Monday, April 13, 2009

Critical Review 7: Duany 1984

Jorge Duany opens his 1984 article by tracing salsa's roots back to a mix of racial culture found in Puerto Rico, more specifically, the rural lowlands. Moving on, Duany covers salsa's jump to New York City, a place not all too different from the place of its inception. Finally, through describing three songs, it is pointed out that salsa provides a platform for social commentary on the struggles of living the working-class life. After reading the article, it is clear that salsa place (despite being questioned) is a key part of Puerto Rican Culture.

Discussion Question: How do musical styles that come from a mostly homogeneous racial group (like bhangra) differ on any level from those that develop out of amalgamations of racial groups (like salsa)?

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