Synopses & Reviews
Salsa is one of the most popular types of music listened to and danced to in the United States. Until now, the single comprehensive history of the musicand the industry that grew up around it, including musicians, performances, styles, movements, and production--was available only in Spanish. This lively translation provides for English-reading and music-loving fans the chance to enjoy C©sar Miguel Rond³n's celebrated
El libro de la salsa.
Rond³n tells the engaging story of salsa's roots in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, and of its emergence and development in the 1960s as a distinct musical movement in New York. Rond³n presents salsa as a truly pan-Caribbean phenomenon, emerging in the migrations and interactions, the celebrations and conflicts that marked the region. Although salsa is rooted in urban culture, Rond³n explains, it is also a commercial product produced and shaped by professional musicians, record producers, and the music industry. For this first English-language edition, Rond³n has added a new chapter to bring the story of salsa up to the present.
Review
"Possibly the best broad portrait of the artistic and commercial development of the music. . . . A landmark text in popular music and an early example of musical globalization literature . . . An essential read."
--Journal of American History
Review
"An excellent English translation. The classic narrative of the origins and trajectory of salsa, which has informed the best academic writing on the subject for years, is now at the disposal of readers of English."
Hispanic American Research Review
Review
"[A] wonderful chronicle of . . . Latin urban music. . . . [A] gem. . . . One of the best single comprehensive chronicles of this music and its industry, the musicians and their performances, styles, movements and productions."
-- Latin Beat
Review
Along with insightful analyses of styles, music, movements, performances, production and marketing, [
The Book of Salsa] offers detailed coverage of such highly influential talents as Willie Col'"n, Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto. The concluding 'Basic Discography' serves as a great collecting guide.
--Publishers Weekly
Review
"[A] gem. . . . One of the best single comprehensive chronicles of this music and its industry, the musicians and their performances, styles, movements and productions."
-- Latin Beat
Review
"[The] bible for salsa lovers."
-- Hispanic
Review
[A] wonderful chronicle of the Latin urban music that ruled from the Caribbean to New York City from the mid-sixties to the late-seventies. . . . This book is one of the best single comprehensive chronicles of this music and its industry, the musicians and their performances, styles, movements and productions.
--Latin Beat
Review
"Rondón's rich description of the development of salsa, his understanding of the scene, his discussion of sabor, and his recognition of the importance of the barrio make this work a must-read for all those interested in the history of salsa and Latin/Latin American popular music."
-Journal of Folklore Research
About the Author
César Miguel Rondón is a journalist, author, and radio and television producer with Corporación Televen in Caracas, Venezuela. Frances R. Aparicio is professor of Latin American and Latino studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jackie White is assistant professor of English at Lewis University.
Table of Contents
"A powerful and enduring testimony. For decades now, Rondón has been the most fervent guide to the ways in which salsa inspires feverish devotion around the world. For salsa lovers, the book is required reading."
--New West Indian Guide "[This] welcome translation . . . provides English-speaking audiences access to one of the most referenced texts in Latin music. . . . An invaluable resource for fans of Latin music, as well as journalists, ethnomusicologists, and cultural critics."
-Centro "Possibly the best broad portrait of the artistic and commercial development of the music. . . . A landmark text in popular music and an early example of musical globalization literature . . . An essential read."
--Journal of American History "An excellent English translation. The classic narrative of the origins and trajectory of salsa, which has informed the best academic writing on the subject for years, is now at the disposal of readers of English."
Hispanic American Research Review "[A] wonderful chronicle of . . . Latin urban music. . . . [A] gem. . . . One of the best single comprehensive chronicles of this music and its industry, the musicians and their performances, styles, movements and productions."
-- Latin Beat Along with insightful analyses of styles, music, movements, performances, production and marketing, [The Book of Salsa] offers detailed coverage of such highly influential talents as Willie Colƒ³n, Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto. The concluding 'Basic Discography' serves as a great collecting guide.
--Publishers Weekly "[A] gem. . . . One of the best single comprehensive chronicles of this music and its industry, the musicians and their performances, styles, movements and productions."
-- Latin Beat "[The] bible for salsa lovers."
-- Hispanic [A] wonderful chronicle of the Latin urban music that ruled from the Caribbean to New York City from the mid-sixties to the late-seventies. . . . This book is one of the best single comprehensive chronicles of this music and its industry, the musicians and their performances, styles, movements and productions.
--Latin Beat