💃🏽 Music that makes you move

The beauty of salsa music is that it has the ability to instantly make your body move. The music carries such a strong energy that the only way your body and mind can react is by moving with it. What’s so great is that you don’t even need to understand the lyrics to thoroughly enjoy it.

This will definitely be a theme in future newsletters, as there’s so much to explore in this incredible genre of music.

We’re diving deep today. None of these songs are available on any major streaming services.

Let’s get jiggy with it.

This one dropped in the mid-’70s and lives on their 1976 self-titled album—a salsa record full of heart, rhythm, and serious musicianship.

The Rosado family ran the show on this one: Hector laid down the bass and wrote the track, with Antonio on vibraphone, Julio on piano, and Raphael handling both trombone and flute. It’s one of those songs where you can feel the pride and power in every note—an ode to Puerto Rico, built with pure groove.

La Fuerza Latina never got massive shine, but real salsa heads know what’s up. Their sound helped shape the era, and records like this are a testament to the energy and groove they brought to the scene.

Put this on when you want to feel connected to the island—rhythmically, emotionally, spiritually.

This next song is from Grupo N.O.S. There’s not much written about them online, but from what I can gather, the track was released in 1987 off their Priminti Mi album and is a love letter to their hometown. You can feel it in the sway of the rhythm section, in the way the horns and harmonies perfectly mesh with one another. The chemistry isn’t just heard—it’s felt.

This song is so rare, you can only get it on vinyl—if you’re lucky. Hailing from the island of Curaçao, this band was active in the late ’70s and carved out their own lane by fusing classic salsa dura with Papiamento lyrics.

This track comes from their 1978 record Mi Ke Bolo. The title translates to “That’s How Life Is.” They never got the global shine they deserved, but that’s what makes this discovery special. This isn’t algorithm approved music…it’s community-rooted, region specific GOLD. For the collectors, DJs, and deep listeners out there, this is one of those “if you know, you know” type acts.

I could spend hours on YouTube watching street performances in Cuba. The culture is so rich, and the country has gone through so much hardship that it’s fostered an incredible community of musicians. You can really hear it through the emotion in their voices.

This is a video of a random street band performing Carlos Puebla’s song, Hasta Siempre.

This is an image from the 1970s in New York City of people dancing salsa.
Look at that move on the roller skates…epic.

Once again, if you enjoyed this newsletter please share it with your friends and family.

Much love,

SHWHY