Takes you on an ethnographic journey into the New York salsa scene of the 1990s. Written by a musical insider and from the perspective of salsa musicians, this study offers detailed accounts of these musicians grappling with intercultural tensions and commercial pressures. It addresses a range of issues, musical and social.

This ethnographic journey into the New York salsa scene of the 1990s is the first of its kind. Written by a musical insider and from the perspective of salsa musicians, "Sounding Salsa" is a pioneering study that offers detailed accounts of these musicians grappling with intercultural tensions and commercial pressures. Christopher Washburne, himself an accomplished salsa musician, examines the organizational structures, recording processes, rehearsing, and gigging of salsa bands, paying particular attention to how they created a sense of community, privileged "the people" over artistic and commercial concerns, and incited cultural pride during performances. "Sounding Salsa" addresses a range of issues, musical and social.Musically, Washburne examines sound structure, salsa aesthetics, and performance practice, along with the influences of Puerto Rican music. Socially, he considers the roles of the illicit drug trade, gender, and violence in shaping the salsa experience. Highly readable, "Sounding Salsa" offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on a musical movement that became a social phenomenon.

Table of Contents: AcknowledgementsIntroduction: Salsa in New York
1: Salsa Bands and the performance of Pueble
2: "The music is so good but the scene is pure dues!": Salsa Musicians
3: "Play like there's a gun to your head!": The Aesthetics and Performance Practice of Sounding Violence in Salsa
4: New York Salsa and Drugs: Aesthetics, Performance Practice, Governmental Policy, and the Illicit Drug Trade
5: La India and the Masquerading of Gender on the Salsa Scene
6: "They are going to hear this in Puerto Rico. It has got to be good!": The Sound and Style of
Salsa