You walk through the dark entrance area, so that the tropical night behind. Suddenly, the waves break over you like surfing. Breaking into a sweat, your heart beats to the rhythm, bass bongos, bells and brass. The walls seem to pulsate. The acrid smell of sweat mixed with perfume assaults you. How to adjust your eyes to the darkness, broken by hypnotic flashes of bright flash, you realize that not enclosing the walls, but dancers – dancers valuescircuitry, weaving and swirling, limbs flashing, also pushed for the quarter – a waste of time. You can fill the lungs with the spicy scent, pull the belt a notch and dive in. Welcome to Chango Cali, Colombia – one of the hottest Latin salsa dancing.
Cali, a modern, festive city is located in the heart of the valley. "When Colombians say" the Valley "is the Valle del Cauca, a garden of Eden not so small one hundred and fifty miles long and about fifteen miles wide between the coastsand the Cordillera Central mountain ranges. Until the end of this century valIey little more than an outpost of rural areas.
Then, with a population of about 15,000, the Cauca Valley town was mostly cattle, divided into large parcels of land under the "haciendados. They were proud, almost arrogant people, cattle for meat and leather in relief. Some had plantations of sugar cane used to produce "panela" and distill the crystalline sweetener but potent "aguardiente" still sipped today. Lifewas slow, measured, patriarchal and unchanging.
It 'been said that the region of Cauca in Colombia is what the South is located in the United States. Indeed there are similarities. In recent days, Calles "hidalgos dirt went into the hands of velvet or scarlet cloth embroidered with gold buttons and silver, their waistcoats, silk flowers were, and the ripples of their shirts from the best lawn," says Kathleen Romoli, author Colombia: the door. South America. And as theSouthern states in colonial Rimes, a large number of slaves were imported to work the fields and serve the gentry.
Time has brought many changes. Today vast sugar cane plantations still carpet the Valley. mechanized production of cotton, rice and livestock, Valle del Cauca in Colombia became the main agricultural region, after "King Coffee". And with economic growth has come industry. A nice colonial city in 1900, has grown into a great center of Cali-production with the mostthan a thousand industries at the last count
There is Salsa in the air
But with all the changes, Cali maintains a welcoming charm, a personality different from other cities, could create an atmosphere that one would expect to find in the Caribbean. Romoli describes it quite well:
The most striking thing in Cali is not the place today, with its imposing government buildings and rows of taxis, along the avenues of giant palm trees, the suburbs with their villas and modem churches whose bells ring melodiesInstead of rattling as it is with Colombia, or factories. And 'the air almost everywhere serenity serenity Not that there's a city with many pleasures, Cali is not gay by commercial entities organized for the deviation, but by the grace of God
Cali attracts travelers from all over tourists, businessmen, tourists, scholars and students. And, of course, fans of salsa and salsa artists. Recording Studios, "rumberias", "Night" and "viejotecas"are abundant.
What is the appeal Cali? The city is lively atmosphere? The spectacular sunsets? The natural beauty of the soaring Andes? The famous beauty of women? Maybe it's the climate in which there is always June. Or may be its remarkable cleanliness? Many Colombian cities are clean, but Cali is so clean it stings. Or maybe it's the trees and flowers – purple and purple bougainvillea waving in abundance that falls from the walls, the gold cup dripping from the eaves, thewaxy bells of the flow of the trumpet, the poinsettia bushes, gardenias beautiful trees with leaves and magenta flowers carmine or other green feathers – white flowers, or pale pink clusters – the extravagance of wild flowers including fluttering hummingbird with iridescent green belly and winter.
No sauce, no dates
Cali has all these. But no doubt to many that the main attraction, she calls this charming city is the salsa music. The sensuous tropical rhythmsSalsa pervades the lives of two million more Caleños. In each bus can hear salsa. Take a walk to school or shopping Salsa is in the air. And, of course, Salsa on nearly all more than two dozen local radio stations. The whole city, 24 hours a day, salsa blasts from the loudspeakers in the streets, in parks, shops, cars, portable radios and private homes. Cali lives and breathes salsa. But because the sauce? Many other musical traditions, styles and types ofWomen in ruffled) thrive in popular music (including traditional cumbia dancers skirts where machetes stomp full busted Cali. What's so special sauce? Vallenatos After all, a brand of folk music with roots back to the days of Spanish conquistadors, is still very popular – especially as sung by the likes of Carlos Vives, Colombian Grammy winner. Boleros (check out Luis Miguel "Inolvidable") and Merengue continue to have strong followingAmazon.de.
