Jasmine Bryson
Jim Watson
HUMA 1153
15 April 2018
El Mundo de la Salsa Caleña
My experience at the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet concert in Houston, Texas was absolutely phenomenal! At the concert, I learned all about the Latin American countries and their different cultures. For every Latin country, they displayed a short slideshow explaining their culture and the roots it derived from. After the slideshow, dancers came out dressed as if they were in that particular country and performed a cultural dance that came from that country.
For example, they performed the Samba from Brazil, La Marinera from Peru, Salsa Caleña from Columbia, Bachata and Merengue from the Dominican Republic, and etc. Along with the dancers, there was also live musicians
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performing in between the dancer's performances. I left the concert with way more knowledge about Latin culture than I came with and I am excited to learn even more about it. With that being said, the Salsa Caleña from Columbia stood out to me the most. I am very eager to explain more about what Salsa is, its history, culture, style, what's popular in the Salsa world today, and how this topic intersects with my understanding of values.
The History of Salsa Caleña and The Colombian Culture
Some people may wonder, what exactly is salsa caleña? Salsa caleña is a dance that involves movements of the legs, especially the knees down, and subtle movements of the torso, hips, and shoulders. This style of dancing focuses on emphasizing quick footwork while still maintaining a smooth torso. Salsa dancing is usually a follow/lead dance, meaning that this dance normally involves two people.
Salsa caleña originated in Cali, Colombia in the early 1930s. Cali is also known to be the salsa capital of the world not only because it is the home of salsa, but also because it has over 200 registered salsa dance schools, salsa clubs are located all throughout the town, and they still host numerous salsa festivals all throughout the year. Although it originated in Columbia, it is still very popular in many other countries such as; Mexico, Cuba, America, and many more. It is especially popular in California. Just like Cali, Colombia, California, United States have numerous amounts of salsa
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clubs. Salsa all started off with a combination of different cultures. Back in 1930, famous musicians are known as "The Old School" or "La Vieja Guardia" started experimenting with different styles of music such as; kongo, jazz, mambo, guaguanco, and many other types. African culture was one of the main cultures that had an influence on salsa music and dancing. This was because during the sixteenth century enslaved Africans arrived in Columbia. With that being said, they brought along their culture with them. Kongo is one of the main African styles that Colombians picked up on. They became accustomed to the upbeat drums and fast-paced rhythms and they could not resist experimenting and joining in. Although jazz music originated in America, it was created by African Americans and has also influenced salsa music. So far, as you can tell, the geographic and demographic variations in Columbia had a major influence on salsa caleña. The similarities between Cali's urban and Cuba's rural areas were also something that influenced salsa caleña. Just like urban Cali, rural Cuba was also home to slaves working on sugar plantations. They both share a background of Africans and African culture, but the Africans in Cuba also had a Latin background. This is what caused the two styles to mix to create Salsa Caleña…, but how did this mixture make it to Cali? Well, in 1957, some of the upper-class people in Cali decided to put together a carnival to pay tribute to the sugar cane crop. Many famous artists and DJs from everywhere invited to this festival. There their styles mixed and some of the DJs decided to speed up the music to make it more exciting to dance to. Little did they know that they would make history forever. Salsa Caleña in Today's Society Salsa Caleña is still very popular in today's society and many people salsa for many different reasons. One very good reason why people salsa is for its many health benefits. Any type of dancing is good for bone and joint health. Dancing helps prevent osteoporosis in both men and women. Especially for women, because during post-menopause women's estrogen levels begin to drop, which can affect calcium absorption in the bones. Again, like all forms of dancing, salsa dancing is an amazing and healthy way to lose weight and increase stamina. Studies show that dancing burns anywhere between 5 to 10 calories per minute depending on speed and many other factors. Salsa is very fast paced so this is a very popular style for weight loss. Salsa dancing literally targets all of the major muscle groups in your body, especially working the glutes, calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Salsa dancing also works out your upper body, but not as much as your lower body. If you have not noticed, most professional salsa dancers are very built and muscular. Not only does salsa dancing keep your body looking younger on the outside, but it also keeps your body feeling younger on the inside. Dancing tremendously benefits your cardiovascular health and lung capacity. Not to mention that it lowers cholesterol and aids in blood sugar control. Many experienced dancers can say that dancing has drastically improved their balance and coordination. Dancers have the ability to balance themselves in many different positions. This ability has enabled them to strengthen their stabilizer muscles, which helps prevent injuries. Dancing also increases endorphin levels in our bodies, which allows us to cope with stress and depression. It also helps us gain confidence and boost our self-esteem. Salsa dancing helps people feel great, look great, and meet great new people.
