We Latinos are a prideful bunch. But it’s for good reason. We do have the best food. We do have the best culture. And, yes, we do have the best music! But when it comes to salsa (the sound, not the food) Cali, Colombia has the market cornered on salsa. So much so that it has become known as the “Salsa Capital of the World.” And let me tell you, after seeing La Salsa Vive, I get it.
Yes, it’s one thing for you to hear that fact from me, but it’s an entirely different thing to see it. Juan Carvajal, director of La Salsa Vive makes that happen with his debut documentary.
Latina Media Co spoke with Carvajal and producer Diego Ramierez at length after their film made its world premiere at SXSW.
The doc, like so many others, started with a few simple questions – What is salsa? Where did it come from? And where is it now? Carvajal, who grew up in Cali, wanted to know the roots of the music that was so deeply embedded in his DNA. So around 2012, he set out to find answers.
Naturally, he went to the only other place on the planet that nurtured the sounds of his soul – New York. He had often heard stories of salsa’s peak in the city that never sleeps. “I went to New York, but couldn’t find anything. Salsa was gone. It [doesn’t] exist anymore in New York,” he says. “The great movement that was created in the 60s and 70s, it disappeared.”
But, in Cali Colombia salsa was alive. So much so that it wasn’t part of the culture, it is the culture. “We are not telling a lie. We’re telling the truth. It’s the truth,” says Carvajal with a great deal of emotion. “There is no place in the world that keeps salsa alive as [much as] Cali, Colombia.” Carvajal spoke of hearing the music in cars, out of homes, and just after a long day’s work in the streets.
Armed with those earlier questions, Carvajal began gathering tales of the music, its impact and even its suspected end. The result? La Salsa Vive, a love letter to Cali, its people, and the music at both of their hearts, la salsa.
Carvajal’s documentary traces the origins of the music from its Afro-Antillean beginnings, through Cali and into New York before making its way back to Colombia. Along the way Carvajal offers up incredible archival video and interviews the most iconic figures in salsa music including Rubén Blades, Henry Fiol, Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez, Samuel Formell, Ángel Lebrón, and Willie Rosario.
In all of these señores, he found mucho support. Just listen to the soundtrack.
Latinos support Latinos and La Salsa Vive is a perfect example of just that.
What La Salsa Vive achieves goes far beyond highlighting the love we have for salsa music. The film demands that salsa be recognized for its profound cultural impact all around the globe. The idea that music born in the barrios and celebrated in the calles has the audacity to be inspiring and even life saving is something that Latinos have every right to be proud of.
Though salsa music got a lot of support economically from the narcos in Colombia in the 90’s, La Salsa Vive makes sure you know that in Cali, salsa saves lives. Its people are more than proud. We see its fans share stories about how women brought records to the US under their dresses, so as not to leave the music behind. One little girl proudly declares she’s been listening to salsa since her days in her mother’s belly. There’s a dentist who has been dancing salsa since he was a little boy. And the film also highlights numerous dance schools with the mission to keep kids out of trouble and keep salsa alive.
Imagine having a literal sea of humanity dancing in the streets, celebrating their culture. These were natural occurrences in Cali, Colombia and in New York in the 70’s. Salsa was heard on every street, every day of the week, that is how profound its impact was.
Until it wasn’t.
Taking it full circle, the film will have its New York premiere at the end of April. Not surprisingly, cities all over the world want to show it. “We even have a proposal running from Malaysia, Vietnam, and other places in Asia. Even Tokyo,” says Ramirez. “But for me, the most important audience is the people in Cali, because this is like a mirror. It’s like, this is what you are. Be proud. Understand yourself, understand where you came from and be proud.”
Be proud indeed.
