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A Dominican-American named Johnny Pacheco is largely credited with "developing" the Salsa. He grew up in New York and was exposed to American Jazz and Rock. When his bands first started playing these "new' rhythms people would ask, "What is that you are playing?" He hadn't given the music any kind of "name" and hadn't even thought about it so that he spontaneously answered, "Salsa!" because the music contains a little bit of everything.....Latin rhythms, jazz, rock, syncopation, etc. The "Salsa" started in New York City in the 60s/early 70s and gained widespread popularity just as Rock And Roll was undergoing its metamorphosis. The life spans of Rock And Roll and the Salsa are kind of parallel. The actual "roots" of the salsa are elsewhere. The rhythms that Johnny used, ( Yes, I can call him "Johnny" because I know him, ) actually date back to the 1930s and probably earlier.....in Cuba. It all started with the "Son." The "Son" was followed by, ( in no particular order, ) the Rumba, Mambo, Guaguanco, Cha-Cha-Cha, others and eventually, the Salsa. If one listens to an early Son then one can hear the same rhythms that are in the Salsa. The only difference is that in an early Son you won't hear horns, jazz increments or syncopation of the percussion instruments. As a matter of fact, all of these types of music are referred to as "Afro-Cuban" rhythms because while they were developed by Afro-Cubans the "roots" are actually in Africa. The fact that the rhythms, including the Salsa, have earned the "Afro-Cuban" tag kind of tells one where the music originated so that all of the other arguments become null and void. Cubans will insist that the Salsa is Cuban. Newyoricans will insist that the Salsa is Puerto Rican because many of the original Salsa musicians were Puerto Ricans. I've had both Germans and Japanese argue with me saying that the salsa originated in those respective countries. I say that the Salsa is American. IT IS AMERICAN! The probable truth is that it is Afro-Cuban-Rican-American. I hope that my view is more objective than people of other ethnicities/countries. They are SO hard-headed! 
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