Asucar

A trademark expression of Celia Cruz. Literally translated it means sugar. Perhaps this simple expression celebrates the history of sugarcane plantation slavery that created the Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Bachata

Popular dance from the Dominican Republic. Often identified by a discordant guitar line and simple arrangements with a 4/4 timing. This does not follow the clave rhythm.

Boogaloo

In the mid 60's in the U.S., Latin music was going through a crisis. The pachanga trend, that had been entertaining dancers for some years, showed signs of waning. Played by great bands, the pachanga seemed inadaptable to the new times, which throbbed to the sounds of the Beatles, the twist, and the furious rhythm'n'blues, renovated and made more moderate by Motown commercial soul music. The swing of the great Latin bands appeared ancient to the eyes of young Latinos in New York. In this way, Latin music, twist and rhythm'n'blues fused to produce the boogaloo, represented in Pete Rodríguez's hit "I like it like that".
From then on, a great number of small groups created the boogaloo fever, with variants such as the shing a ling and the afroloo, which ruled Latin music until the beginning of the 70's, when it handed its reign over to salsa, for whom it had paved the way.

Casa de la Trova

The music hall found in every Cuban town.

Casino Rueda

The name "casino rueda " refers to the style of dancing, which involves ordinary salsa turns and steps but in a unique circular or wheel configuration as a group. In rueda the followers are passed around in the circle, the leaders rapidly exchange partners, and numerous complicated moves are performed in synchronization, all to the beat of salsa music. Each move has a name and many have hand signals, which are called by the leader of the rueda. Moves, which are also known as "calls", are called in extremely quick succession, creating a very dynamic and exciting atmosphere for everyone involved. The hand signals are designed so people can dance rueda in a loud club setting. In addition, rueda allows many to take part in the action! As few as two couples and as many as room capacity can dance casino rueda! Sometimes as many as fifty couples dance the Rueda, even in circles within circles!!

Chachachá

In the cha cha the singers are the musicians themselves. This music also points out the difficulty the dancers had with the danzon-mambo, as the steps don't fall on the beat, rather on the syncopations. Among the most important musicians that devoted themselves to the cha cha are Chicho O'Farril, Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Charles Aznavour, Ruben Blades and Willie Colon.

Clave

Literally translated means Key. It is the (2 bar-8 beat) rhythmic pattern which is the foundation of most Cuban music. It is also the name of the cuban instrument with African roots . Two cylindrical pieces of hard wood that are hit against each other: this simple percussion instrument is the pillar of all Latin music as it provides the rhythmic timing, the principal pulsating beat.

Colombian Style Salsa (Cumbia)

Colombian style salsa began in Columbia and is danced to a different type of salsa music called "Cumbia" which is similar to the salsa rhythm but has a longer pause between the first three and the last three beats. It is rare to find a Cumbia instructional class as most people who dance this style were taught by family and friends. The style is still quite popular in South/Latin America and can be distinguished by a circular style of open/side breaks with a tap on the pauses of 4 and 8. Feet never move forward and backwards as in the Mambo step. Instead, the movement is a series of back to centre or side to centre footsteps. The style has very little turn patterns and is generally not a fast or "showy" style. Instead most Cumbia dancers will hold their partner very close with their entire bodies touching from head to toe. If turns are involved, they are generally very simple rock step left turns.

Cuban Style Salsa

Cuban salsa style is most similar to the original form of salsa rooted in Cuba . It is characterized by Afro Cuban style body movement which includes body isolation and hip movement. Cuban style salsa does not have many fast spins. Instead the movement is very circular as opposed to linear and partners tend to travel around each other. The hip movement is more noticeable in this style and stems from the pumping of the knees. The footwork is quite simple - the complexity lies in the arm work which requires the follower to have limber, flexible arms. Cuban style salsa is considered "male dominated" in the sense that the leader tends to be more showy and will create a greater push/pull feel for the follower then many other styles. Most Cuban style dancers tap on the pauses which are on the 4 th and 8 th beats if the dancers dance on 1. However, Cuban style salsa dancers do not always stay on the 1 beat and tend to stray depending on where the music takes them.

Guaguancó

Folkloric Afro-Cuban dance, accompanied only by percussion instrumentation: the tumbadora, the segundo and the quinto. The guaguanco is one of the three parts of the rumba (together with the yambu and the  columbia). This fast and clearly erotic dance is danced in partners.

Güiro

A serrated Calabash gourd, with ridges carved in the skin, scraped with a stick and used as an instrument. It is played with the left hand. This light percussion instrument is still very much used in electric bands, adding charm to the group and a close role to the maracas. The güiro is usually played by a singer or chorus man: requiring little physical effort, it does not interfere with the singing.

