Den svenska salsahistorien : Hur salsa (som genre och kultur) etablerades i Sverige

Sammanfattning

This ethnomusicological research explores the establishment of salsa as a music genre and cultural phenomenon in Sweden through qualitative interviews with four musicians active in the Stockholm area. Previous studies have primarily focused on the genre’s formation in the United States and Latin America, particularly during the Golden Age of Salsa in New York in the 1970s. In contrast, the development of salsa in Sweden has remained unexplored. Through oral histories of the musicians who stood at the origins of the salsa scene the study has succeeded in reconstructing the early history of Swedish salsa music. Special attention is paid to Annorlunda Music School (Sollentuna Jazz Workshop), which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. As Sweden's first institution dedicated to Latin American music, it has played a crucial role in educating and connecting generations of musicians. The interview material, examined alongside previous research, reveals significant differences between the emergence of salsa in the United States and its development in Sweden. While both scenes were shaped by transnational cultural exchanges, their formation was influenced by distinct social factors, including gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and migration patterns. Moreover, the study demonstrates how salsa became a transnational cultural phenomenon that, despite being “conceived, nurtured and developed” in the Latin American El Barrio in New York, spread far beyond its geographical origins and united musicians across national, ethnic, and social boundaries.