Because this is a style rooted so deeply in the culture? For fans, the answer is simple: "I love salsa music." Whatever the reason for the universal popularity in Cali, Salsa is not just music, more than a dance. It is a fundamental social skills, says my friend, Carmenza "No sauce -. No event" you can not hit others when they can not dance. "So there are salsa dance schools in the city. You pay for the lessons of the hour. Pricesfrom $ 2 to $ 6 per hour for more private, one-on-one instruction. Group lessons was quickly up. Salsa lessons are not just a place of learning, but to practice and perfect your moves or pick up some new ones. If you are a good "meeting place" for residents. "It 's important to dance very well, or you are boring," says Sofia, an avid salsa.
Cali is called "Salsa Capital of the World", a title from the post-Fidel Cuba torn and often with New York City.But anyone with the exception of "world capital" could take is to agree that Cali is certainly the "salsa capital of South America." The Top Latin Salsa artists, such as the New York Jerry "The King of 54th Street" Gonzalez fly regularly to show the best. At any time you can all the famous names in Salsa, Cuban artist walking the "Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz, guitarist, singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra from the Dominican Republic, Frank Grillo Raul, the Cuban-American, also known asMachito, Ruben Blades, the popular Panamanian singer, songwriter, actor and politician for his musical innovations and famous traditional sauce, Willie Colon, Oscar D'Leon and others.
SALSA Capital of the World
It will not go far in this city of the dancers, all different styles and variants to hear the salsa. Juancito, with 120 of trendy dance, is the heart of the nightlife of Cali Salsa rhythm. Each week throughout the year, more than two hundredThousands of people flock to this eastern suburb to celebrate. Cali clubs abound and "viejotecas" for young and old. Latinos of the younger generation in general in favor of a smoother, more sentimental music known as salsa romantica, as popularized by bandleader Eddie Santiago, Tito Nieves. popular salsa singers of the 1990 International included Linda "India" Caballero and Mark Anthony. The Puerto Rico-based Orchestra of Puerto Rico Power "is another group of hot burningFans in both Cali and Puerto Rico.
While it's exciting to listen to foreign countries famous performers of salsa music, do not forget many of its world class musicians and groups Cali Salsa mix of old and new. Traditional and innovative. It's worth a trip to Cali, just to hear the pulsating sounds of traditional non-Jairo Varela, Grupo Niche. Or other artists like "Son de Cali", the all – female Orchestra Canela "and Lisandro Meza, who is also a new impetusBlood salsa scene in Cali. These dazzling classic sounds of salsa and Kike Santander, Joe Arroyo and Eddy Martinez thunder through the air flow in the veins of "Coca-Colos (late teens to early 20 years of youth) and" cuchos "like discos, clubs around viejotecas in the world and which attract over-35 crowd.
When I arrived in Cali in 1995, I thought that my sauce was OK. After all, the harvest of some Smooth Moves by a bevy of beauties hot Puerto Rico, during a summer in NorwaySan Juan. Even in my state of Pennsylvania, there were opportunities on Friday or Saturday night to slip away and mingle with Latinos in our local body of water in Spain. I had developed a double-quick pace in a rectangular pattern, too, and he turns to scrolls and heavy rhythm. I had no problems, and keep on dancing partner. Then in Miami, during a retreat Labor Day weekend, I met a sweet Latin. I invited her to dinner and dancing in this week's "La Cima", one ofThis is a club of hot sauce, to show my moves. He was impressed. A year later we married and after a few years we have moved more in their native Colombia.
Colombian salsa is a different animal. L ', the style, rhythm and timing are similar in other places, but it's a different story on the dance floor. My feet knew the rhythm, but acted as if the shoes he is wearing a Bozo. For a while, 'one of the places downtown, as "the Vienna Cuarto" on the banks of the brown river Cali knee is locked. It isListening to music, no dancing here. The music is so off you "and make a call on Empanadas cold Costeña. There may be just the right touch for a Sunday afternoon. Today is my cutie and Latin 1 "cuchos" (all-35). It 'been ten years. We are still here, still dancing salsa. And I'm still showing off my moves.