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The first recording of a Cuban singer
A short excerpt that Florida International University presents as the first recording of a Cuban singer.
Excerpt, 1900
Shared on YouTube by Florida International University
The MetSalsa video library
Lectures & films
José Obando’s instrument documentaries, lecture-demonstrations, and concerts, from his own archive, with a listening collection of public-domain recordings from the roots of salsa. Public films are free to watch here. Members will get the annotated cuts and the scholarship around them.
Instruments of Salsa
The Timbal: origins and voice of a salsa instrument
José Obando traces the history, construction, and rhythmic role of the timbal, one of the defining instruments of the salsa sound. An instrument documentary from MetSalsa’s “instrument-to-street” series.
Maraca & Güiro: Taíno instruments in salsa
Instruments of Salsa
Clave: the rhythmic code beneath salsa
Roots & Rhythm
Y Nació el Merengue: the birth of a Dominican rhythm
Roots & Rhythm
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Roots of salsa
Recordings from 1900 to 1924
Before salsa had a name, its parts were already on record: the habanera, the danzón orchestra and its timbales, the son, the Puerto Rican danza. These recordings are in the public domain in the United States and are shared by collectors and archives on YouTube.
1900–1911
Habanera and the first Cuban voices
The habanera rhythm left Havana in the 1800s and travelled the world. These are among the earliest recordings of Cuban singers and Cuban songs.
1901 · Rosalía “Chalía” Herrera, soprano
Tristes
Chalía Herrera, born in Havana in 1864, was one of the first Cuban artists to make records.
Victor 3430, recorded June 3, 1901
Shared on YouTube by Tim Gracyk
1905 · Orquesta Mexicana de Curti
La Paloma
Sebastián Yradier’s habanera, the first exported habanera to win wide popularity in Mexico, played by Carlos Curti’s Orquesta Típica Mexicana.
Columbia D4034, matrix 5403, 1905
Shared on YouTube by Historical recordings 78 RPM MFK
1911 · Alma Gluck, soprano
Tú (habanera)
Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes’ habanera “Tú” (1892), sung for the American concert market.
Victor 658, recorded March 22, 1911
Shared on YouTube by Tim Gracyk
1907–1923
Danzón and the orquesta típica
Cornet, trombone, clarinets, violins, and timbales: the orquesta típica played Cuba’s national dance before salsa had a name. Its timbales lead straight to the instrument José documented.
1907 · Orquesta de Felipe Valdés
Alza Columbia
Valdés’ cornet carries the melody and at times drifts into improvisation over it.
Victor 68022, Havana, March 6, 1907
Shared on YouTube by Jazz Crazy
1907 · Orquesta de Felipe Valdés
La Machicha
Valdés formed his orchestra in 1899 and recorded more than 300 sides, more danzones than any other típica.
Victor, Havana, 1907
Shared on YouTube by Jazz Crazy
c. 1908 · Orquesta de Felipe Valdés
Se componen bateas
An Afro-Cuban danzón by Valdés, restored by Colin Hancock.
Columbia, matrix 37644-1, Havana, c. 1908
Shared on YouTube by Desdemona202
1909 · Orquesta de Enrique Peña
Punto cubano
A punto by Antonio María Romeu, played by the Havana típica of cornetist Enrique Peña.
Victor 62327, Havana, February 1, 1909 (Library of Congress National Jukebox)
Shared on YouTube by AMadHorse
1913 · Orquesta de Pablo Valenzuela
La frita
Valenzuela’s own danzón, from Victor’s mobile recording unit in Havana.
Victor 65351, Havana, March 26, 1913
Shared on YouTube by Desdemona202
c. 1916 · Orquesta del Teatro Alhambra
Galleticas de María
A danzón by Antonio María Romeu, played by the house orchestra of Havana’s Alhambra theatre.
Columbia C2932, Havana, c. 1916
Shared on YouTube by Desdemona202
c. 1918–19 · Orquesta de Enrique Peña
La cumbancha
A danzón on a theme by the trovador Manuel Corona.
Columbia C3550, Havana, c. 1918–19
Shared on YouTube by Desdemona202
1923 · Orquesta Francesa de Armando Valdés
Arriba Luque
Flute, violins, and piano: the charanga francesa line-up that later gave salsa its charanga sound.
Columbia C4231, New York, c. August 1923
Shared on YouTube by Desdemona202
1917–1924
Early son and trova
Tres, guitar, bongó, claves, and maracas. The son came to Havana from Oriente and became the backbone of salsa.
1917 · Cuarteto Oriental
Amor de Caridad
The oldest recording by a son group in the collection of Cuba’s Museo Nacional de la Música.
Columbia C2996, New York, c. March 1917. Shared from the Museo Nacional de la Música, Havana
Shared on YouTube by Godínez Más
1918 · Sexteto Habanero Godínez, with María Teresa Vera
Amalia Batista
An early son on record: tres introduction, then María Teresa Vera sings the first line.
Victor 72385, Hotel Inglaterra, Havana, February 8, 1918
Shared on YouTube by Jaime Delgado (Cafe Mambo Project)
1918 · Sexteto Habanero Godínez
Mujer bandolera
Led by tresero and composer Carlos Godínez, born in Regla, Havana, in 1893.
Victor 72644, Havana, February 8, 1918
Shared on YouTube by Godínez Más
1919 · María Teresa Vera and Rafael Zequeira
Longina
Manuel Corona’s classic bolero, sung by the great trova duo.
Columbia C3474, Havana, 1919
Shared on YouTube by robert de saint loup
1924 · María Teresa Vera and Rafael Zequeira
Rosa negra
One of the duo’s last recordings together; Zequeira died the same year.
Victor 78334, New York, June 23, 1924
Shared on YouTube by robert de saint loup
1910–1917
Puerto Rican danza
Puerto Rico’s salon dance, from the island that gave salsa many of its greatest players.
1910 · Orquesta Cocolía
Danzas de Juan Morel Campos
Danzas by Juan Morel Campos, the master of the form, including “Maldito amor” and “Felices días.”
Columbia, San Juan, 1910. Compilation, about 90 minutes
Shared on YouTube by Emanuel Olivieri
1910, 1917 · Orquesta de Manuel Tizol
Orquesta de Manuel Tizol
Danzas, waltzes, and a danzón by Simón Madera, Rafael Márquez, Ángel Mislán, and others.
Columbia 1910 and Victor January 1917, San Juan. Compilation, about 40 minutes
Shared on YouTube by Emanuel Olivieri
1922–1923
The Spanish tinge
Jelly Roll Morton called the Caribbean rhythm in early jazz the “Spanish tinge.” Listen for the habanera under these blues.
1922 · Handy’s Memphis Blues Band
St. Louis Blues
W. C. Handy’s 1914 blues, with its tango-habanera strain.
National label, from a licensed Paramount master, 1922
Shared on YouTube by Jazz Crazy
1923 · Jelly Roll Morton, piano
New Orleans Joys
Morton’s solo piano. Musicologist Charles Hiroshi Garrett calls it a “twelve-bar blues-tango,” with a tresillo rhythm in the bass.
Gennett 5486, 1923
Shared on YouTube by My Old Jazz
Sound recordings published in 1924 or earlier are in the public domain in the United States. Status can differ in other countries. The transfers belong to the channels that share them; MetSalsa embeds them and does not host them. To report a problem with a recording, use the contact form on our Privacy Policy page.
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