Maykel Blanco y su Salsa Mayor

Maykel Blanco y su SalsaMayor stands out as one of the most influential contemporary Cuban orchestras—built on precision, strong musical identity, and an ability to keep evolving while staying rooted in the rhythms dancers come for. Leading a Cuban big band isn’t just about writing great music; it’s about discipline, tight arrangement work, and the stamina to deliver night after night, whether the audience is packed with hardcore casino dancers or hearing timba for the first time.

At the center is Maykel Blanco, widely recognized as the youngest musician to ever lead a Cuban big band. His path started early: he began studying as a percussionist at just 12, and formed his first band when he was 15—a pretty clear sign that leadership and musical ambition were baked in from the beginning.

That momentum became a full-scale project in 2005, when 23-year-old Blanco established the original 14-member orchestra SalsaMayor. The band quickly began collecting awards—both in Cuba and internationally—earning recognition across categories like Best salsa orchestra, Best music event, and Best live performance of the year. Over time the lineup expanded into the powerful 15-man orchestra many dancers know today, with a sound that blends sharp hits, heavy groove, and the kind of drive that makes social dance floors explode.

Their big breakthrough came in 2010 with the album “Soy lo que te hala”, and from that point on the orchestra began touring consistently across Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America. Another major wave hit in 2016 with “Que no me quiten la fé,” an album that sparked a fresh boom in salsa communities worldwide. When the orchestra performed in Norway for the first time in October 2017—also invited by SalsaNor, the organization behind rueda.casino – the concert sold out, a rare “first-time Cuban band” milestone on the Norwegian scene.

Why this partnership with rueda.casino matters

rueda.casino is built for dancers who want more than “steps”—people who want to understand the music, train with real Cuban energy, and develop timing, phrasing, and interpretation in a way that actually holds up on the dance floor. That’s where SalsaMayor fits perfectly. Their music is not just background sound; it’s a living engine for Cuban dance culture, and it only becomes more meaningful when it’s shared, taught, and used by dancers around the world.

Through this collaboration, Maykel Blanco y su SalsaMayor have contributed tracks (royalty-free, se the playlist above) for use in rueda.casino’s educational content. It’s a practical contribution with real impact: it helps dancers practice with authentic, high-quality Cuban music, and it strengthens the bridge between the orchestra’s global audience and the international rueda community. In short, it’s a partnership rooted in the same idea—Cuban music thrives when it’s played, danced, learned, and passed on.

Touring with SalsaNor in 2019

In 2019, the same year as SalsaNor celebrated its 20 year anniversary, the Maykel Blanco orchestra turned 15 and we did a mini-tour in Norway together. The famous singer Mayito Rivera was invited as a special guest.

SalsaNor was able to do an exclusive interview with the band leader Maykel Blanco.

Jam session

The concerts in Norway was the end of their tour all over Europe, and the returned back to Cuba from Stavanger, Norway. Luckily, their flight was in the evening, so the SalsaNor crew had one entire Sunday together with Maykel and all his musicians. We invited them into our typical Norwegian home in Stavanger, had a meal, and, then a spontaneous jam session took place …

Anniversary greeting

In 2019, the same year as SalsaNor celebrated its 20 year anniversary, Maykel Blanco y Su Salsa Mayor turned 15, and we did a mini-tour in Norway together. The famous singer Mayito Rivera (former singer of Los Van Van) was invited as a special guest.