Salsa as a sauce originated with the native peoples of the Americas, including the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans, who created early versions using tomatoes, chilies, and squash seeds. The name "salsa," meaning "sauce" in Spanish, was given by the Spanish priest Alonso de Molina around 1571 after Spanish conquistadors encountered the indigenous mixture. As a music and dance genre, salsa was not invented by any single person. The music style evolved primarily from Cuban son and Afro-Cuban rhythms and later was popularized in New York City starting in the 1960s. The term "salsa" for this genre was popularized by musician Johnny Pacheco, founder of Fania Records, who chose the spicy connotation of the word to describe the energetic Latin music style that combined influences from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and New York's Latin communities. In summary:
- Salsa (the sauce) was invented by indigenous peoples of the Americas, formalized as a name by Alonso de Molina in the 1500s.
- Salsa music and dance evolved from Afro-Cuban and Latin rhythms and was popularized and named in the 1960s New York Latin music scene by Johnny Pacheco and Fania Records.
If more detail is desired on either the sauce or the dance/music, that can be provided.
