FANIA RECORDS

One of Brooklyn’s biggest contributions to Salsa was Fania Records. Fania Records was a small record label founded in 1964 by Jerry Masucci and Johnny Pacheco that produced many of the titans of salsa. The name “Fania” came from a vintage Cuban song “Fanía Funché.” Masucci came from an Italian family, but spent time in Cuba while working for the US Department of State. Pacheco was a Dominican flute player who had a strong passion for classic Cuban music. The record label didn’t see overnight success and started out selling records out of the trunk of a car in Latin neighborhoods across the city with only a budget of $5,000. At the height of the label’s success was the group Fania All-Stars, which featured some of the greats of salsa like Pacheco himself, Willie Colón, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri.

HOTEL ST. GEORGE

One example of the vibrant Salsa scene was Hotel St. George at 100 Henry St. The hotel, which opened in 1885, was the scene of many luxurious parties prior to WWII. In the 1960s, the hotel fell on hard times economically, but found itself revived by young Latino, African American and Queer New Yorkers, who saw the space as a safe haven from persecution. From the 60s to the 70s, it became a venue for Latin music in NYC, including Salsa. The hotel struggled to survive and was sold in 1992. It was used by the city to hold the homeless with AIDs, the elderly and European immigrants. Today, the hotel is used for student housing and residential apartments.

FANIA ALL STARS – POR ESO YO CANTO SALSA

This song, released in 1984 discusses why the narrator sings salsa. He cites suffering, poverty, wealth disparity, racism and colorism as reasons why he chooses to sing salsa, drown out the sorrows, and embrace the music. The song takes on a joyful tone in spite of the discouraging topics discussed, reflecting the narrators use of salsa to persevere through the hardships of the world.