I’ve always considered music to be deeply empowering. It’s one of the very few forces left in this world that is capable of bringing a plethora of people with a wide array of differences together; with no other unifying quality except the same rhythm resonating in their eardrums.
And truly, that’s all it takes — and I think there’s something so beautiful to be found in this innate ability of music to be a uniting force. I witnessed this force being brought to life once I visited the salsa exhibit and I realized this power is far stronger than I initially thought it to be.
In the United States, salsa quickly became a foundation in which diverse Latino communities from various backgrounds could connect to their cultures in ways not otherwise possible. Slowly but surely, they themselves built and established deep ties as a form of empowerment and inspiration.
It’s so fascinating to me how activism and the art of salsa music are so deeply interconnected and interrelated — just as salsa music blossomed and expanded, as did the activism it inspired. According to the exhibit, salsa was on the rise during the 1960’s, at the same time that the Nuyorican Movement developed and spread. The music ultimately brought awareness to these Latino communities that they should strive for improvement and embrace the importance of their role in the United States. The music also inspired the Young Lords to protest for urban renewal in very low-income neighbourhoods.
The spread of salsa music also inspired the Young Lords to protest for urban renewal in very low-income neighbourhoods. Racism was deeply embedded in US society in the ’60’s (although that’s still clearly found in the present day…) and as a result, communities were often segregated by the government; allocating people of specific races to the “bad” neighbourhoods while the white majority were always given a bank loan so that they could afford to reside in the “good” neighbourhoods. Minorities were sent to the poorer impoverished areas where little was done to help them — facilities were scarce and “white flight” was an issue in these areas. As opposed to rebuilding and helping better the situation, people would flee.
This is where this integral theme of unity comes in, linking back to this power instilled within salsa music — those communities were able to rebuild largely in part because of the Latino activists advocating for betterment and saving their communities. Within the salsa music of this time, there were tales of power to rise above the government labels of being a “second-class citizen.” That is exactly what activists of this time did — and as a result, we not only built a better life for minority communities, but we set a precedent for generations to come.
The unification of people has always been an important prerequisite in bringing about change and progressing society towards a better tomorrow. I learned that salsa music in New York City managed to do just that — and we bask daily in the results that it had brought us.