That's right, I said meet new people. Believe it or not many people met their spouses at salsa dancing clubs and pubs. Salsa is a very social activity. With it being popular all over the world and a partner dance, it would hard to attend a salsa club and not meet new and interesting people. Usually, everyone at salsa clubs love salsa and are interested in picking up new moves and different styles, so you will already have something in
common. Since salsa is a very social activity, it would be ridiculous not to have salsa clubs. A salsa club is basically a place where people who love salsa come together and dance and have a good time. It is like any other nightclub, except it focuses solely on salsa. Many famous salsa dancers like Eddie Torres and Johnny Vazquez often make appearances at salsa clubs. It just so happens that these two phenomenal salsa dancers are now salsa instructors. Yes, that is right there are salsa instructors, which means that there are salsa schools. At these schools, people start off learning the basics of salsa and slowly advance as different skills are mastered. Salsa Attire During salsa lessons and at salsa clubs women usually wear their hair pinned up or pulled back to keep it out of the way and so it will not be distracting to the dance. Women often wear open back, strapless, or batwing shirts, and shorts or skorts to provide pleasure to the audience while salsa dancing. Heels are the most common type of footwear worn by female salsa dancers. Men usually wear unbuttoned jackets or tight fitting shirts along with cuffed pants while salsa dancing. Leather shoes are common for men to wear while salsa dancing. Most of the time salsa attire is very blingy and flashy. The flashiness is just a bonus to the eyes while watching a salsa dance performance. How This Topic Intersects With My Worldwide Views and Values The theme of this topic is learning about different cultures. This topic intersects with my worldwide views because I believe that it is important that everyone explores and learns about different cultures so that we can be more open to diversity. With us being more open to diversity we would also be more accepting of each other's differences. Everyday people get bullied because of what they believe in, how they talk, what they wear, or how they were raised and I believe that it wrong. If we study and explore different cultures maybe we would be more understanding of other people's beliefs. Conclusion With all of the many different types of Spanish Flamenco Ballet, Salsa Caleña is definitely one of the most interesting. It is amazing how the Columbian culture mixed with many other different cultures to create such a lively and beautiful form of art. With the many benefits of Salsa Caleña, this type of dance is enjoyed all over the world in dance studios and salsa clubs. No matter the culture, I believe that it is highly important that people research and explore different cultural backgrounds. If people gain more knowledge about different cultures they would be more accepting of diversity. What are some cultures that you are interested in learning more about?
The Latin Americans never wanted to be left in this music development. The Latin Americans had their own music, Jazz (Gordon, 2005). They wanted to influence in the development of the music. Soon, Salsa was born out if mixture from the Jazz music and Mambo. Salsa took the bodily movements and the Cuban beats as a contribution from the Caribbean culture. The Latin America contributed the wording of Salsa music. Diversity necessitated the growth of Salsa as Mambo had been viewed with suspicion as it was linked to ghetto status hence it was
During my visit, I was able to observe different dances that were very interesting. Two dances that caught my attention were the “Toro Mambo” representing the state of Sinaloa and “Payasos of Tlaxcala” representing Tlaxcala. The “Toro Mambo” from the region of Sinaloa is one of the most popular dances in Mexico. The dance is really interesting for the reason that it represents a story in where a bull would dance on a place known as the “mambo.” In this folk dance the dancer do movements at the same paste while trying to imitate how the bull would dance. In this dance the women wear long colorful dresses to represent joy and in order to move the skirts higher. In contrast, the men wear light color shirts and jeans that matches with their partner. In the other side the dance of the “Payasos de Tlaxcala” represents a story of a festival in the region of Tlaxcala. To perform this dance men and women dress like clowns in colorful outfits to amuse the people in the festival. During the dance, the dancers try to satisfy the public by putting humor in the dance and doing crazy movements. This dances are both very great and enjoyable to watch. It is amazing how you could learn so much in a little bit of time and in a beautiful art
Salsa comes from the South American region, mainly from the Spanish speaking countries(“History of Salsa Sauce”). Salsa is a well known dish that is made in many ways. In the original times, it was made with a coalescence of chilies, tomatoes, and other spices. The original way of making salsa has been altered since the beginning. It originated back in the times of the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca civilizations(“History Of Salsa Food”). According to “History of Salsa Sauce”, The origin of salsa came from the South American region, mainly from the Spanish speaking countries (Lifestylelounge,lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/history-of-salsa-food). The Spanish people found tomatoes and they added the ingredient into the recipe.
Dance is just as important and music in Afro-Cuban Culture. The music is made to be danced to, and most of the popular Cuban dances that exist today are of African decent. The most popular are the rumba, danzon, and son. Especially among the working class poor, dancing and music was simply a way to blow off steam and have a good time.
