Salsa

• Watchlist

During the early 1970's, there were a series of events that led to the Salsa Explosion that catapulted the music around the world. Two of major importance, were the films Our Latin Thing (1972) and "Salsa". In 1975, The Latin NY Magazine Music Awards received an unprecedented coverage by media that created worldwide interest and curiosity about Salsa. The world asked, What is Salsa? Where can we see and hear it? The movie "Salsa" provided the answers. What's unique about this film is that The Fania All-Stars went from The Red Garter, a small jazz club, to jam-packing over 5,000 fans into The Cheetah Nightclub for the filming of "Our Latin Thing" on Thursday August 26, 1971. Jerry Masucci felt the Fania All-Stars could fill Yankee Stadium. Everyone thought he had lost his mind, but on Friday August 24, 1973, over 44,000 screaming fans filled the stadium. The movie "Salsa" was filmed, and the rest is history. Aside from the incredible concert footage, Masucci also included a history of Salsa which is not only informative, but also has segments that are hilarious. Especially the vintage film clips of Hollywood's portrayal of Latinos in movies during the 1930s and '40s.