Salsa Celtica’s remarkable success story began in 1995 in the bars and clubs of Scotland’s Edinburgh and Glasgow. In 1997 Salsa Celtica honed their salsa skills with a visit to Cuba to study with the masters and absorb the musical culture and influences. Inspired by Cuba Salsa Celtica released their debut albumMonstruos y Demonios – Angels and Love.
They made a sensational breakthrough in 2003 when their album El Agua De La Vida reached number 5 on the World Music Chart of Europe reached number 2004 in the end of year round-up 2003 World Music Chart for Europe and was their first album released in the US on Compass Records. In 2004 the band took their unique fusion of Latin and Celtic sounds on tour in England for the first time.
In support of their 2004 tour, during which the band played a sold-out show at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Salsa Celtica re-released the album El Agua De La Vida.
The tour was followed in the summer by a series of high profile festival dates including Edinburgh Jazz Festival Dublin’s Temple Bar Festival Gent’s (Belgium) Pole Pole Festival Northern Ireland’s Celtic Fusion Festival and the National Theatre’s Watch This Space Festival on London’s South Bank.
In 2005 the band went back into the studio to record a new album after a three year break bringing in Calum Malcolm as producer and including a collaboration with folk diva Eliza Carthy.
After releasing their fourth album El Camino (The Road), Salsa Celtica spent much of 2006 on the road with an extensive UK tour followed by numerous major festival appearances rounded off with a prestigious official showcase slot at WOMEX in Seville.
Discography
Monstruos y Demonios, Angels and Lovers (Eclectic Records, 1997)
The Great Scottish Latin Adventure (Greentrax Recordings, 2000)
El Agua de la Vida (Greentrax Recordings, 2003)
El Camino (Discos León, 2006)
En Vivo en el Norte – In Concert (Discos León, 2010)
The Tall Islands (Discos León, 2014)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
