Salsa Matters!

  

What’s the Matter with Salsa?

  

An analysis of the UK Salsa scene 2011

 plus

the history & development of the music & culture

 

by Tony Piper

 

                                 

        Meet my Salsa alter-ego: ‘Caballero’                          

 

I’m happy for all or part of this document to be

used for the benefit of Salsa.

 

If you intend to publically ‘share’, in any way,

all or part of the document

1: please ask me first – salsayork@hotmail.com

2: and please credit the source –

www.salsayork.com/html/the_salsa_scene.html

 

Coloured & illustrated folder-copies are available,

on request, priced £10 to cover materials & time.

 

     © COPY-RIGHT Tony Piper 21.12.2011

                                                                                                     

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

Hugs are due to many people for considerable support, encouragement, and contribution.

 

It should go without saying that ‘support’ does not imply the following necessarily agree with me. Some of these people will certainly have ‘vehement’ comments of their own on the points discussed!

 

Special hugs are due to Loo Yeo (Quatro de Diciembre, Sheffield); Nick Atack (Dancers, Preston); George ‘Dr. Salsa’ Donoghue (Salsa Dura, Leeds); DJ Lubi Jovanovic (Fania & Nascente Records, and Azucar & Calle Ocho, Leeds); and, for very a special act of kindness, Miguel Valentino & Georgiana Rowan (Havana Nights, Leicester, & the Cuban Congress, Bodelwyddan Castle Hotel).

Special hugs are also due to Kate & Emma Moore (Salsology & GBSEx).

 

Very special hugs are due to my colleagues, Alfredo & Christine Mese (Engine Shed; voted 2010 Twelfth Night Award for ‘Services to Regional Salsa’); & to my wife for putting up with me. In 2001, before the first Twelfth Night, Mary said, “I’m not putting-up with any more of your projects!”

 

 

FORWARD

 

It turned into a much bigger project than I originally imagined! After winding you up with various ‘prequel’ comments, for far too long, I know you’re dying to see what the pratt-in-a-hat has to say. Some are concerned for my mental health! Many sent advance contributions.

 

Giving birth is tough, especially at the inevitable moment when Mary says “Have you finished your sermon yet?” and an internal voice says, “This is pretentious nonsense. Why don’t you just bin it, forget about it, and move on?”

 

It’s done now! Accept it as a sign that I care about the Salsa scene, & want to be of service. I apologize for being a stirrer. Can’t help it! My natural way is to analyze & be provocative, and my delusive hope is that we can co-operate to preserve something I believe to be worthwhile.

 

As with my Salsa, the article tries to inform; entertain; stimulate; and, mostly, encourage involvement. It’s absolutely not intended to be a ‘sermon’, rather a plea and also an invitation to conversation. Please take from it what you will; skip what’s not of interest; and please get involved.

________________________________________

 

This analysis is now published on http://www.salsayork.com/html/the_salsa_scene.html

A forum section will be added, & your views referenced to relevant sections. I’m happy to preserve anonymity, if you ask me to, but non-constructive derogatory comments will not be allowed.

 

PREFACE

 

The right to comment: My C.V.

 

Is Salsa dying? The writing on the wall

 

Are promoters losing the plot? Some views from within

________________________________________

 

The right to comment: My C.V. – the literal meaning of ‘curriculum vitae’ is ‘school of life’

 

Mary and I have been teaching forever. Mary still teaches secondary school Spanish. We’ve been teaching Salsa, & running events, for over a decade. After 9 wonderful years, you kindly voted our Twelfth Night Salsa Exravaganza ‘Top UK Salsa Weekender (small): 2009’, and you’ve twice voted

the Engine Shed runner-up ‘Top UK Salsa Club Night: 2009 & 2010’. This year you gave me the ultimate honour of the ‘Services to Salsa’ award. Thank you. Your appreciation means everything.

Hopefully, the right to comment has been earned.

 

Is Salsa dying? The writing on the wall

 

After around 60 events, 2011 has seen the demise of Salsa’s original weekender: Club Cubana at Pontins. After 3 events, & 3 awards for ‘Best UK Salsa Weekender (large)’, GBSEx also departed.

12th Night has gone; Salsa Kingdom has pulled-out; & the Engine Shed has just closed its doors.

Is Salsa dying and, if so, why?

 

Are promoters losing the plot? Some views from within

 

My dear friend, Dr Salsa, one of our great entertainers for many years, posted a telling comment on Face Book recently: "Salsa's lost its sense of fun."

 

My dear friend, DJ Lubi, writes to me at length about ‘the increasingly bitchy & superficial Salsa scene’. Lubi is one of Salsa’s true godfathers in the UK, and has watched the scene over 3 decades. He talks of a ‘shrinking scene with less and less new people coming in... yet more and more people trying to make money... too many cooks spoiling the ever shrinking broth... most have no idea about the cultural history and background… the original main feature, the music, has been lost in a sea of dance-class fever; shows; dance holidays; salsa aerobics; salsa exercise; salsa speed-dating; salsa weekenders; salsa business team building; salsa congresses; salsa cruises;...

anything but the true spirit of the whole thing!’

 

My friend Peter Robson drew my attention to two articles. A piece from the editor of Latino Life entitled ‘Did Salsa Dancers Kill Salsa Music?’ is discussed in 10: Real Music v Urban Jungle (p24).
Firstly, we turn to an interview with one of the UK’s original Salsa promoters, Elder Sanchez: full interview on www.salsa-central.com 
 
‘When our conversation turned to the present day UK Salsa scene, Elder became uncharacteristically vehement. “The salsa scene is losing the plot. There is a merging now which is not causing any greatness to the scene. People are confusing what it is: Salsa as a social dance form; or
Salsa as a stage form.

“It’s very good for Salsa to develop into a high level: to take Salsa onto television; into musicals; into the theatres; into a show; onto a stage, but people should not try to put those stage movements on the dance floor. Now people want to dance only on a huge space, with air conditioning, a sprung wooden floor, and they go to change their shoes almost in the middle of the dance, and they go to the bar to ask for a glass of tap water. So this is creating a very big impact in Salsa, a big consequence, which is not good.
“In England we develop Salsa in the clubs, not in the studios. So people are treating Salsa as
if it is in a studio, but it is not in a studio. They have to think that Salsa can only survive in the clubs if they go there and have a couple of drinks. Come on! It’s not to get drunk! Salsa is a social dance form. You go there, you have a chat, you have a flirt, you have a drink, and then you dance.
 

- 3 –

 

“But a lot of people are treating it like an exercise. It’s fine by them, but what do we want out of it? Do we want Salsa to finish in the studios, and scrap it in the clubs? The clubs are going to chuck out the promoters, because the people are not drinking in the bar. When they look at the till at the end of the night – oops, surprise, no more than £200, but the place is full! So, excuse me, something is going wrong here.

“We have been chucked out of places already, so have a few promoters. People need to know this because it’s people who can make this better or worse. So I invite you and whoever can hear what I’m saying to let as many people know what is going on in the Salsa scene, because this is critical. It’s as critical as the global warming!”

 

INTRODUCTION

What’s the point?

 

The Caballero Philosophy of Salsa

 

What’s not the point?

________________________________________

 

What’s the point?

 

‘Salsa Matters’ is not just the title of my weekly e-newsletter, implying matters related to Salsa, it is also a philosophical statement! Salsa is so much more than a mere dance, or genre of world-music.

In an increasingly troubled world, I believe that Salsa has a huge potential for social healing.

Salsa does matter!

 

The club scene is the real juice, but it’s under huge threat right now. Do we really want to lose it?

 

Much of what needs to be said here was encapsulated in our ‘welcome letter’ to 12th Night events.

________________________________________

 

The Caballero Philosophy of Salsa

 

The Caballero philosophy of Salsa doesn’t go down too well everywhere!

 

Part of Salsa’s beauty, to me, is that it is essentially ‘street’. That is precisely where it started. Fiesta is a natural street party for the whole community: old & young; black & white; rich & poor: an all-too-brief opportunity to step out of life’s ‘shituation’; to have fun; and to rediscover, share, & celebrate, our common humanity!

 

For Latinos, and maybe for us, there is a deeper dimension. Whether their origins were Hispanic settlers, slaves, or indigenous Indians, all Latinos were culturally displaced. Salsa was, and is, a place to belong! I believe most of us are essentially gentle souls, often feeling lost in a scarcely post-Neanderthal world. Perhaps we all need a place to belong!

