Manuel Lopez | Staff Illustrator

From the streets of New York City rich with cultural Latino heritage, to the vibrant barrios of Cali, Colombia, director Juan Carvajal explores the journey of a genre. His directorial debut, “La Salsa Vive,” chronicles salsa in its music and dance forms as it traveled across the Americas. The documentary is set to premiere this Friday, March 7 at this year’s SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas. 

“I was moved by the passion and love for my city and my country. I’m Colombian American, so I love New York, and I love Cali … and it’s something I really wanted to share with the world,” Carvajal said.

“La Salsa Vive” recounts the vivid cultural history of the genre through various interviews. The documentary’s impressive lineup includes salsa legends maestros Rubén Blades, Willie Rosario, and Henry Fiol — just to name a few — whose interviews are intertwined with local perspectives and archival footage. 

Carvajal was first exposed to salsa at the early age of two: every family gathering was accompanied by countless salsa vinyls spinning on the record player. However, he believes that salsa is more than just a genre. Its ability to both form communities and connect individuals in a deeply personal way can help people avoid dangerous situations. 

“Salsa saves lives in some way because there are many social issues in Cali [like] gangs and there are different violence problems. So boys and girls in Cali have found, in salsa, a way to escape from that kind of environment,” Carvajal said, referencing the third and final act of the documentary, which focuses on the social impact salsa has had on Cali’s younger generations.

“Salsa is such a storytelling genre,” said Calixto Chinchilla, founder of the New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF). The group is one of the documentary’s main donors, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery’s OneFifty program. “I think that’s why this music is connecting with so many people … It’s that we’re hearing the stories like, ‘Wait a minute, I can relate to this.’” 

In addition to the impressive slate of musicians and dancers, “La Salsa Vive” features the illustrious and 12-time Grammy-winning Rubén Blades, a Panamanian maestro, actor, and politician.

“Talking to Rubén Blades is like a lesson in life … whenever I talked to him … [it] was like a masterclass of life,” Carvajal said, “He’s something else. You cannot describe the feeling, because this guy is amazing.”

When filming his interview with Blades in New York, Carvajal recounted that, for hours, “He didn’t want to stop! And at some point it was like at 7 or 8 p.m., and I said, ‘Maestro, you know, I’m so sorry but we need to stop.’ And he said, ‘You have more questions? Let’s go ahead.’” Although Carvajal had already asked all his questions, Blades took a moment to speak with the entire cast and crew on set that day, offering “jewels of wisdom,” Chinchilla said.

With contributions from some of the genre’s most notable artists and performers, “La Salsa Vive” is a story with its own unique rhythm. The film is one that documentary audiences shouldn’t miss, especially if they’re heading to SXSW. “La Salsa Vive” premieres this week at SXSW with screenings on March 7, 8, and 14, and will be screening at Carnegie Hall in New York on April 30.