Greetings, everyone.
Great topic. I have developed a very eclectic musical taste. From folk Venezuelan music to classical music, passing through all kinds of international musical genres.
If I had to choose, though, I'd go for the music that brings me the best memories and which I find best to listen to and share with friends: Salsa.
In our culture, learning to dance is a rite of passage. In the 80s, when I was growing up, if you turned, say 13, and couldn't dance in a party or disco you were doomed.
Learning to dance the fashionable genres of the time was a must: Salsa, Merengue Paso Doble, and Disco, to name a few, were some fo the genres any teenager had to be able to dance if they wanted to fit in.
It was not so much about smoking, drinking, or driving (although in some circles that was included), but about dancing. We don't dance much lately, at least not in meetings or parties, but listening to merengue or salsa prompts us to dance, even if alone.
Salsa was probably the most difficult genre. There were always less people on the dancing floor when salsa was played.
This video by legendary Gilberto Santa Rosa summarizes different styles of salsa and related genres as it evolved over the years. Santa Rosa has been one of my favorites. This genre is cheerful, sensual, and fun. Best music for hard times.
Hope you enjoy it
Ah yeah this is cool and @tarazkp may be interesting as he really likes salsa dancing. He and his now wife met at salsa dancing which is a nice story; He may have shared it before here on hive.
I'll be honest mate, I don't dance. I am not good at it, and rarely see the point in doing it, probably because I'm not good at it. I like watching it though, more the ladies than the blokes, but dancing is cool, just not when I do it...When I do it it's retarded. (Or I look retarded when I do it is more to the point.)
Thanks for joining in my brother, and I hope you'll hang around and engage a little with the others. Have a great weekend.
!ENGAGE 25
In my experience as a dancing teacher, you don't like it because you don't know how to dance, just like you said... but i recommend you to give it a try and take classes, BELIEVE me you won't regret it. It's another world.
Dancing isn't my thing, I'd rather chew my own head off.
How exaggerated 🙄
Well, it's just that dancing isn't my thing, at all, and I'd rather do anything else than dance. It's just my preference. We can't all be good at everything and we all have different likes and dislikes which is what makes the world such an interesting place.
Yeah i know! It's ok, you know what they say "for the taste, the colors".
Cool. I did not know about tarazkp's salsa dancing skills.
I have an older brother who was a salsa nerd. He had all collections of LPs and he knew every singer, band and song, but he never learned to dance. We attended parties anyways, but for some reason he just could not dance.
Salsa, like Merrengue, Bachata or Tango, is a very physical dance. It requires coordination, capacity for improvisation, and creativity. Once one gets the basics, it's as fun as dancing can get.
I do not dance Bachata very well, so back in the days when I still partied, I avoided the dance floor when they played it. I had to be drunk to give it a try, and I am not much of a drinker, so... :)
You too have a great weekend. This has been fun. Lots of genres and performers I do not know As @tripode says, you may not like it because you do not dance it,but if you did, I'm sure you'd want to partake.
Watching a woman salsa dance sounds like a great idea, actually salsa dancing myself sounds like the most torturous thing I could imagine, for me and people watching me. :)
Salsa dancing is a bit erotic. A lot of hip movement for the women. A seductive dance.
Yeah, I like watching the ladies do it....I even tried it once but I was terrible at it and decided it's more of a spectator sport for me. :)
Haha. So does my husband. The poor guy just dances his eyes back and forth. As he says, he was born with two left feet.
Haha, dancing eyes...I like that. Yeah, I have two left feet and one of them hates the other so is always tripping it up...That's when dancing, when doing other tings it's all good.
Salsa dancing is a bit erotic. A lot of hip movement for the women. A seductive dance.
hahahahaha dancing drunk is the best way of dance 😂
It is, but one gets dizzy easier. It can get very embarrassing at times. The desinhibiting (if that's the right word) effect of alcohol can spice the dance some more,no question about it. One dares to do steps one would not try being sober :)
That way you dare to dance and make a fool of yourself without remorse haha.
ENGAGEtokens.What a great video @hlezama ! 100 years of Salsa. I rarely listen to Latino music specifically but I hear it casually ALL THE TIME. It always strikes me as mostly happy and upbeat. I am aware that there is a Spanish Language Blues equivalent, sad songs sung.
How have you been?
Yes, this video is really good: an emblematic voice in the genre and a cool dramatization of the changes in the orchestration, singing, themes, and dance.Hi, @bigtom13
We do have some eclectic genres that combine elements of blues and jazz. Some are just that,only in spanish. Frank Quintero and Jordano are two venezuelan singers who one may place in that category. There are also genres like Ballenato, originating in Colombia, that are characterized by very sad and tragic lyrics. The main instrument of this genre is the accordion, though. I like some, but most of the songs of that genre are just too depressing for me. There is also Bolero and Danzón, which deal with similar themes and use some of the key instruments of jazz and blues.
