Glossary
Salsa Music and Dance Glossary
The words you will hear from musicians, DJs and teachers. For Spanish phrases used in class, see our Spanish for dancers page.
Percussion on stage, Punta del Este: Jimmy Baikovicius from Montevideo, Uruguay, CC BY-SA 2.0
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Abanico | A timbales roll that announces a new section. |
| Bongo bell | A large hand bell the bongo player switches to in the montuno. |
| Cascara | A pattern played on the metal shells of the timbales. |
| Clave | The two-bar rhythmic key of salsa, played 3-2 or 2-3. |
| Coro | The chorus singers who repeat a short refrain. |
| Cross body lead | The signature salsa move where partners switch places along the slot. |
| Descarga | A jam session with long improvised solos. |
| Guaguanco | A style of Cuban rumba with a playful partner dance. |
| Mambo (section) | An arranged horn section in the middle of a song. |
| Martillo | The bongo's steady hammering pattern. |
| Montuno | The call and response section of a song, also a repeated piano pattern. |
| On1 / On2 | Breaking forward or back on count 1 or count 2. |
| Pregon | The lead singer's improvised line answering the coro. |
| Rueda | Cuban-style group dance in a circle with called moves. |
| Shines | Solo footwork performed apart from your partner. |
| Slot | The imaginary line along which LA and New York style dancers move. |
| Sonero | A lead singer skilled at improvising. |
| Timba | Modern Cuban dance music, fast and complex. |
| Tumbao | The repeating pattern of the bass or conga. |
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Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources (updated Oct 13, 2026). Spot an error? Email hello@fireempireshop.com.