L.A. Style Salsa (Dancing "On 1")

L.A. style salsa, usually danced "On 1", is a flashier version of New York style salsa moves. Dancers use lots of dips, flips, drops and tricks which make for a great show to watch. The back and forth Mambo basic, again in a linear motion, is utilized with the leader breaking forward on 1. Because the dominating beat is the 1 beat which is the most accented beat in the series, the dancing looks and feels powerful and fast. L.A. style salsa has incorporated many other types of dancing including jazz, hip hop, and ballroom which is challenging for the dancers and entertaining for the viewers. Similar to the New York style salsa, many of the moves are created from cross body lead variations. Shines are an important component of this type of salsa with complicated, speedy footwork and jazzy moves.

Latin Jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to music that is a combination of rhythms from African and Latin American countries with jazz harmonies from the United States.   There are two main types of Latin Jazz.

• Brazilian Latin Jazz - bossa nova and samba
• Afro-Cuban Latin Jazz - salsa, merengue, songo, son, mambo, bolero, charanga and cha cha cha.
  

Mambo :
The mambo first appeared under the name Diablo (Devil), when the tres player Arsenio Rodriguez incorporated elements of the son montuno into the danzon (at the time called Ritmo Nuevo) This new style was marked out by the tumbadora, the piano's syncopation and the trumpets playing jazz, while the tres highlighted the rhythm. The rhythm is syncopated. The saxophones play the syncopations, the trumpets the melody and the double bass the accompaniment together with the tumbadoras and the bongos.

Mambo Dance
Mambo is a Latin dance of Cuban origin that resembles the rumba.

Maracas
Two small closed calabashes equipped with a handle and filled with dried grains. They are shaken to the beat, like rattles and make a characteristic rhythmic whisper, sweet and discreet but essential. Given that they require little physical effort, they are generally entrusted to the main or chorus singers

Merengue
A generic term that refers to rhythms and styles (including country music) originating in the Dominican Republic. It groups together the merengue cibaeño hybrids and popular western dancing.

Miami Style Salsa (Classico Cubano, Casino)

Miami style salsa evolved from the Cuban style of salsa but is a more difficult and technically advanced style of Cuban salsa. Advanced Miami salsa moves tend to be intricate and pretzel-like and require a flexible follower to execute the moves. Many of the Miami moves are the same as Casino Rueda moves and the style is still more circular than linear. Open breaks or the Guapea basic (leader and follower break back and then push off eachother) with a tap are the most common basic steps in Miami style salsa. Cross body lead variations are common but are executed in a more circular fashion.

New York Style Salsa (Dancing "On 2", Mambo Salsa, Eddie Torres Style)

Salsa on 2, commonly referred to as "Mambo", is a style of salsa first introduced by Eddie Torres in New York in the 1960s. Technically speaking, dancing "On 2" refers to the beat the dancers break forward on. Followers will break forward with the left foot on the 2 and leaders will break forward on the 6. New York style salsa is distinguished by smooth, controlled, highly technical movements that are elegant, graceful, flow well and are not rushed. The style is very linear and many of the turn patterns evolve from cross body lead variations. Multiple spins, complicated footwork, Afro Cuban body movement and shines are a must. Dancing "On 2" is rhythmically more difficult as it is easier to hear the 1 beat and break on this beat. Many dancers learn to dance "On 1" first and then train "On 2" as they feel it is more musically and rhythmically rich and complex.

Puerto Rican Style Salsa

Puerto Rican style salsa can be danced "On 1" or "On 2". If you are dancing Puerto Rican style "On 2" dancing, it is opposite from New York style in the sense that the leader breaks forward on 2 instead of the follower (can be called "On 6"). Some say that shines originated in Puerto Rico as these dancers would break away from their partners and execute extremely fast and complicated solo footwork. The lines are very clean and there are a great deal of shoulder shimmies incorporated into the dancing. There is an emphasis on dancing to the "Clave" especially the 2/3 clave (pa-pa, pa-pa-pa). In fact Felipe Polanco, one of the pioneers of Puerto Rican salsa, has created a unique basic that compliments the uneven 5 beat dance which incorporates a sliding forward and back motion that hits the accents of the clave.

Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of dance music which blends Jamaican music influences of reggae and dancehall with those of Latin America, such as bomba and plena, as well as that of hip hop. The music is also combined with rapping in Spanish.

