Salsa Music as a Cultural Expression of Latino Consciousness and Unity

Abstract

A content analysis of lyrics ofpopular Salsa music reveals the emergence over the last fifteen years of cultural themes emphasizing the shared lives of Spanishspeaking groups in the United States. This new orientation is different from the ethnic-distinctive Puerto Rican reality that formed the content of the original Salsa sound. The emerging "Latino "character is examined, with major emphasis given to identifying the various cultural elements or symbols used by the performers in their construction of this Latino world.