Rhythms of Resistance: The Untold Origins of Salsa and Bachata

How familiar are you with salsa and bachata? Many people have “take a salsa class” on their bucket list. Others associate it with romance and a beautiful lady in a red dress, or maybe even Dirty Dancing. Many were recently drawn to it due to the rise of Bad Bunny and the surge of dance videos on TikTok to his new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

However, there is an unfortunate lack of conversation about how salsa and bachata came to be. Given how little this topic is discussed, and in honour of Black History month, it is becoming increasingly important to draw attention to the Afro-Caribbean roots of salsa and bachata, and to raise awareness about the reason these dances exist.

The word salsa literally translates to sauce, because it emerged from a blend of different dance styles and rhythms from around the world. While it is nearly impossible to name for certain every source that aided in the construction of this dance, it is thought that the roots go back as far as the 1500’s, where three very different cultures began to mix in the Caribbean islands, most notably Cuba, in the case of salsa, due to the African slave trade.

Firstly, there were the indigenous tribes (known as the Taino-Arawak) who were the earliest inhabitants. Not much is known about their dance, but their instruments make up the earliest versions of instruments still used in salsa today, such as maracas, guitars and drums. The Spanish colonisers brought about the concept of dancing with a partner, but the main influences of salsa were African rhythms and dances introduced by their slaves. They used dance to preserve their culture, keeping to traditions by prioritising the ability to feel the music over rehearsed dance steps.

Through the combination of these influences, dances such as the mambo and the cha-cha-cha were born. In the early 20th century, their popularity grew due to the sudden mambo craze of the 1950’s in the United States. The word “salsa” was first uttered by Johnny Pacheco, and it served as an umbrella term for many of the Latin dances that had made their way to El Barrio, New York. Pacheco was the founder of Fania Records, a key group in the globalisation of salsa.

Therefore, although salsa started as a dance of resistance originating from people simply enjoying the music and dancing in the streets, people started to observe it as art; over time, it became a global phenomenon. Certain movements coined salsa as something tangible that could be taught as a stand-alone style of dance, so that is what happened. Nowadays, there are a few different variations of salsa, but is it clearly distinguishable as a unique dance form that has extended its reach all over the world.

University of St Andrews Salsa and Bachata Society

Credit: Leah Koninger

While bachata has a similar origin story, meaning it was also largely influenced by African rhythms and dance, it could be argued that it has borne witness to more struggle throughout its history than salsa. It emerged as a popular dance style in the Dominican Republic. However it faced harsh criticism during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo from 1930-1961. For this reason, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that the first bachata songs were recorded. Trujillo decided that bachata did not fit his vision for a modern, unified Dominican Republic, as it was born from those living in poverty as a street dance, performed mostly at informal gatherings in low class venues and brothels. He banned bachata from all mainstream media, suppressing the artistic expression of many in attempt to erase the country's rural history. After his assassination in 1961, bachata could finally make its way out of the shadows, and now, like salsa, it is danced all over the world.

Although these dances have climbed the ladder of fame and are now internationally recognised, there is still a lot of work required to educate the public on their origin stories. Some people will argue differently about how these dances came to be, but it is important to listen to those who have personal connections to the history of these dances. My information is collated from various sources and connections through the Latin dance scene here in Scotland, however I am not a historian, and even if I were, there are many different interpretations of history.

The University of St Andrews Salsa and Bachata Society winning best new society in 2025

Credit: St Andrews Student Union

I strongly encourage you to further research the history of salsa and bachata to fully understand how these dances have been challenged and evolved throughout history. Additionally, I would encourage you to give salsa and bachata a try; as a hobby it opens doors to so many exciting opportunities. The St Andrews Salsa and Bachata Society is fantastic!