 

There is also a mystical irony at the heart of Afro-Cuban music & dance. The Catholics banned the African gods, the ‘Orishas’, little knowing that each have distinctive rhythmic patterns. At Fiesta, the drums pounded these signatures into the streets, including Eleggua’s: a fun-loving mischief-maker who delights in bringing hard lessons with trickery.

 

Some would have Salsa become stylised and ‘ballroom’. I say to hell with that! I don’t believe that most Salseros have the time, ability, or inclination to become dance champions. Salsa is a thing of the people. Let’s keep it that way! Let’s keep it ‘street’; fun; full of island sunshine; & let’s keep it natural Fiesta!

 

             Your Salsa friend, Caballero     

- 4 –

________________________________________

 

What’s not the point?

 

I would now like to amplify some of the above points and try to answer the question in the title: ‘What’s the matter with Salsa?’

 

I love the sketch in Father Ted where Mrs. Doyle is taking tea with her friend in the local café. With little fingers raised, they converse in overly polite ‘Queen’s English’. This continues as each insists on paying the bill, but neither will give way. The language gradually descends into the gutter, and they end up brawling on the café floor!

 

It will already be clear my views are not going to sit lightly on the fence. My intention, nevertheless, is to present a balanced perspective, and not to start a brawl! We can either resolve conflicts by tearing each other apart, or by making an effort to understand, allow, and accommodate each other.

 

Our Salsa up North event listings, on www.salsayork.com, and our weekly e-newsletters, have always been compiled and presented without favour, comment, or criticism. This is about to change!

I’ve always believed the paying public should be final arbiters of what is, or what is not, worthy of their support. Sadly, the ‘paying public’ are currently ‘arbitrating’ by turning their back on Salsa.

 

I do want to discuss bad practice, but the purpose of this analysis is not to ‘point the finger’ at specific individuals, or organisations, rather to stimulate discussion & debate. Any specific references below are introduced simply to illustrate particular issues. Whilst examples are taken from personal experience, and from the region I know best, the issues are applicable across the UK Salsa scene.

 

WHAT’S RIGHT WITH SALSA?

 

Before descending into suicidal depression, it’s worth considering exactly what makes Salsa so special & diferente.

 

Salsa represents the most extraordinary cultural fusion in the history of humanity. The musical, religious, and cultural traditions of Europe – Spain in particular; the Middle East; Africa; and the New World, were brought together around the Caribbean.

 

The essential epicentre, and true birth-place of Salsa, was Cuba. As opposed to the many other former Spanish colonies around the Caribbean, Cuba is unique due to the massive influence of American politics & culture on its development since c.1865. (See appendices 2 & 4: p30 & p33)

 

This vast multicultural collision resulted in the World’s most compellingly dynamic musical form. Salsa was born in the fusion of Spain’s poetry and lyricism; Africa’s heartbeat; the atmospheric pulse of the native Caribbean; and it was completed by the big, bright, sound of swing band.

The music is up-beat; up-tempo; and uplifting.

 

Much more, Salsa is a place to belong: a place to come together in a vibrant celebration of life. An outsider might wonder, ‘What are they all on?’ Fact is they’re on a natural high fuelled by ‘Agua!’

 

Ask yourself this. What other social gathering has the diversity of colour, of cultural background, or of age? Salsa transcends three divisive areas of human relationships: politics; religion; & race.

At its best, the music & dance can provide transcendent personal moments by allowing people to briefly break free of their constructs, come right into the present moment, & be who they really are.

 

The special nature of Salsa attracts some very special people: both organisers & Salsa goers alike. When have you ever seen trouble at a Salsa event? Aside from having to eject the odd unwelcome gate-crasher, the biggest problem for security staff is boredom. Further, the open, tolerant, and inclusive nature of Salsa provides an accessible environment for many who find more ‘normal’ social activities either difficult or impossible. This makes Salsa even more socially inclusive.

 

 

ELEGGUA’S HAT

 

Introduction: Eleggua’s hat

 

The analytical psychologist, Carl Jung, was fascinated by pantheistic religions, and their myths. He took a particular interest in West African deities, and noted that the same motifs recurred across world cultures, and throughout time. For Jung, the Gods & their stories represented our human need to understand our own nature, and our place. He characterised the Gods as ‘archetypes’, reflecting specific aspects of the human ‘psyche’.

 

‘The trickster’ is a common motif in mythology. Depending on tribal origin, he has different names across West Africa: mostly Eshu. The Afro-Cuban ‘Orisha’ is called Eleggua.

 

A typical story is of Eleggua walking variously between two friends, or through the middle of a village. He says nothing and wears a tall hat, which is white on one side and red on the other.

Later the friends, or villagers, start to talk about the mysterious man in the hat. They soon begin to bicker about the colour of the hat, and the discussion becomes increasingly angry and violent as neither side will give way. Ellegua then returns to display his hat and to express delight and amusement in friends, or a community, coming to blows over something so trivial.

 

In reality the trickster is not Eleggua. The Orisha serves to expose the pitfalls, and dual nature, of our own minds. The world is dual – day or night; summer or winter; hot or cold – but don’t fight about it with the Australian living in an opposite world! Our biology is dual: switching-on, or off; opening-up, or closing-down; breathing in, or out. We are male or female; old or young; asleep or awake. Like all computers, our minds are binary. We assimilate our world by comparing and contrasting. Something is this, and not that.  We perceive opposites in everything.

 

For emotional mind, things are good or bad; right or wrong; happy or sad. In one of his great one-liners, Ram Dass says, “Pleasure and pain, loss and gain, fame and shame, they’re all the same. They’re just stuff happening!”

 

When not accompanied by the unifying qualities of ‘heart’ – love; understanding; compassion; and empathy – the ‘mind’ is a dangerous and divisive instrument. It breeds conflict!

________________________________________

 

Let’s examine, in turn, sources of conflict in the Salsa scene. I invite you to imagine Eleggua walking to and fro through the Salsa village. On each occasion, one of the following is written on either side of his hat.

	Amateur	Professional
	Club	Dance School
	On 1	On2
	Cuban	Cross Body Lead
	Salsa	Kizomba, Zumba, etc
	Entertainment	Performance
	Fun	Serious
	Punters	Promoters
	Co-operate	Compete
	Real Music	Urban Jungle

What unifying principle might be written on top of the hat, where no-one sees?

 

 - 6 -

 

1: Amateur v Professional

 

1.1: What’s the matter with amateurs?

1.2: What’s the matter with professionals?

________________________________________

 

Salsa is an unregulated ‘industry’. The downside is any Tom, Dick, or Harriet can ‘have a go’ at teaching, DJing, performing, or promoting. The upside is the scene is ultimately regulated by the ‘customers’, who are free to choose wherever they get the best ‘deal’, or have the best time.

 

Recent years have seen growing pressures towards regulation. Professional dance bodies have lobbied Parliament about the Salsa anarchists on their doorstep. They want to control the ‘syllabus’, through ‘teacher accreditation’, and make it difficult for others to access services like insurance.

 

It’s never going to happen! Salsa is essentially an underground and ‘street’ movement. The paying public actively like it that way! I do not believe that Salsa lovers are about to allow some dance body, or government, to dictate the form of their entertainment.

 

In the arts and entertainment industry, there are bound to be egos & prima-donnas. There are also some very decent people. Some have elements of both! Either ‘amateurs’ or ‘professionals’ can be either genuine or disingenuous. Can Salsa goers always tell the difference?

 

I said above, “I have always believed the paying public should be final arbiters of what is, or is not, worthy of their support.” There are two important caveats. Have they been given any real choice, and are Salsa goers too nice to suspect, or challenge, bad practice in their own promoters?

________________________________________

 

1.1: What’s the matter with amateurs?

 

‘Amateur’ is a word with quite conflicting meanings. It derives from the Latin verb ‘amare’ - ‘to love’ - implying someone driven by passion rather than cash. ‘Amateur’ is also a derogatory term for things inferior and implies unqualified; unpractised; & poorly organized and presented.

 

Sadly, the best and worst exist.

 

At worst, I see ‘teachers’ who struggle to keep time; hear uninspiring music-sets from people with big record collections, who think they’re DJs; see laughably poor performances; & watch local scenes wrecked by ‘promoters’ with little real idea about how to deliver what the public really want.

 

Money is always a big source of conflict. Those depending on Salsa for their income are threatened by ‘amateurs’ with ‘day jobs’ who have no real vested interest in the viability of their activities. ‘Amateurs’ can, and do, compete by working for commercially unrealistic rates, or even for nothing!