Rumba
Secular music and dance style typical of informal gatherings. All rhythms in this group section have a 4/4 timing unless specified differently. These rhythms follow a syncopated pattern of five beats in two musical bars called the clave de rumba. All the rumbas present a call-answer pattern among the singers, drums and drum players. The most well known rumbas, in order of tempo speed include: yambu, guaguanco, rumba columbia and rumba abierta.

Sabroso

A word to describe something that is very good. Literally translated it means tasty.

Salsa
According to singer Celia Cruz  salsa is just a different way of naming Cuban music. It is the mambo, the chachacha, the son... all Cuban rhythms combined under one name. But salsa in itself was born in New York toward the end of the 60's, created by musicians of the poor Latin neighborhoods. When it transcended Latin audiences, the word was imposed as a generic term to refer to the whole group of Latin music styles, from the boogaloo to the mambo, right through to the old son and including Latin house. Cubans rejected this term for a considerable period of time, but they did eventually accept it.

Salsa Shines

Shines refer to solo work when the leader breaks away from the follower and each dancer has the opportunity to freestyle on their own to the rhythm and accents of the salsa music. Shines involve more complex footwork as well as body movement and arm work. Shines are common in the New York , L.A. and Puerto Rican styles of dancing. They are not as common in the Cuban, Miami and Columbia styles of dancing. The term "shines" originally referred to having the opportunity to "shine" independently. Shines give dancers an opportunity to take a break from partner work and turn patterns and freestyle. There are many common shines such as Suzy Qs and flares but every dancer has their own unique and individual movements which allows dancers to be constantly challenged.

Salsa Styling

Incorporating styling techniques into any style of salsa has become very common. For both men and women shines, leg work, arm work, body movement, spins, body isolations, shoulder shimmies and rolls, and even hand styling have become a huge trend in the salsa scene. There are lessons dedicated to the art of salsa stylin'. Hip hop, jazz, flamenco, belly dancing, ballroom, breakdancing/pop and lock, and Afro Cuban styles have all be infused into the art of styling.

Santería
A synchretic Afro-Cuban religious system, resulting from the combination of the yoruba  religion and Catholicism. The santería is a subject that comes up frequently in salsa songs.

Shekere
Traditional instrument similar to an instrument from West Africa, played by main singers and backup singers. It is made up of a dried out empty calabash covered with a net and containing beads, dried seeds or shells, that make sounds when the instrument is shook, amplified by the resonating cavity formed by the calabash.

Son
Throughout the 19th Century, a fusion takes place in the countryside of  Oriente between Hispanic and African musical elements, to which French music is added, this latter addition brought over by the colonists escaping Haiti. Toward the end of that Century, this mixture takes on a more stable form and begins to appear among the musical forms used by the trovadores in Santiago de Cuba and Havana. According to some musicologists, the Cuban son is what the blues are to the U.S.: with a simple form and whose basis is firmly tied to its cultures of origin; Spanish melodies framed by African rhythms, alternating between verses and choruses in a question-answer form between the main singer and the chorus, simple lyrics that sum up everyday life. The son is definitely influenced by its countryside "childhood". Even today it still prefers simple and portable instruments, fixed up guitars and light, easily built percussion instruments.

Timba
Despite the fact that Cubans rejected the term salsa for a long time, considering it to be a North American appropriation of the son, something began to change in the early 80's, when musicians such as Elio Reve and Adalberto Alvarez began to mix typical salsa sounds into their compositions. That is when the NG La Banda appeared. NG (New Generation) took New York salsa, added sounds created by the innovative Cuban Latin jazz band Irakere, set up the chorus so that those voices could be used like rhythmic instruments, at the same time that the rap movement that was emerging in the U.S., and added the classical influences that every Cuban musician learns at school. That is how the Timba was born. For the first time Cuban musicians used the word salsa to refer to their music. It was just like Isaac Delgado,one of the foremost exponents of this new style would say: "Salsa....de Cuba... ¡Chevere!". Besides the musicians already mentioned, other timba musicians include Klimax, Manolin el Medico, Bamboleo, Paulito y Manolito, with a special mention for Juan Formeli's Van Van,which incorporated the timba into their unique sound. Timba is also a term that, when used in the expression "Tiene timba" (He has timba), referring to a musician, means that he has rhythm, swing.

Timbales
Drums joined in pairs, mounted on a stand and to which one or more campanas  and other accessories have been added. Sometimes these are accompanied by a bigger drum, played with a pedal. The timbalero uses them standing up and beats the leather with two long, light drum sticks.

Yambú
Afro-Cuban dance; it is one of the three parts of the rumba. It is a slow dance, with ceremonious movements that depicts woman flirting with man. It differs from the guanguanco as the vacunao, an imitation of the sexual act, is not carried out.