International Salsa Museum preserves Dominican music's impact in NYC

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- The rhythms of merengue and bachata come from the Dominican Republic, but salsa also plays a major musical influence in the Caribbean country. 

Willy Rodriguez is the co-founder of the Salsa International Museum; he is of Dominican descent.

“Salsa is not just a Dominican thing or Puerto Rican or Cuban thing; it is heard all over the world," Rodriguez said Thursday.

The institution is currently holding an exhibition at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, one of the birthplaces of salsa in New York City.

The International Salsa Museum is a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve salsa music's vibrant and rich history.

“It started in Africa, went through the Caribbean, landed here in New York City. This is where salsa got its boom with the Fania All-Stars got its boom with Johnny Pacheco, Celia Cruz, and Tito Puente," Rodriguez added.

The museum has held pop-up events all around the city and aims to have a permanent home in the Bronx, also known as “El Condado de la Salsa,” where many Puerto Rican musicians popularized the rhythm.

“What we want to do is get a space that’s 100,000 square feet at the Kingsbridge Armory and teach the public what this music is all about, our roots,” said Rodriguez, who said the museum is looking to have a traveling exhibition abroad to expand their mission of preserving salsa’s history.

“We are not just focusing on the big stars. We also want to cover the musicians, the booking agents, the club promoters, everybody that played a role,” Rodriguez said.

Back home, the goal is to foster a relationship with the New York Board of Education and contribute to their musical and cultural programs.

“Get into the schools and teach these kids the rhythm, where they come from, the roots, and show them how important it is to keep this legacy alive when it comes to salsa music," he said.

You can check out the International Salsa Museum exhibition at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem until Oct. 15. Visit the International Salsa Museum for more information.

The National Dominican Day Parade will be held in Manhattan on Aug. 11. PIX11 is the proud broadcast partner of the parade. You can watch the parade live on PIX11 and PIX11.com beginning at 2 p.m.