Salsa Music, Part Dos

Señor Q y Su Nuevo Son started out as a quartet two years ago, playing at Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant.

Most people would say they play salsa music, but they would disagree with you…slightly.

Señor Q’s style of music is a version of salsa called “son”.

According to guitarist and music director, Manny Brito, “’Son’ is the root of salsa; it comes from the old generations of the thirties and forties”.

Señor Q started their group on the basis of friendship. The 8-man-band knew each other well before they started playing together and eventually decided they were good enough to make music. I have been following them for a few days now, learning about the roots of their music, all while listening to their own style of salsa.

I attended the Tucson Sunday Salsa Social again this past Sunday and instead of focusing on the dancing, I took in the music. In an earlier interview, Manny gave me some insight into salsa dancing. As a person who plays music for the salsa dancers, he explained to me why it is so hard to get people involved in salsa dancing and salsa music as a whole.

“The general public doesn’t know the difference between son and salsa,” he said. “It is hard to get people to come to events because of that intimidation factor with dance.”

Oh that intimidation factor…I know all about that! A couple blogs ago I mentioned how I was pulled out onto the dance floor to learn the basics of salsa. I was completely mortified until I actually began feeling the music and moving my body with the beat.


On Sunday I was watching Señor Q set up their instruments and next to them, salsa dance instructor, Gerardo Armendariz, was giving people salsa lessons. At first, I noticed how stiff the dancers were. I could tell some people felt extremely uncomfortable with the movement of their body. However, after about 20 minutes and a few plays of salsa music, everyone (and I mean everyone) began to feel the beat. By the end of the lesson, everyone people were twisting and twirling, and even dipping.

Like Manny said about newcomers, “Once you introduce them and once they do it, they become repeat offenders.”

I can personally tell you the beat of salsa music is very hard to ignore.

Check out a bit of Senor Q's performace...