A
descarga (literally
discharge in
Spanish) is an improvised
jam session consisting of variations on
Cuban music themes, primarily
son montuno, but also
guajira,
bolero,
guaracha and
rumba. The genre is strongly influenced by
jazz and it was developed in
Havana during the 1950s. Important figures in the emergence of the genre were
Cachao,
Julio Gutiérrez,
Bebo Valdés,
Peruchín and
Niño Rivera in Cuba, and
Tito Puente in
New York. Originally, descargas were promoted by record companies such as
Panart, Maype and Gema under the label
Cuban jam sessions. From the 1960s, the descarga format was usually adapted by large
salsa ensembles, most notably the
Fania All-Stars.