Salsa is a Latin style of music that has many influences. The word salsa literally means "sauce". The roots of Salsa are firmly planted in the Afro-Spanish musical traditions of Cuba. In the 1950's Salsa gained tremendous popularity largely due to New York City's influx of Puerto Ricans and their distinctive influence. Salsa music is very rhythmical, with every instrument having a percussive identity. The foundation of Salsa music is the clave, and all instruments in a Salsa orchestra feed off of that rhythm.
Cha-Cha-Cha is developed from the Mambo and a Latin dance that most people like to learn first. The name Cha Cha Cha is a sound imitation of the "shoes" from dancing Cuban women. The Cha Cha was first seen in America and came to Europe almost at the same time as the Mambo - the forerunner to the Cha Cha. After the World War II the Mambo was pushed aside by the Cha Cha Cha which became really popular at 1956.
According to its roots the Cha Cha music should be played passionate without any seriousness and with staccato allowing the dancers to project an atmosphere of "naughtiness" to the audience.
it is estimated that the Rumba was brought to America by the African slaves. But around 1928/1929 the actual steps and figures of this dance were not clear. Many people treated it and danced it like a new type of foxtrot with additional hip actions. After the World War II The Rumba was further developed into the "Cuban Rumba" by monsieur Pierre and Doris Lavell which had a school in the Regent street, London but still the standardization was a problem until Walter Laird started to write his Latin books. His work was accepted by many official dance Associations and the standardization became a fact.
The roots of the Samba are in Africa, but most of the development is done in Brazil. You will recognize the Samba from the Carnival Parties and Samba Schools in Brazil. In 1925 the Samba was imported into Europe. Although Samba was already accepted as a competition Dance, the great breakthrough of the Samba happened on the World exhibition in NEW York in 1939. Europe was really captured by the Samba in 1948/1949. Walter Laird,along with partner Lorraine developed the Samba enormously.
Jive is a rhythmical and swinging dance which is influenced by the Rock & Roll, Boogie and the African/American Swing. The roots of the Jive are in New York, Harlem. In 194 Jive was developed into the 'jitterbug' and the Englishmen Jos Bradly and Alex Moore developed from that the International Competition Jive we have today.
