A simplified map of the creation of the music genre known as "Salsa"

Salsa music is a popular dance music genre that initially arose in New York City during the 1960s.

Salsa is the product of various Cuban musical genres including the Afro-Cuban son montuno, guaracha, cha cha chá, mambo, and Afro-Puerto Rican plena, bomba, and seis.

Salsa is primarily Cuban son, itself a fusion of Hispanic canción & guitar and Afro-Cuban percussion.

It is a primarily African influenced music.

Salsa also incorporates Latin jazz and Puerto Rican bomba, seis and plena.

The first salsa bands were Cubans & Puerto Ricans.

The most fundamental rhythmic element in salsa music is a pattern & concept known as clave. Clave is a Spanish word meaning 'code,' 'key,' as in key to a mystery or puzzle. The clave patterns originated in West/Central African music traditions, where they serve the same function.

The roots of salsa originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba from the Cuban Son and Afro-Cuban dances (like Afro-Cuban rumba). There, Spanish and African musical elements were combined, both in terms of rhythm and the instruments used.

Among it Hispanic components are the vocal style, lyrical metre and the primacy of the tres, derived from the guitar.

Its characteristic (& important) clave rhythm, call and response structure & percussion section (bongo, maracas, etc.) are all rooted in West/Central Africa.

Bomba is both a traditional dance and musical style of Puerto Rico. Its origins are rooted in the island's history of African slavery but today has evolved into a community expression of Afro-Puerto Rican culture.

The seis is a type of Puerto Rican Jibaro dance music. It originated in the later half of the 17th century. The seis is influenced by Spanish, African, and Taino cultures. It has major African and Arab influence. The Arabic aspects come from Andalusia, where the Moors once ruled.

By the end of the 1950s, many Cuban and Puerto Rican people including musicians had settled in the U.S., especially in New York. This created the environment where salsa music completed its development. “El Barrio” (Spanish Harlem) was the main place where this occurred.

Many bands were formed; immigrants continued to make Afro-Caribbean music, but they adapted the sound to their new city. They were influenced especially by jazz, created by Black Americans.

The rise of salsa music is also tied closely to Fania Records which was founded in 1964.

Salsa is a dance associated with the music genre of the same name. Salsa is an amalgamation of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Cuban dances that were popular in the ballrooms and nightclubs of San Juan and la Havana by the end of the 1950s, as well as American jazz dances.

Celia Cruz was a Cuban singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century, she was known as the "Queen of Salsa".

Héctor Lavoe was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Lavoe is considered to be possibly the best and most important singer in the history of salsa music.

The first salsa bands were predominantly Cubans and Puerto Ricans in NYC.

The music eventually spread to Colombia and the rest of the Americas. Ultimately, it became a global phenomenon.

The city of Cali, is known as Colombia's "capital of salsa."