 

At best, I see true amateurs. These are very genuine people who expend huge amounts of their own time & money simply because they love Salsa and want to see it flourish in their own community. Often they run tightrope-viability events that more professional promoters would shy away from.

________________________________________

 

1.2: What’s the matter with professionals?

 

‘Professional’ also has multiple nuances.

 

If ‘professional’ simply means people who are financially dependant on their activities, it is a category with some of Salsa’s finest. Their survival depends on delivering what the public want. They are likely to be independent and unaligned; know the Salsa scene inside out; gained widespread respect over time; and be at the heart of their local Salsa communities.

 

If ‘professional’ means in possession of some dance qualification, there are some divisive elements in this category. I don’t want to be unkind, but must say Mary & I have first-hand experience of the distain shown towards ‘amateurs’ by some of these people, even when the ‘amateurs’ are qualified ‘professional’ teachers who are trained, & experienced, in the art of teaching!

 

- 7 -

 

Those of us who’ve been around the scene for some time all know that the best dancers don’t always make the best teachers, and the best teachers are not always great dancers. The ‘dancers’ seem often to consider themselves innately superior and tend to be ‘birds of a feather’ who ‘flock together’. For whatever reason, their ‘career’ has brought them to Salsa where their vested interest in dance; dance-floors; & ballroom-style events threatens the club scene.

(There’s more in 2: Club v Dance School p8; & 3: On 1 v On 2 pp12-16)

 

If ‘professional’ means aligned to some professional body, there are bound to be implications for an unregulated, underground, and somewhat anarchic Salsa scene. The main organisation is the UKA: United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing and Kindred Arts Founded 1902.

UKA dance-teacher ‘accreditation’ is not particularly stringent, and lots of carrots are offered for membership: work referrals from schools, businesses, & private parties; the opportunity to get paid for running accreditation courses & ‘championships’; and access to sponsored services.

 

Let me say here that Mary & I are massive Strictly Come Dancing fans. We love to watch quality shows from dance ‘professionals’, and love to hear the often amusing comments of ‘professional’ judges. We all know, however, that ballroom Salsa bears no relationship whatsoever to club Salsa.

 

A couple of years ago, Mary & I witnessed a so-called ‘Salsa Championship’, sponsored by the UKA. It was a farce! Aside from a token Salsa-community judge, the others had ballroom backgrounds. The floor-length leather coats and bling said it all!

Some worthy club dancers were competing, with good technique, musicality, and expression. Mary & I groaned when the only ‘ballroom’ couple walked onto the floor. The strut and pose told us they were going to win before they started. Their ‘show-dance’ element was unconvincing & wooden, and the so-called ‘freestyle’ element merely a repeat of their rehearsed routine. We later discovered they’d never had a Salsa lesson and had only met, and rehearsed, 3 times that week. They won!

The token Salsa judge was livid, & I voiced my displeasure by asking a few of the ‘judges’ if they’d ever been to a major Salsa event, or seen the Albert Torres’ World Championships from Las Vegas.

 

Looking at some ‘title’ holders from recent ‘championships’, it is also clear to me that ‘titles’ are sometimes bestowed as patronage, rather than ‘won’ for genuine dancing ability & quality.

 

There’s another kind of ‘professional’ arriving on the scene. The ‘professional’ promoter is a businessman who thinks Salsa presents a commercial opportunity, whether events, weekenders, or holidays. They probably have little knowledge of, interest in, or sensitivity to, the Salsa communities within which they want to operate. I spoke to one such, both before and during his inaugural event, a few years ago. He knew what I did, and you’d have thought he’d be interested to hear my thoughts on how the Salsa scene operated. His eyes glazed over, and I gave up!

________________________________________

 

What’s on top of Eleggua’s hat?... ‘Try to be a Professional Amateur!’ …?

 

‘The only way to do great work is to love what you do.’

Steve Jobs: Co-founder of Apple: 1955-2011

 

2: Club v Dance School

 

One of my main concerns is the current imbalance between clubs & classes. On one hand, there are an ever-increasing number of classes, most of which have falling numbers right now. On the other hand, there are very few really kicking club nights. (MS emailed to agree with me)

 

In the interview quoted in the preface, Elder Sanchez describes the early days of Salsa in the UK. It was all about creating a special buzz in a bar. We had one in Leeds, called Homarus. Fabio, or someone, would get on the decks and pump-out the Salsa. The place was heaving, and the atmosphere was electrifying. It was absolutely not about dancing. There wasn’t any room! A few Latinos would jig about in postage-stamp space, and other people would try to copy them.

