Google Doodle Celebrates Salsa Music’s Global Beat

This music video Doodle honors salsa music, a vibrant and energetic dancing style that started in the Latino community and has gained international acclaim, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a genre that combines generations, communities, nations, and music. Sergio George, a salsa master, creative director Jorge R. Canedo E., and an amazing group of guest designers and animators collaborated to create the Doodle.

Salsa music, a vibrant and energetic genre, blends elements from Latin American and Afro-Cuban traditions such as son cubano, rumba, and mambo. Its buoyant melodies, interactive vocals, and infectious rhythms have made it one of the most recognizable styles of Latin music worldwide.

At the heart of salsa lies percussion, with instruments like the clave (a rhythmic pattern played with wooden sticks and considered the backbone of salsa), conga drums, and güiro driving the beat. Brass sections, pianos, and lively tempos add richness to the sound, often fusing with modern genres like R&B and funk.

Over the years, salsa has been shaped by legendary performers including Marc Anthony, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Daniela Darcourt, and the late Eddie Palmieri. Their music continues to inspire dancers and audiences across generations.

A special music video Doodle pays tribute to the genre by remixing five influential salsa songs across history and geography:

I Like It by Pete Rodriguez (1967)
Mi Gente by Héctor Lavoe (1975)
Llorarás by Oscar de León (1979)
La Vida es un Carnaval by Celia Cruz (1998)
La Noche by Joe Arroyo

The animated artwork celebrates salsa’s spirit with dancing, vibrant colors, and iconic instruments like the piano, conga, trombone, clave, and güiro—capturing the joy and unity the genre represents.

Salsa is more than just music—it’s a cultural expression of identity, resilience, and celebration. Its beats bring people together on dance floors, in festivals, and through generations, keeping Latin traditions alive while evolving with modern influences.