With a booming wave of salsa artists including Luis Figueroa and Christian Alicea, there’s no doubt that the tropical genre is catching the attention of the new generation. More so, reggaetón artists are also dipping their toes into salsa music, introducing it to their younger and/or non-Latino fans.
Salsa music has its origins Cuba and Puerto Rico, and later developed and became popular in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s at the helm of iconic orchestras and artists such as El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Fania All-Star, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe, Grupo Niche, Willie Colón and Ruben Blades.
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, acts such as Eddie Santiago, Marc Anthony, Luis Enrique, La India, DLG, Jerry Rivera and Victor Manuelle propelled the genre to greater commercial success. Now — amid the dominance of Latin urban music and música Mexicana — a new set of fans are discovering the tropical, rhythmic melodies of the Caribbean.
Notably, Rauw Alejandro first surprised fans when he co-headlined the Global Citizen Festival in New York City last September with a cover of the timeless tune “Tú Con Él” by Frankie Ruiz. The feedback was so impressive that he made it part of his 2024 album Cosa Nuestra. Similarly, Bad Bunny included three salsa tracks on his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos: “Nuevayol,” “Baile Inolvidable” and “La Mudanza.”
And like Rauw and Bunny, many Latin urban stars have not shied away from experimenting with the rich and flavorful genre. See the list below: