While there are various forms of Cumbia across Latin America, its origins are believed to come from the coasts of Colombia and Panama. Colombian Cumbia is considered the most traditional form and is the country’s national dance. With African influences, it also has European and Indigenous elements, representing a courtship. While there is no single definition […]
Originating from the town of Valledupar in North-Eastern Colombia, Vallenato is one of the most popular types of folk music in the country. Though it doesn’t have a specific dance style, its influence on Colombian artists is undeniable, meaning that it is often danced to. More traditional forms of Vallenato are almost like rhyming and […]
With earlier origins in Panama, Reggaeton was established in Puerto Rico in the 1990s and made famous across the world by “Reggaeton King” Daddy Yankee with his hit songs Despacito and Gasolina. Considered as vulgar and violent by some, reggaeton is a reflection of urban culture in many Latin American contexts and is undoubtedly one of […]
Merengue was made the official dance of the Dominican Republic under the brutal dictatorship of Trujillo, and in 2016 was recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage of humanity. A fast and energetic dance, Merengue music can be heard everywhere, especially if walking along el conde, the main pedestrian street in Santo Domingo’s colonial zone. Every […]
Shunned by Dominican society for decades, and even censored, Bachata was later popularised in the early 1990s by Grammy award-winning Juan Luis Guerra, and later by the group Aventura and its lead singer Romeo Santos in the early 2000s. Bachata songs often tell tales of longing and amargue, or bitterness, and love lost. It is […]
Cubatón is the image of modern Cuba, combining reggaeton and salsa. It has a slightly different rhythm than Puerto Rican reggaeton and draws more from Cuban influences. While in Cuba I had the chance to dance Cubatón with Tierra Kaliente, one of Cuba’s finest dance groups with a repertoire of various Cuban dance styles. Cubatón […]
Cuban son or Son Cubano is probably one of the most romantic dances and is distinctively Cuban to the ear. Though it is considered the predecessor of salsa, it is danced with the opposite rhythmic pattern, with pauses on the first and fifth beat rather than the fourth and eighth as in salsa. Listening to […]
Cuban salsa is danced in a beautiful circular movement, also known as Casino style, which was popularised in the dance halls known as casinos deportivos in the 1970s. Usually danced in pairs, it can also be danced as a group in a large circle called rueda de casino. One of the male dancers is usually designated as the “caller” […]
Mexico’s folklore dances embrace history and tradition. Dances represent the various states and indigenous groups, as well as colonial influences, with bright and colourful costumes. Every year, an indigenous cultural festival called a Guelaguetza takes place in the City of Oaxaca and across Mexico. Read the Article: How I discovered Mexico through Dancing Traditional Folklore […]
People from around the world are flocking to New York to learn its signature salsa style. Danced in a linear movement, it is danced “On 2” unlike other salsa styles, meaning that the follower steps forward and leader steps backwards on the second beat. New York Salsa is often credited as the creation of Eddie […]
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