In a world where Hip-Hop and Reggaeton remain kings, there are so many more musical choices to remember that give a variety of flavor. One of these is Salsa, and no, I am not talking about the sauce that you can eat with your tortilla chips. Salsa is a style of Latin Caribbean music that combines the musical traditions of Puerto Rico, Cuba and Dominican Republic, along with some influences from American music. Although it is hard to pinpoint any exact place as its birthplace, Salsa is known for having a wonderful rhythm due to the different types of drums it uses, along with its horn section. There have been many wonderful salsa singers from many different parts of the Americas including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Venezuela, Panama, and even the U.S. Without further ado, let’s get started on whom these top 20 Salsa singers are.
Héctor Lavoe - Known as "El Cantante de los Cantantes"
Lavoe is one of the most iconic voices in Salsa music due to popularizing the genre during the 1960s and for turning it into what it is today. He was born Héctor Juan Pérez Martinez in the Machuelo Abajo in Puerto Rico. He was part of Willie Colón’s band but became a solo singer, with his most popular songs, including “El Cantante” being written by either Rubén Blades, Willie Colón, or Tite Curet Alonso. His most popular songs are “El Cantante,” “Bandolera,” Canto a Borinquen”, and “Periódico de Ayer.”
Celia Cruz - The "Queen of Salsa"
She was a Cuban singer who was and still is celebrated for her powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. Born Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, she made waves in both the Americas and Europe. She was one of the first Latin singers to be accepted into Spain’s music industry, courtesy of Lola Flores aka La Faraona, and was able to help Salsa reach a new audience. She managed to mix in the Afro-Cuban musical styles of Guaracha, Rumba, Afro, Son, and Bolero to Salsa creating an entire personal interpretation. One thing about Celia was that she was basically the example of being a ray of sunshine because of her sunny personality, her unique fashion sense, and yelling out “Azúcar!” to the crowds. Her most popular songs are “La Vida es Un Carnaval,” “Quimbara,” “La Negra Tiene Tumbao”, and “Yo Vivire,” which was an adaptation but not a direct translation of the song “I Will Survive.”
Rubén Blades - “The Lyricist”
A singer, songwriter, and politician from Panama, known for his socially conscious lyrics, plus known for translating songs from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English. He performs Salsa and Latin Jazz. He is known for writing the songs “Pedro Navaja” and “El Cantante”, as well as translating Michael Jackson’s “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” into “Todo Mi Amor eres Tu”. He is also known for performing with other Salsa artists including but not limited to Celia Cruz, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and Victor Manuelle.
Marc Anthony - “The Most Recognizable Voice”
He is a contemporary Salsa superstar and actor with numerous hits and a powerful and unique tenor voice that leads him to be easily recognized. Marc Anthony was born in New York City under the name Marco Antonio Muňiz to Puerto Rican parents. Some of the things that makes Marc Anthony stand out are that his voice tone is truly unique, that he is the best-selling Salsa artist of all time, and that he also acted as the protagonist in a biopic about Héctor Lavoe. He is known for being in the Guinness World Record for having the most number one songs on the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay chart with, currently, 32 songs. Marc Anthony is known for his collaborations with La India, Jennifer Lopez, and Tina Arena, just to name some. Some of his most popular songs are “I Need to Know”, “Vivir Lo Nuestro”, “Vivir Mi Vida”, “Y Hubo Alguien”, and “Y Cómo Es El” with the latter not being in the Salsa category but showcasing his skill as a vocalist.
Willie Colón - “The Innovator”
An American trombonist, singer, and composer of Puerto Rican descent who helped popularize Salsa music internationally. He is also known for having assumed the gangster image in his album covers and look before they were popularized. He is known for combining elements of jazz, rock, and salsa, which makes his interpretation of Salsa unique because it gives it an American feel to it due to him having been born and grown up in New York City. He has had many successful collaborations with other singers such as Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz, Ismael Miranda, Soledad Bravo, and Rubén Blades.
