Salsondria

In many ways, one could say that the Cuban Music Community of New York City is currently going through an interesting, uncertain, but nonetheless exciting period in its development. Although modern Cuban Music has been present in NYC for a number of years, the genre is still very much coming of age in the city. Up until recently it has stood in the shadows of Nuyorican Salsa, finding a niche among only a small but discerning crowd. However, as groups such as the Pedrito Martínez Group and bands like them have brought new and much deserved attention to the genre, the rest of New York has almost been forced to pay attention, which in turn has resulted in some sudden yet nonetheless interesting developments. 

On one hand there are new venues such as Subrosa, in which larger enterprises such as Blue Note are bringing Cuban music to the previously untapped attention of the Meatpacking crowd, serving up Música Cubana in an elaborate decor with drink and ticket prices to match. One the other hand there are the established Cuban hubs such as Guantanamera, whose regular groups have also found themselves in a new state of flux as Cuban acts juggle their itineraries with the new performances that are now opening up, allowing for a “changing of the guard” so to speak.    

Despite this interesting power play at hand, there exists a very different yet equally significant side of the Cuban Music municipality that continues to forge ahead completely independent of these influences. In recent years, smaller enclaves of musicians, dancers and enthusiasts have been at work creating their own scene on their own terms. In the midst of both the new and established venues fighting for dominance in this sudden spike in market interest, these other factions provide a contrasting and perhaps more singular role in the community.

One of the most noticeable figures in this effort is none other than Daniel Odria, organizer of the Salsondria events. The title Salsondria simultaneously serves the name of Odria’s house-band as well as his grassroots, Timba-themed dance parties that occur twice a week, catering to New York’s growing community of eager Cuban-Salsa dance devotees.

A Washington Heights native, Odria became exposed to Cuban music almost by accident. While attending the now defunct Forbidden City Sunday Salsa Dance Party, he became aware of Oliva, located nearby on East Houston Street. The locale served as after-party hang for many of the Forbidden City attendees. Out of curiosity, he ventured into the venue to find Nu D’Lux, one of Gotham’s most noted “Nu Guajiro” groups, preforming their regular Sunday set. Around the same time, Odria met and became associated with Chris Rogicki and his dance group Fuakata while attending another Sunday Cuban Dance Party at Lina Fre. 

It was this combination of his curiosity with Cuban dance and immediate penchant for live music that formed the basis for Danny’s concept of what would later become Salsondria. The idea was, and still is, to organize regular dance events that combined the normally DJ centric Dance Parties with the notion of having a live band as the centerpiece. Odria directly noticed the somewhat puzzling yet very real gap between live musicians, the dance crowd and the social groups in which both circles seemed to associate themselves. Thus, the idea of bridging this void as much as possible became his primary pursuit.

Of course, no pursuit germinates right away without a certain degree of evolution involved. The first events were held at Cubana Social in Brooklyn, which would remain Danny’s headquarters for the better part of a year. The initial parties began with Odria as lead vocalist, singing more traditional son repertoire with whatever musicians he knew or could find. Over the course the next few months however, as the parties began to grow, so did his ideas and standards for the music. As a result, the need for higher level of musician became more and more apparent. 

He began to hire professional musicians, directly involved in the Cuban Music scene to play in the house band, turning to none other than members of Nu D’lux and other Cuban Bands in NYC. He also teamed up with DJ Asho to add another dimension to the event. His choice of repertoire also became more modern and more streamlined, leaning more and more towards Timba as the stylistic focus. 

After a year and eventually outgrowing Cubana Social, Odria and his events began branching out, first to the Black Bear and to other Brooklyn venues. He also had begun to feature bands besides his own, including D Son 3 and Gerrardo Contino among others. In October of 2014, Daniel created and host the Timba Con Casino Festival, a two event held at DROM. The event showcased Nu D’Lux, Carlos Boys Band, Los Hacheros and Odria’s own Salsondria house band.

There are indeed plenty of chances to catch Odria’s events in the near future. His next major event is this Saturday, December 13 at the Nuyorican Poets Café, located at 236 E 3rd St. The night will feature Chris Rogicki and Fuakata, but just as importantly serves as part of Odria’s recent effort to further expand beyond Salsondria’s Brooklyn stronghold in order to gain new followers as well as make the events more accessible to many of his Manhattan-based patrons. Those who cannot make the 13^th also have the chance every Sunday to check out Los Hacheros at Verlaine on 110 Rivington Street, hosted by Danny as well. For more information on upcoming events, be sure to check out the regularly updated Salsondria Facebook page for times, locations and bands featured.

With Salsondria events occurring twice a week in different parts of the Metro Area, there really is no excuse not to check them out. Whether you are a dance aficionado or just fan of live music, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Odria, and hopefully others like him, will continue to grow and provide this necessary undercurrent to the Cuban Music/Dance community. It further proves that it takes all kinds to make a scene truly thrive, and that it is indeed possible to think big while keeping both feet connected to the ground.

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