The Flamenco dance performance I went to watch took place in a restaurant located inside Hotel Albuquerque. The restaurant has a very unique setting. The people can enjoy amazing flamenco dance performances while also have great Mexican food. The restaurant was fairly dark focusing all to the bright and colorful stage. There were total of five performers; the dancers were Tacha, Bailaoresevarez Encinias, & Giovanna Hinojos, the vocalist was Vicente Griego and the Guitarist was Calvin Hazen. The Flamenco performance was communally involved where performers cheered for one another and communicated through time, space and energy.
Regardless of the difference of culture, language and customs, I learned so much about the Brazilian culture in the United States. For example, they have huge families like Dominicans and they stay together as a community one hundred percent. In addition, I myself might incorporate some of their traditions onto mine, maybe not for myself but for my cousins and even for my future daughter. I like they way in which everything was very detailed and organized. Also, I liked how everything had a meaning and a reason for being there. This party has motivated me to go out there and explore all the different cultures that exist in the society that I live in. This event has also taught me a lesson about life, in order for us to find ourselves we need to identify with our ancestors and continue our traditions. There is nothing more pretty than being able to bring our beliefs and customs with us. This is what identifies who we are, and who are children would be.
Rave culture can be traced back to Native American religious ceremonies. It can be traced back to anarchist revolutions in Italy and France. It pulls energy from many different directions. It had its origins in Chicago and Detroit disco clubs and gay dance clubs. England and America traded musical influences back and forth during the late seventies-early eighties until techno finally started to be formed. The actual rave movement, however, combining this new music with dancing, occurred in England. At almost the exact same time, raves started popping up in Manchester and Ibiza, a noted English vacation spot, in late 1987 and early 1988. At this same time, the rave phenomenon was taking hold in Germany, most notably in Berlin. The popularity of raves grew in both countries, and soon the intimate all-night dance parties were drawing thousands of kids. The first U.S. raves were held in San Francisco, long noted for its liberal and psychedelic culture. From here, they moved to Los Angeles and the rave scene was born in California.
Every once in awhile there comes along a rhythm that is highly loved by both young and old, high income and low income and locals and immigrant. Right now that rhythm is Bachata. Here in Curaçao Bachata has evolved from “muzik di snèk” to become the rhythm everyone dances or are taking classes to learn how to dance it. Everywhere you turn, whether it is a Dutch bar, Chinese bar or a dancing place the one rhythm that you definitely hear is Bachata. Not only that, if you take a look at the dance floor the couples dancing is as diverse as our society.
Finally, I feel extremely lucky that I can now use this information to educate people about different cultures. I also loved that I was able to share this experience with my all students, and my Spanish students could not believe that I had been to Plaza Fiesta! They loved talking about Plaza Fiesta with me and they hoped I would visit again! It moments like this that have made a huge difference in my classroom culture and I will treasure them for the rest of my life!
Cuba has had a great majority of influences upon the growth of the world of dance compared to other countries. Most of the major Cuban dance styles come with an origin from “Danzon,” the country’s official music genre and dance. With time, the Danzon evolved out of habanera, a dance with English styles, and later mixed with Afro-Caribbean influences. Around the mid-20th century, mambo, which added folk rhythms, cha-cha-cha, syncopated the fourth beat, and salsa, incorporated elements of swing dances, were born due to these new African
The cultural event that I went to and reviewed was the Remembering Yuri Kochiyama Through Grassroots Art exhibit that was held in Cross Cultural Center. The event was basically a tribute to Yuri Kochiyama and how she helped contribute greatly to both African American and Japanese American liberation movements through some artwork displayed in the exhibit. Yuri Kochiyama was a Japanese American activist who spoke out against the harms against not only the Japanese Americans but to also African Americans. The event itself was not as big as I expected, as it was only one table of some artwork in the center but, those few pieces of art was just enough for me to learn more about who Yuri Kochiyama really was and what she believed was right or wrong.
On Monday morning, the very first thing we did was go on a field trip to the Midtown Global Market. This was an incredible experience and I really enjoyed it. We spent the day dancing, learning, cooking, eating, and exploring the place. Although the whole day was great, my favorite part was trying all the different food from all the different stands. I loved seeing the differences in the foods, when we went to different stalls. I really liked learning about the history of the building and how after it became a vacant building, it was saved to reflect ethnic diversity. Another one of my favorite things was Cuban dancing. It was really cool to see that dancing was a big part of Cuban culture, because dancing is a big part of my culture as well. It's amazing how cultures are so different, yet so similar. This was a great way to start i-Term and I had so much fun.
For my paper, I chose to go to the Menara Moroccan restaurant that features a decorative Moroccan atmosphere and a traditional dance performance from experienced belly dancers. I have never been to this restaurant, nor have I seen a belly dance performance before, so this experience was very new to me and I like that I got a chance to experience a completely different culture.
The final type of dance that will be explored will be ballroom dancing. Ballroom dancing is a traditional type of dance usually performed with a partner. Types of ballroom dancing include the waltz, swing, salsa and latin dances however there are many other types of ballroom dancing.