Thanks for the great information. I am just vaguely familiar with Bolero (due mainly to the classical composition of the same name) which is of course a jacket. But I did find that there was a genre of the same name.
Oh, yes.
@carmenm20 (just a couple of comments down here) posted one of the best examples of latin americanbolero.
I learned about the classical one from a 1957 Cantinflas movie, of all places (Mario Moreno, a.k.a Cantinflas, was a Mexican actor and humorist who satirized Ravel's piece and called it Raquel, his love interest in the movie). The movie is fun to watch and Cantinflas dancing of the classical melody is just hillarious.
I like this rendition of Ravel's Boléro by Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel
That is so beautiful. I am at peace with the world having watched!
@hlezama Thank you for this information, it is very good to know.
@hlezama Jordano and Fran Quintero is more of a pop ballad style than boleros, but they do have the same feeling about romanticism in the lyrics of their songs
Sure, you are right. I meant to place them in the blue-ish, jazzy category, especially Quintero
Sure, you are right. I meant to place them in the blue-ish, jazzy category, especially Quintero
Aaaaaaah, I miss to dance so much!! I want this pandemic to end so i can go out and have some rumba. Good choice of music.
Hahaha. I know many like you. I love dancing, but I was not that much into partying. Our city is not the safest, that's one of the reasons, and of course money issues.
I see you are also a dancing teacher, great!
I remeber once in the States (in Bloomington, Il) I started to go to this bar where they were playing Latino music on Wednesday to attract latino clientele. It was a very friendly environment, although after the first two weeks the place became too crowded for my taste. My wife and I were very confortable on the dance floor until a couple from Puerto Rico showed up and "swept the floor" with everyone present. They danced casino style, just amazing.
I never got that good. Just basic steps to enjoy the night.
Don't worry, as long as you feel the music and enjoy what you are doing there is no loss.
And yes, i also know the salsa casino, it's really Cuban... it's quite a show when you dance with more couples.
Of course, if you can't dance salsa, you don't have a life (said caraqueño). This reminds me of when I used to go with my uncles to play bolas criollas and matines.
Music has power.
If you're a caraqueño and don't dance salsa, then you're not in anything haha. A caraqueño who doesn't dance salsa is not caraqueño.
That's right. Dancing in some circles is (or used to be) a pre-requisite for social success.
Viva la salsa!
Ay Calor!!!
Lovin' those vibes, digging that rhythm that Latin flair is epic. Fab choice for a feelgood tune... Cha Cha Cha! :D
🤣 🤣
It does feel good. I always tell my children and friends (who tend to listen to sad music when they feel sad), just some slasa or merengue and it will be really hard to feel depressed
This fantastic selection you made, goes through various rhythms, salsa, mambo, chachacha. It was 13 minutes of dancing for me.
I really enjoy the joy of dancing salsa.
And if, as you say, it's a little difficult to dance to, and not everyone masters it.
Hahaha. Hard to watch those 13 minutes and not dance, right?
It was a fascinating falsh-history lesson with great demos.
A mí también me gusta mucho la salsa, amigo hLezama, más que todo la salsa clásica, aunque de los relativamente nuevos, Gilberto Santa Rosa es de los mejores, por algo lo llaman El heredero, va un poco por el estilo de Cheo Feliciano, él mismo reconoce que es su favorito, y Cheo Feliciano era seguidor de Tito puente, qué es de lo mejor del género.
Disfruto escucharla, pero bailarla con una buena pareja me vuelve loco.
Mi preferido es Ismael Rivera, y hasta estuve tentado a participar con su música, con aquella canción que dice"pero antes que me juzguen, quiero decir que ella , levantó un hombre perdido, què te pasa a ti, qué te pasa a ti.
Jaja , ya tengo ganas de bailar, nos vemos en la próxima querido amigo.
That's right. Gilberto Santa Rosa has become this sort of bridge that is able to perform the old styles and advance the new romantic salsa beyond the mere eroticism of Eddie Santiago. Cheo Feliciano was great. One of the most distinctive voices.
See you next time, Carlos
I associate a lot of good memories with salsa music, in both my home and vacation life. As far as vacation, we like to visit the Mexico area. I love sitting up at night watch others dance (like @galenkp and to the disappointment of @tarazkp). I like getting lost in the rhythm and enjoying a drink or cigar.
As far as the home life, the population in these part is quite an ethnic mix of Italian, Romanian, African American, Mexican, Spanish, and Puerto Rican. I was just outside on Friday and could hear the Salsa music coming from somewhere in the neighborhood. And boy can they dance. I am not blessed in that capacity. haha.
That sounds like a fascinating mix of cultures (New Jersey, right?).
Do they live harmoniously? :)
As I narrated, even of one does not dance (like that brother if mine), we can still enjoy the genre. It's super fun to watch. I'm glad you've had the chance to do that. For some people, dancing is just a skill to have or not, just like singing or playing some sports, but like sports, we can still enjoy them even if we cn't play them :)