions through my site. www.dance4uvancouver.com

How to Salsa – YouTube

Now this is what I call instructional.  Starts off like a porno, but love the guy half way through straight comedy.

How to Salsa – YouTube.

Salsa Music 101
Well there are lots of different styles and opinions on salsa music as there is in every other style of music.  When I used to work in a resort the managers used to say never talk about religion and politics because it always leads to heated arguments.  I sometimes think they should add music to that list.
That being said salsa music is awesome and for a beginner dancer the best music (in my humble opinion) is what some might call pop salsa.  The salsa that is widely played not just in salsa clubs, but on radio and tv as well.  For all you just getting into salsa music I will save the discussion about the rhythms and instruments for later.  For now here is a list of some great salsa artists to dance to.
1.  Marc Anthony: Probably the first place and most widely known salsa singer, his songs are like crack for dancers.  Here are a few of my recommends.
- Tu amore me hace bien, mi gente, valio la pena
2.  Victor Manuelle
Slower and romantic with a great singing style. He also has great pauses and hits in the music that are great to dance to.
-He tratando, Aparentamente
3.  Grupo Niche
Some classic salsa is always nice.  I love these guys and some of their songs make me wanna move like its about to go out of style. Gotas de lluvia and Cali Pachangero

5.  Other random salsa songs.  Lluvia, Un Monton de Estrellas, La Rueda, Yo No Se Manana

If you have any questions please send me an email through my website.
www.dance4uvancouver.com