Latin and non-Latin

Thoroughly enjoyed the first 'Latin Music USA' on BBC4 on Friday night. This one looked at the Afro-Cuban origins of Latin music in the USA. I didn't see as much dancing as I'd hoped, but the style of some of the dancing from the 40s and 50s was gorgeous.

One of the key points in the programme was how influential Latin music was, even on the rock that supposedly superseded it. The classic example is the Louie Louie riff which is based on a chachachá. I've got another example where a cover version makes explicit the unacknowledge Latin roots of a song. Africa Boogaloo) has a great track called 'Quiero Wapacha' by Charles Lembe which combines Afro-Latin music with surf guitar. It sounds strangely familiar. Trying to find out about the singer I came across a review which pointed out that the track is actually based on the The Ventures' early 60's song "Walk Don't Run" - clearly the Congolese musicians recognised it as a Latin track and repurposed it with their own lyrics.

Next week's programme is devoted to salsa. It's repeated on the Sunday night.

Claverton Rooms all-dayer

This looks very good, on 27 March - an all-dayer and evening party at the Claverton Rooms in Bath with an impressive set of teachers. I swore I wasn't going again after getting back at 4 in the morning last time and being ill for days from the chips and salad I had on the way home, but I am tempted.

Latin Music USA

Just a reminder - if you can't get out partying tonight, BBC4's new 4-parter 'Latin Music USA' starts at 9.

Cardiff salsa wishlist

What I'd like to see on the Cardiff salsa scene:

Andy - please have another go at running advanced workshops like the ones in Fahrenheit the year before last. Not performance workshops and routines, but classes that focus on a single aspect of partner dancing and perfecting the lead. My dancing has never been better than it was when I was doing that course.

Misael - regular intermediate/advanced rueda classes.

Everybody - more salsa at times when normal people with day jobs can go. How about Sunday afternoon salsa? It works in London and Paris.

No more new dances. To keep dancing all night in La Tasca you need to know salsa, bachata, merengue, reggaeton, kizomba/lambaba zouk/samba gafeira - I don't have time to learn any of the last three, I'd rather get better at the ones I can already do.

Tap water

Just a quick reminder to everyone: if you only drink tap water when you go dancing, the venues lose money on the bar and eventually they kick salsa out of the venue. It's just happened to Sabina's night in Barocco. You don't have to drink alcohol but you do need to buy drinks!

Stevie (of Salsamania) once estimated that if they aren't getting a hire fee, a venue needs a dancer to buy around £10 worth of drinks to cover their costs. I don't think many of us buy that much, but at least you should buy something.

I also think venues could help themselves by charging more for soft drinks - eg I'm happy to pay the £1 that La Tasca charges for a pint of lime squash, whereas some other venues charge 50p or less.

The other way to support venues is to go there when you aren't dancing - get a coffee in La Tasca on a non-salsa night, buy a pizza in Zero Degrees, etc.

Happy New Year

Sabina's Tuesday night class has now moved to La Tasca and dropped the rueda class (though there will be rueda in the freestyle afterwards).

I've added details of Alain Hernandez' Sunday night in Zync to the list of classes.

Stevie (Salsamania) is running a Haiti benefit in Bristol on December 3rd - 100% of ticket sales go to the Disasters Emergency Committee. Includes classes, only a fiver, at the Eton Bar, 28 Baldwin Street.