"Salsa is not just a form of music, it's a concept"     Willie Colón

The term salsa,  meaning sauce, was first coined in the 1920s by Cuban musician by Ignacio Piñeiro in his song Echale Salsita (add a little sauce).  The arrival of Latin American immigrants to the US brought with it many forms of music and dance which were all referred to simply as "Latin" music.  By the 1960s, following the development of mambo, cha cha and  boogaloo. these Latin music and dance forms came to be known as "Salsa" with the fusion of Cuban, Puerto Rican and NY jazz based musical influences and the creation of the Fania Allstars Salsa band.

Orginating in Latin America,  Salsa is the fusion of

African rhythm, Spanish melody and Latin American "Alma y Corazón"