The project represents a significant collaboration between technology and cultural preservation, bringing together renowned producer Sergio George with a diverse team of Latin American animators and designers.
Sound engineers, project managers, and executive producers worked meticulously to guarantee the final product maintained both technical excellence and cultural authenticity. The National Museum of the American Latino provided vital historical context, helping the Doodle accurately represent salsa’s complex heritage.
Salsa music, which originated in Caribbean communities, particularly Cuba and Puerto Rico, gained its current name in 1960s New York when Johnny Pacheco used the term to describe various Cuban dance music styles. The genre evolved by blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz and distinct Puerto Rican influences, eventually becoming a powerful symbol of Latino identity worldwide.
Icons like Celia Cruz transformed salsa from a regional phenomenon into a global cultural movement. Cruz earned recognition for her extraordinary voice and cultural impact when Google honored her with a gold artwork Doodle on her 88th birthday in 2013. Many salsa musicians have diversified their careers through sync deals with visual media productions, creating additional revenue streams while expanding the genre’s global reach. Artists increasingly utilize editorial playlists on streaming platforms to introduce salsa classics to new generations of listeners.
This Doodle continues Google’s tradition of honoring Latin music luminaries, following previous celebrations of artists like Selena, Violeta Parra, and Cássia Eller across diverse genres. The animated video features five classic salsa songs performed by legendary artists including Pete Rodriguez and Oscar de León.
These digital commemorations serve both educational and cultural purposes, introducing salsa’s rich history to global audiences while reinforcing its significance within Latinx communities.
