Golden Age of Salsa

Various Artists

The Rough Guide to Salsa Gold (World Music Network, 2008)

Compiled by writer and researcher Pablo Yglesias, Salsa Gold is a fascinating portrait of the salsa of the 1970s, which many consider the "Golden Age" of salsa. Some of today's biggest names, like Colombias's Fruko got started in that decade. Other salsa luminaries are included in the collection: Zaperoko, timbalero Manny Oquendo, Héctor Rivera, Machito, Wayne Gorbea, Fania All Stars' Louie Ramirez, and Tito Nieves, along with lesser known gems by Orquesta Narvaez and Orquesta Dee Jay.

Salsa was the result of the cutting edge fusion of Cuban and Puerto Rican dance and folk music forms such as son montuno, mambo, guaracha, cha cha cha, bomba and plena. Artists such as Cortijo y su Combo Original con Ismael Rivera successfully show how they were one of the pioneers in combining Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican elements. On the other side of the spectrum, Wayne Gorbea was inspired by Cuban son and Puerto Rican country music, known as jibaro music.

The enhanced CD contains a data track that includes music and travel from the Rough Guide books.

Buy the CD:

• In North America: The Rough Guide to Salsa Gold
• In Europe: The Rough Guide to Salsa Gold