Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:27
Dancing Salsa
Modern life offers so many options for leisure time: playing sports, going to museums, plays, art galleries, the movies, the beach, and many more options for Cubans who have much to choose from.
I don't know if it is the mixing of Spanish and African blood in Cuban veins, but we have a true passion for dance, some as dancers and others who just love to watch the expressive art of dance. Through the chronicles of Jose Maria de la Torre, we know that as far back as 1598, villagers were dancing here, and who enjoyed music played by musicians who were not born on the island. I believe that this passion for dance wouldn't have developed had it not been for the growth of an independent music culture in Cuba.
The first Latin American rhythm was born here: the Havanan. It also should surprise no one what Cuba is the one country in Latin American that has offered the most to the musical heritage of the world- danzon, bolero, son, mambo, guaguanco and cha cha cha, to name just a few.
Of course, this "embrace with permission", as my grandfather called it, has had fervent defenders and detractors. Here are just two quotes from the end of the 18th century: "God does not allow one to enter such a pernicious establishment", and one warning that dance excites "a certain delight that comes with this union, which exposes one to grave dangers".
In those days, there were more than 50 dances every day in Havana, called "open doors", where one didn't have to be invited to attend.
The Viscount D'Hespel D'Harponville said in 1847: "Dance, enjoyed with such passion, is the favorite pastime of youth in this country. All year is a dance, and the island one large dance hall. When people are not dancing in private homes, they are dancing in their own homes, many times with no accompaniment from pianos or violins, only the voices of the dancers."
There is so much more to be said- 20th century dance styles as well as current ones, which have become popular all over the world, which I will discuss in a future article. It is true that "the sons and daughters of this island often carry a drum in their chests instead of a heart".
I think no one said it better than Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring, the illustrious historian of Havana, that our passion for dance is "the overriding note of the character and customs of we Cubans, of all eras and of all social classes". The authorities don't necessarily feel this way, but I'll discuss that in a later article.
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