Federico y su Combo

Über Federico y su Combo

Federico y su Combo, led by pianist Federico Betancourt, were pioneers of Venezuelan salsa. Their 1966 album Llegó la Salsa is often cited as one of the first records to use the word salsa as a genre label, capturing the boogaloo and guaracha energy sweeping the Caracas barrios. The band bridged Cuban dance traditions and the emerging New York sound, laying groundwork for the salsa boom that followed.