Gilberto Santa Rosa - "El Caballero de la Salsa"
He is a Puerto Rican-Dominican singer famous for his smooth vocals and romantic songs, as well as his extensive collaborations with singers such as Celia Cruz, Yuri, Victor Manuelle, and Rubén Blades, to name a few. His style is very different because most of his songs are romantic and sentimental and because his voice is unforgettable, and he has a very sunny disposition, which is why almost all of his songs are very happy. It is very hard to just name one of his songs because of how popular all of them are. However, these are the songs that seem to be most popular on Spotify: “Conteo Regresivo - Salsa”, “Conciencia”, and “Que Alguien Me Diga”.
Oscar D'León - The "Lion of Salsa" or “El Faraón de la Salsa”
A Venezuelan singer and bassist known for his energetic performances, with his nickname being a pun on his last name. D’Leon was born Oscar Emilio León Simosa in Venezuela, but is known for his Cuban-style of Salsa. Just like some of the other singers of this list, he has collaborated with Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri to name a few and has inspired others to follow in his footsteps. Some of his popular songs are “Monta mi Caballo,” “ El Manicero,” “El Baile Suavito”.
Tito Puente - “The Inimitable”
Was a legendary bandleader, timbales player, and singer who helped bridge Latin music and jazz due to him having Puerto Rican heritage, but being born in New York City. He was born Ernest Anthony Puente Jr., but he was nicknamed Tito from a young age. Given that he was of a past generation, Tito was drafted by the Navy to serve during World War II and played music in the Navy’s band playing the alto saxophone, clarinet, piano, and drum set. Thanks to the G.I. Bill was able to study music at the prestigious Julliard School of Music where he studied conducting, orchestration, and theory. Throughout his prestigious career, he collaborated with many prolific and international figures like Sophy de Puerto Rico, Santitos Colón, La Lupe, Celia Cruz, and Arsenio Rodríguez to name a few. His most popular songs are “Quimbara” and “Mambo Gozon.”
Johnny Pacheco - “The Berry Gordy of Salsa”
Was a Dominican musician, arranger, composer, bandleader, record producer, and co-founder of Fania Records and one of the key figures in the development of Salsa. He was the one who popularized the term “Salsa” for the style of music because it is a blend of components of different rhythms from around the Caribbean, just like a sauce is a mixture of different ingredients. He was a talented multi-instrumentalist playing the accordion, violin, flute, saxophone, and clarinet. One might call him the Berry Gordy of Salsa due to his role in its creation.
Ismael Rivera - "El Sonero Mayor" or “Maelo”
Was celebrated for his improvisational singing style, which was admired throughout his native Puerto Rico. As an Afro-Puerto Rican, he faced many different challenges throughout his life, from poverty to being discharged quickly from the U.S. Army due to his inability to learn English. Some of his most popular hits were “El Sonero Mayor,” “Volare,” and “Las Caras Lindas (De Mi Gente Negra), which was written by Tite Curet Alonso. His last performance was when he opened for Bob Marley in Paris in 1978.
Joe Arroyo - “The Colombian”
An Afro-Colombian singer-songwriter who blended Salsa with other Latin genres, like Cumbia, Porro, Soca, Compas, Zouk, and other musical styles from the African Diaspora. His Salsa style is very different, because of his Colombian heritage, from the other people in this list. His most famous songs are “Rebelión”, “La Noche”, “Tania”, “El Ausente”, and “En Barranquilla Me Quedo”.
Andy Montañez - “El Godfather de la Salsa”
A Puerto Rican Salsa singer who was a member of the famous group El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and is a great solo singer in his own right. He has been known to collaborate with people in the Reggaeton genre like Daddy Yankee, Julio Voltio, La Sista, and John Eric to name a few. Some of his famous songs under El Gran Combo are “Hojas Blancas”, “Un Verano N.Y.”, and “Julia”.
Cheo Feliciano - “The Resilient”
He was a Puerto Rican singer known for his smooth voice and bolero-Salsa style, who worked closely with his close friend and the songwriter of most of his hits, Tite Curet Alonso. He kept traveling and touring the world until his death, which left a giant void in the Salsa community. His most famous songs were “Anacaona” and “Mi Triste Problema”.
Pete "El Conde" Rodríguez - El Conde
A key figure in the Salsa scene, known for his powerful voice and charisma. While he was born in Puerto Rico, he moved to New York City when he was in his teens. As a young man he was drafted in the army and, as an Afro-Puerto Rican, served in Georgia and South Carolina during the Jim Crow segregation. He eventually got his break when he began to work with Johnny Pacheco, a Dominican bandleader. His most popular songs were “Catalina La O” and “La Abolición”, with the latter being a song that represented the conditions that he suffered due to being of African heritage throughout his career.