 

People got inspired to learn dancing by experiencing the unique social buzz of a full-on club night.

It doesn’t happen the other way round! Dance classes, alone, do not inspire people into fiesta.

 

- 8 -

 

Dance teachers would do well to note that relatively large numbers of Latin fans still gather at events where dancing is of secondary importance. In Leeds, for example, what draws the crowd to Lubi’s live gigs at The Wardrobe, or to his parties at Azucar? You couldn’t honestly recommend these events to ‘dancers’. The floors are simply too poor & too small for the numbers attending. The attraction, surely, is the thrill of the music, and the buzz of a regional Salsa family meeting-up for a party. People do dance, of course, but have to do so like they’re in a club, not a ballroom!

 

It seems to me that my essential job, as a teacher, is equipping people to better enjoy fiesta and to encourage them in that direction. My job as a promoter is to facilitate positive social interaction by providing the best possible atmosphere.

 

There are benefits in dancing for its own sake: physical fitness; co-ordination & control; mental alertness; the learning of new skills; the joy of social interaction; and even, if you’re a Whirling Dervish, spiritual experience. These qualities apply to all forms of dance. Indeed, there’s often little to separate one dance from another, aside from mood and tempo. Footwork, ‘move’ combinations, & styling may vary slightly, but are common to all. The problem is that ‘dancers’ want dance-floor! This creates a conflict between fiesta and ballroom, which is at the heart of this analysis.

 

Salsa is fundamentally different, however, and not merely a dance style. If you don’t understand this, then you’re simply running, or attending, a dance school. There’s nothing wrong with this, per se, but it doesn’t contribute anything to Salsa. Worse, it damages the wider scene!

 

The danger is that people see ‘classes’ as their only access to ‘the scene’. Worse, people might be unaware of ‘the scene’ if their only experience of Salsa is Strictly Come Dancing, followed by some disingenuous classes down the road. Why would they choose Salsa over any other dance style? One bad experience and they may go elsewhere, never experiencing the true thrill of Salsa.

 

All of us need to be keenly aware of public perceptions.

 

A friend, and avid Salsa-goer for many years, writes, “the scene is not what it was, there doesn’t seem to be the young folk coming into Salsa nowadays… most events I attend… the age range is certainly getting over 40 now.
I have been drawn towards Lindy Hop… to my amazement the dancers there are so young, makes me feel like Uncle Albert out of Only Fools & Horses… Salsa has got itself a reputation as being hard to learn, though it’s not as hard as Lindy, and certainly not as frantic on the feet… the background to this reputation is hard to pinpoint, but it must put folk off... nights seem a hell of a lot more expensive than Lindy… quite why I don't know as they have the same sort of venues and overheads, I expect." PQ, Manchester.

________________________________________

 

The attraction of classes is understandable: fairly easy to set up; relatively risk free; & potentially profitable. A successful club night, on the other hand, is complicated to organise; expensive to put-on; risky; and unlikely to make much cash. In the case of live music, it may very well lose money!

 

Why would any ‘professional’ promoter bother?

 

The danger is worthy Salsa events dry-up, and the scene peters out amidst an over-saturation of classes and mediocre events.

 

In the greater Leeds area there are 100s of Latin-based groups, but only one really kicking event: DJ Lubi’s Calle Ocho. With the luxury of 3 rooms, the event builds bridges across Latin culture: Salsa; Bachata & Kizomba; & Urban Latino. The event works, and regularly sees 350 in attendance!

 

I believe this could be the shape of the future and there’s more in 8: Promoters v Punters, p20; & also in 10: Real Music v Urban Jungle, p24.

________________________________________

 

What’s on top of Eleggua’s hat? ‘If you don’t feed your ‘scene’, you’ll end up starving yourself!’ …?

 

- 9 -

 

 

3: On1 v On2: What’s in a rhythm?

 

This is the most contentious section, and gets to the heart of divisiveness in the Salsa scene.

