¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa
Molina Family Latino Gallery, National Museum of the American Latino | Washington, D.C.
April 2026—November 2028
From the streets of Havana to the dancefloors of New York and beyond, “¡Puro Ritmo!” explores how Afro-Cuban music evolved into a defining sound in the United States. This bilingual and multimedia exhibition traces salsa’s roots and rise through nearly 300 objects. Highlighting artists from Tito Puente and Celia Cruz to local legends and hidden pioneers, “¡Puro Ritmo!” celebrates salsa as one of America’s greatest musical traditions.
Staff: Jorge Zamanillo (Founding Director), Ginny Monken Gomez (Deputy Director), Tey Marianna Nun (Associate Director), Destiny Gabrielle Burgos (Executive Assistant), Jennifer Pichardo (Head of Advancement), Carol Youmans (Assistant Director of Finance), Melissa M. Ortega (Advancement Associate), Victoria S. Gonzalez (Advancement Program Specialist), Alicia Foster (Gift Officer, Institutional Giving), Eddie Mendoza (Financial Specialist), Marisol Arciniega Melendez (Financial Specialist), Hector Ranero ...(Membership Manager), Rebecca Looney (Assistant Director, Project Manager), Ranald Woodaman (Exhibitions Director), Mariano Desmarás (Exhibition Designer, Contractor), Carlos Aponte (Illustrator), Leigh Armstrong (Image and Media Acquisition Specialist, Contractor), Belina Castillo Cruz (Exhibition Coordinator, Contractor), Zoë Elena Moldenhauer (Research Assistant, Contractor), Melissa Carillo (Virtual/Web Programs Director), José Ralat Reyes (Digital Media Manager), Lola Ramirez (Assistant Gallery Manager), Sarah Elston (Registrar), Loreil Rivera De Castro (Registrar, Contractor), Courtney Asher (Collections Manager), Robin Morey (Collections Specialist), Diana Bossa Bastidas (Program Manager), Ana Reyes Albarracín (Program Manager), Olivia Z. Joseph (Program Coordinator), Emily Key (Assistant Director for Learning and Public Engagement), Natalia M. Febo (Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator), Adrian Aldaba (Manager of Education and Public Programs), Joshua E. Segovia (Public Interpretive Programs Coordinator), Jorge C. Perez-Ratcliffe (Learning Lounge Coordinator), Gabriela RiosVillegas (Community Engagement Program Assistant), Nadia Valdivia (Program Facilitator, Contractor), David Coronado (Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing), Karen Vanegas (Social Media and Digital Strategy Manager), Paola Ramirez (Social Media Specialist).