Héctor Tricoche - “The Improviser”
A Puerto Rican singer famous for his improvisational skills and stage presence, who’s musical triumphs came from his collaborations with Tommy Olivencia despite becoming a solo artist in 1990. Since then, he has been known as one of the most important sensual Salsa singers. His most popular songs are “Doce Rosas”, “Lobo Domesticado”, Periquito Pin Pin”, “No Me Tires la Primera Piedra”, and “No Soy Automatico”.
Víctor Manuelle - “El Sonero de la Juventud”
A modern Salsa singer known for blending traditional Salsa with contemporary sounds, although he is primarily identified with the Salsa Romantica or “Salsa Monga” movement. He is one of the rare Salsa singers that has never recorded an English or Latin Pop album, preferring to focus all of his efforts in singing Salsa. He is also known as Gilberto Santa Rosas’s protégé because he was discovered by him when he was a teenager due to his ability to freestyle and his voice. His most popular songs are “Apiádate De Mi”, “He Tratado”, and “No Quería Engañarte.”
Frankie Ruiz - "El Papá de la Salsa"
Ruiz was a key figure in the development of Salsa Romántica, a subgenre of Salsa of Puerto Rican descent. Unlike most of the singers from this list, he was born in Paterson, New Jersey, despite living in Puerto Rico for a time, which may explain why his work was eagerly received by non-Latinos who have even admitted that he was responsible for their interest in Salsa and learning Spanish. Within the Latino community, his music was so popular that he was considered to be one of the best salseros. His most popular songs “Deseándote”, “La Rueda”, “Fantasía de Un Carpintero”, “Como Lo Hacen”, “Lo Dudo”, “Primero Fui Yo”, “Como Una Estrella”, “La Cura”, and “Tú Con Él”, to name a few.
La India - "Princess of Salsa"
A singer with a powerful, unique voice and for the intensity of her performances. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico under the name Linda Bell Viera Caballero but was nicknamed “La India” by her grandmother, due to her dark features and straight black hair, which were similar to those of the Taíno people. Due to moving to New York City a couple of months after her birth, the family lived at first with her grandmother, who had a profound connection with her, before moving to live in an apartment of their own. Initially she trained in opera, but eventually moved to Salsa after recording some English-speaking pop hits because she felt she needed to cross over to her people, the Puerto Ricans. She was discovered as a Salsa singer by Eddie Palmieri, a leading Salsa bandleader, who was impressed with her voice. She is known for her collaborations with the late Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, Marc Anthony, Tito Puente, Little Louie Vega, Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, and others. It was Celia Cruz who gave La India the title of “la Princesa de Salsa” aka “Princess of Salsa”. Her most popular songs are “Vivir lo Nuestro”, “La Voz de la Experiencia”, “Costumbres”, “Sobre el Fuego”, and many others.
Luis Enrique - "El Príncipe de la Salsa,"
A Nicaraguan-American singer with a romantic style who began his career in the late 1980s but achieved success in the 1990s. He was born Luis Enrique Mejía López and moved to the U.S. when he was 15 with his mother. He has collaborated with many artists within and outside the Salsa world such as Ricky Martin, Foreigner, Juan Luis Guerra, Chayenne, and many others. His most popular songs are “Yo No Sé Mañana”, “Tu No Le Amas, Le Temes”, and “Lo Que Pasó Entre Tu y Yo Pasó”, among others.
Adalberto Santiago - “The Puerto Rican Elvis Presley” or “Mr. Dinamita”
A Puerto Rican singer who gained fame as a lead vocalist for Ray Barretto's band, known for his relaxed and flawless voice. Even though he is in his late 80s and has been in the music business for more than 60 years, he continues to perform, tour, and record new music. He is also known for having released more than 100 albums, a feat that continues to grow to this day, and has worked in different styles like Trap and Reggaeton. His most popular songs are “La Noche Mas Linda Del Mundo”, “Alma Con Alma”, “Quitate La Mascara”, and “Quitate”.
We hope that you enjoyed our list, please let us know what other Salsa artists you like or think we missed.
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