________________________________________

 

3.1: ‘Professional’ sacred cows

 

3.2: Musical basics for ‘amateurs’

 

3.3: ‘On 1’

 

3.4: ‘On 2’: What’s it all about?

 

3.5: What you think

 

3.6: The big divide in Salsa

 

3.7: Where’s the bridge? An appeal to teachers

________________________________________

 

3.1: ‘Professional’ sacred cows

 

Some time ago, I was having a conversation about dance timing with my friend Ces, from LatinXces Leeds. Ces is native to St. Kitts, and much travelled around the region. He said to me, ‘Tony, if you tried having this conversation in the Caribbean, people would fall about laughing!’

 

The implication was ‘listen to the music, & dance’. Hmm!

________________________________________

 

Fact No.1

 

In the Caribbean, Salsa has never been taught to anyone, except Salsa tourists!!!

 

Fact No.2

 

People can love the Salsa scene’s vibe without needing to know, or understand, anything about it!

 

Fact No. 3

 

Most of the world dances Salsa ‘On 1’; a few, mostly performers, dance Salsa ‘On 2’; quite a lot don’t appear to dance on anything in particular. Are these people ‘inferior’?

 

One of the latter comes to my club. He’s cheerful; entertaining; and a gentleman. The ladies love him, and his strong lead, humour, & smile overcome his ‘poetic licence’ with the rhythm.

 

I don’t much care what beat people dance on, as long as they come out to party and have fun, but I hear far too much superficial evangelising & pontificating about musical structure & dance styles.

 

Fact No. 4

 

Every aspect of every Orisha has a distinct rhythmic association, called a toque – a ‘touch’. There are about 2 dozen primary toques, & literally hundreds of subsidiaries. Even today some Timba band, or another, will occasionally unveil a new rhythm pattern. (for Timba, see Appendix 3.4 p33)

 

The study of Afro-Cuban music, and the African rhythms that underpin Salsa, is a lifetime’s work and well beyond the scope of this article. 

 

My best friend comes from a very musical family. He plays in assorted bands, & the whole family each play at least 2 instruments, write music, & could lecture on musical theory. He listens to Salsa, however, with a perplexed expression! He ‘hears’ it, but struggles with the way it all goes together.

 

- 10 -

Fact No. 5

 

You’re in a lucky minority if you can ‘hear’ all the complex dynamics in Afro-Cuban music. You’re in a very lucky and very tiny minority if you can also spontaneously adapt your dancing to express nuances in the music. In fact, if you can, you’re probably African or Afro-Caribbean!

 

Sadly, most of us need a bit of simple structure!

________________________________________

 

3.2: Musical basics for ‘amateurs’

 

Time signature: ‘Get with the beat, Baggy!’ (Baloo to Bagheera in Jungle Book)

A musical score has something looking like a fraction at the beginning: eg. ³/₄ This example is Waltz timing. The top figure tells you the notes are grouped in 3s. In other words, there are 3 beats in the ‘bar’, or ‘phrase’. The bottom figure tells you the length of note. To you and me, ‘4’ is ‘normal’. To a musician, ‘4’ means ‘quarter-note’ or ‘crochet’.

Put simply, ³/₄ time goes 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3; 1, 2, 3.

 

We all know Salsa goes 1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4. This time signature would be ⁴/₄, but it’s not the whole picture. More than this, we all know Salsa goes 1, 2, 3, 4; 5, 6, 7, 8; 1, 2, 3, 4; 5, 6, 7, 8.

The complication arises from most Latin dance, where we start the first bar on one foot, and the second bar on the other foot.

The time signature could be written 2 X ⁴/₄. You never see this, and it’s still not the whole picture.

 

The first beat in the bar is not normally marked with an accent. It’s understood this beat carries a little extra weight. Most of us, however, can hear the difference between the ‘1’ and the ‘5’: the first beats of alternating bars. In other words, the ‘1’ carries a touch more weight than the ‘5’.

 

Many dancers regard the whole 8 beats as a phrase, or bar. This time signature would be ⁸/₄, but it doesn’t distinguish between beats ‘1’ & ‘5’. The correct time signature for Salsa is ⁴/₄ but, from the dancers’ point of view, the 4-beat bars come in pairs. To distinguish between beats ‘1’ & ‘5’, the first beat in each pair should really be marked with an ‘accent’: i.e. beat ‘1’ in bars 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.

