Brennan Sammis' Bi-Weekly Salsa Blog

Week 7: 2/19/2023 - 2/26/2023       Preface:  Hello guys I have some bittersweet news, this week marks the last week of my bi-weekly salsa blog entries, however, this does not mark the end of my now salsa/bachata journey. This course has been a super fun time and an enjoyable experience. If anyone reading this could be or is a prospective DCE 306 student, I would definitely recommend this class! It is not super time-consuming, and the course material was very easy to digest. Super worth it, and I am very grateful to the prof of this class! Material Used, and comments: Reading 1:  Bachata and Dominican Identity : La Bachata y la Identidad Dominicana by Julie A. Sellers     This week I read the introduction, and chapters 1 & 8. The introduction of this book simply paints a picture of the Dominican Republic and the place in which Bachata currently stands within the culture. The introduction as well offers a brief history of the Dominican Republic...

Week 5: 2/5/2023 - 2/11/2023 Preface: This week was a vital learning experience in my salsa journey. I spent my time this week learning about the creation and the history of modern salsa/mambo. I also learned about the key figures who shaped what we call salsa/mambo. I learned about Eddie Torres, Tito Puente, and the impact NYC had on modern salsa. This week my knowledge of specific dances, and the actual style of salsa became clear to me. Overall my knowledge this week has grown a lot, and I'm excited to share the materials that I used. Material Used, and comments: Reading 1: Spinning Mambo into Salsa: Caribbean Dance in Global Commerce by Juliet McMains     This was the beginning of my week, and as a jumping-off point, I think this book was excellent. The part that I read was chapter 3, starting from "Hustle: The Forgotten Link". The section on the Latin hustle that started in the late 1970s was very interesting, and sad since a lot of the Latin influence ended up not ...

Week: 1/22/2023 - 1/29/2023 Preface: The last two weeks I spent expanding my knowledge of salsa by learning of Cuba's cultural influence on salsa as well as how diverse Cuba is, and this week I learned about the birth of the Mambo, a true cornerstone of salsa. In this blog, I aim to show you what I have learned and share with you some thoughts I have regarding the information presented to me. I sincerely hope you enjoy the presentation. Material Used, and comments: Over the last two weeks, I have watched and read many videos related to salsa. The reading and videos below represent what invoked me the most as well as what gave me the most insight. Video 1: From Mambo to Hip Hop https://youtu.be/iyp4uakQfAY     This video was probably the most informative video I have read so far. It sets up the context, and history of not just salsa or mambo, or hip-hop but gives a focus on everyone in the Bronx. The Bronx is a birth place of a lot of these music, and dancing styles. This video...

This week I watched several videos introducing me to the concept of salsa. These were the three videos out of the many videos that I had watched, I feel as though these three videos had the biggest impact on my introduction to Salsa.  Video 1: https://youtu.be/jhjxrcw5XWY This video is a documentary that explains the roots of salsa, and how salsa grew from a part of Harlem to becoming a staple of expression for Latin Americans. The documentary as well has interviews with the surviving members of that era, and highlights their experiences during the 1970s. The rise of Fania records and the artists who helped shape the sounds of salsa are as well included.  Video 2: https://youtu.be/Ws67AP-2dEw This video is a short interview between Lin-Manuel Miranda and an interviewee from Puerto Rican Salsa composer and singer.  I think this video is great for showing the expressiveness of Salsa, and how it brings together many people from the community.  Video 3: https:/...

Context: This blog is for a class name d   Afro-Latin Social and Global Contexts , Section 24367.  Hello,     My name is Brennan Sammis, and over the course of the next seven weeks, I will be posting a salsa blog demonstrating my growth in my knowledge of salsa. I was born in 2002 in San Bernardino California and moved to Chandler Arizona in high school. My family was all raised in Phoenix Arizona, so the valley is home to me. I went to high school at Higley High School and graduated in 2021. I am currently a resident sophomore at ASU, and I am studying Computer Science(Software engineering), and I am taking a certificate in the creation of video games. I love my major and have had a great experience learning at ASU. I am so excited to continue my education journey, and hopefully, you all enjoy my salsa blogs!