Salsa Around the World
Salsa is a delectable melange of Cuban and Puerto Rican traditions plus brassy American big band arrangements--shaken not stirred. The term translates as "sauce," no doubt referring to what goes into making music spicy enough to tempt the Latin appetite. The style has covered a lot of ground since its inception in New York during the 1970s and now boasts fanatic adherents all over the globe. Some of these, such as Japan's Orquestra de la Luz, have achieved astonishingly literal recreations, but the most interesting permutations add a wicked local twist. For example, Scotland's Salsa Celtica perform in kilts, quote centuries-old Irish tunes, and sometimes explode into bagpipe solos. Italy's Havana Mambo features a baroque harpsichordist gamely pounding out montunos. Curaçao's own Arnell i Su Orkesta obviously admire Africando and other Senegalese salseros, while Shaan, from India, with their Santana-esque guitars and demented keyboards, are a Bollywood-tinged fever dream.-- Christina Roden