 

Syncopation: Get with the b-b-beat, Bag-Bag-a-Baggy

 

This is where Afro-Cuban music goes into its toques, and off the radar of normal understanding!

 

Simply, syncopation is a rhythm within the basic time signature, achieved by dropping, adding, or accenting, beats. Turning the forecastle of a ship into a fo’c’sle is linguistic syncopation.

 

‘Cha Cha’ is an example in Latin music & dance. The time signature is still ⁴/₄, but half notes are added. The rhythm goes 1, 2, 3, &, 4; 5, 6, 7, &, 8; 1, 2, cha, cha, cha; 5, 6, cha, cha, cha. It actually goes 2, 3, 4, &, 5; 6, 7, 8, &, 1; 2, 3, cha, cha, cha; 6, 7, cha, cha, cha.(See ‘On 2’ below)

 

The central syncopation to Salsa is the Clave. This is the name both of a rhythm pattern, and also the instrument normally playing it: 2 cylindrical hardwood sticks. These are struck together, with soft hands, to produce a clear, high-pitched sound with an almost bell-like quality of reverberation.

 

Clave syncopation is over 2 bars. In Son & Salsa it usually goes 1, -, 3, 4; -, 6, 7, -. In Rumba & Timba, it’s usually the reverse: -, 2, 3, -; 5, -, 7, 8. Even this is not strictly accurate! In the Son example, the second strike is actually between ‘2’ & ‘3’: a musical device called ‘anticipated bass’.

 

Further discussion of syncopation in Salsa goes off the scale. Each instrument may have its own rhythm: the various tumbao patterns of the congas; montuno patterns on the piano; bass & brass figures; the Sonero – main singer – and Coros – backing vocals; not to mention the call and response, or rhythmic conversations between them all. Somehow, it all goes together!

 

Further syncopation in dance choreography is dicussed in 3.3 & 3.4, ‘On 1’ & ‘On 2’.

 

Want any more? Off you go to Wiki!

 

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Phrasing

 

Syncopation is to do with underlying structure. Phrasing is similar, but is more to do with artistic interpretation. A composer may wish to draw-out some quality or emphasis in the melody, or motif. Phrasing is written into music by joining together with loops a particular group of notes, or phrase. Virtuoso musicians and particularly vocalists will play with timing and expression for artistic effect, rather than mechanically reproducing music as written. This is also called phrasing. If you want to hear outstanding vocal phrasing, & like the classics, check-out Cuban legends Bene More & Ibrahim Ferrer. If you want to hear more modern Salsa masters, check-out Celia Cruz and Oscar D’Leon.

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3.3: ‘On 1’

 

One day, back in the early 60s, the great James Brown said to his band, ‘We’re gonna hit the ‘1’, and we’re gonna hit it hard!’ Funk was born, and the character of popular music changed forever.

 

Fitting six steps to eight beats of music is a simple form of dance syncopation.

I’ve got an idea! Let’s take our main step on the first beat in the bar: 1, 2, 3, -; 5, 6, 7, -. Simples!

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3.4: ‘On 2’: What’s it all about?

 

In my opinion,

 

1: ‘On 2’ is a performance style & shouldn’t be taught to beginners with no serious dance aspiration.

 

2: New York ‘2’ does not make musical sense.

 

3: ‘On 2’ culture has done much to undermine the Salsa club scene.

 

If you glaze over whilst I try to justify these assertions, then it’s probably ‘point made’!

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You might think it perfectly natural, and logical, that you would take your main step on beat 1. Most of the world would agree with you, but not all! So what is ‘On 2’? I’ll first define main step.

 

‘On 2’ is a Cross Body Lead style, so let’s look at the basic steps, often referred to as the Mambo. Four of the six steps are essentially just walking, either forwards or backwards. Two of the steps change direction, requiring extra spring and body action: either you are stepping forward left and pushing-off to walk back, or you are stepping back right and pushing-off to walk forward.

I’ll call these two ‘break’ steps.

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Are you with me so far? OK! If you’re not going to use your break steps on beats 1 and 5, how else are you going to syncopate them? Take a look at this.

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Beats

Cowbell

Clave

Conga

'On 1'

Ballroom '2'

Puerto- Rican '2'

New York '2'

Clave '2'

Beats

8

clink

Do

clink

Do

1

Clonk

Click

p