Date: Tue, 07 Apr 1998 03:03:18 -0600
From: Bo
Salsa! INFO April-May 1998
 
The Lyrics of Salsa
Lately Salsa is becoming quite a craze in Hong Kong, and we are seeing a proliferation of both venues claiming to offer salsa dancing and individuals who can hardly do more than a few turns mechanically offering salsa dance tuition. None of those improvised DJs knows how to do the simplest salsa steps, and they offer their customers-victims a mix of pseudo-Latin music: Gypsy Kings, Macarena, Guantanamera, if not outright disco and techno. Some of them managed to get a few salsa CDs, usually of doubtful taste. The scene is equally lousy and amusing with the hastily self-invented dance instructors: they command a laughable knowledge of salsa music and its lyrics, if any at all! Just try to ask them what a Guaguanco means, or to differentiate Guaracha from Guajira. Reportedly someone is even using the soundtrack of a sunken ship movie to teach salsa, as if there's nothing better than that in the whole of salsa music!  

Salsa, in its music, has always had a highly elaborated complexity in the orchestral instrumentation, polyrhythmic percussion and lyrical improvisation. Often the lyrics reach sublimation. Love, or the most common fact, is always told with street maliciousness together with impressive orchestration. Here is one example of such street malice in the song called "El negrito" played by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico: 

    Ay 
    If a black man was to steal, a chicken to throw into the pot, 
    to make for himself a stew; 
    and when the stew was cooked, 
    a white man comes along 
    does a naughty trick, eats the stew and even steals the pot! 

    And listen: afterwards the white man claims the chicken, 
    reports the black man and they frame him, 
    take him to court and put him in real trouble, 
    and the poor black even has to pay the pot! 

    They say that the kids from the East want to fatten up, 
    while the ones from the West are put on diet. 
    Ay, this damned justice, listen to this cry: 
    because justice feeds on crime. 

    Chorus: 
    This world isn't for one to stay 
    but there isn't a better place to flee to. 

    When you see a black man dining alongside a white man 
    either it is the white who owes it to the black 
    or it is to the black that the food belongs. 

    So many go to jail for stealing a chicken, 
    and there are those who steal the whole farm 
    and there's no way they'd get caught. 

    They send me to the moon, they say my visa is good there 
    but Sir no, I wouldn't dare-for there ain't no woman! 

    But even with all the evilness, let me remind you 
    there isn't a better world 
    so we better just conform ourselves to it. 

    (translation by Marta Landazabal)

Salseros with good taste and better footwork will always know where to get their fill of that wild and profane enjoyment that authentic Salsa delivers. The new adepts who are the innocent victims of various distortions from the true Sabor will, hopefully, find out soon how much they are misled. To the deceivers, here is a piece of lyrics from the song "Busca el Ritmo"(Look for Rhythm), composed by Johnny Ortiz and interpreted by the Puerto Rican Willie Rosario that suits them well:  
     
    La fiebre tuya es de ahora, Your fever is of late,
    yo soy salsero de siempre. I'm a Salsero of always.
    Puede que eso este de moda, It may that this is in vogue,
    pero no llena a mi gente. but it doesn't fill up my people.
    Asi que... So...
       
     
Salsa! becomes WEEKLY at last!
Due to the pressing demand of our public, starting 1st May Salsa! will become a weekly event at the Viceroy. Every Friday the Salsa crew will bring you the best of authentic Latin dance music together with its sensual, fascinating dances and the most friendly, cosmopolitan and passionate atmosphere. One Friday each month will be a Late Night Salsa!, starting after the Punchline Comedy Club, at 11:30pm, with a cover charge of $99 including one drink. (The coming Late Night Salsa! will be on May 8, June 12, July 10 etc.) On all the other Fridays the fiesta will start at the usual time with a free dance lesson from 9:30 to 10:30. 
Advanced Salsa Dancers: More Salsa for You!
Starting 22 April every Wednesday from 9am to 11pm the Advanced Salsa Workshop at the Fringe Club will welcome you with instructions on more complex and subtle dance techniques, basic Afro-Cuban percussion exercises, knowledge of the musical and lyrical structure of Salsa together with choral exercises, plus la Rueda dancing, all in a party-like atmosphere. Fee: for learners $500 per 10 hours, for repeating learners $250, voluntary contribution for accomplished dancers. 
What is la Rueda?
Lately many of those who visit the Viceroy Salsa! nights have noticed a new, fascinating Salsa dance form: not individual nor in couple, but various couples forming a circle dancing in a synchronised way, either rapidly turning and exchanging partners or doing funny and at times hilariously moves. This is la Rueda, which means the Wheel, a typical Cuban way of having great fun while dancing to the music and enjoying the company of more than just one partner. La Rueda dancing is basically no different from Salsa dancing excepts that all dancers involved move in unison, synchronised. It gives dancers a strong sense of partecipation and unity, while improving the partecipants' skills much faster than any other way. And most importantly, like everything in Salsa, it is great, great fun: just ask anyone who has done it! Currently in Hong Kong the only instructor who is capable of teaching la Rueda is Bo. He teaches la Rueda already at the Beginners' courses, as soon as the learners are fluent enough in basic Salsa dance skills. At higher level la Rueda is often danced with improvisations: any partecipant, at any given time, can invent a certain move and all the others would follow suit. It is, indeed, a wild and profane enjoyment! 
Flamenco?
Anyone has interest to learn flamenco dance? Pascale and friends would like to bring her former teacher to HK for workshops, shows and fiestas. Interested persons please send email to pascale@ee.ust.hk. 
Salsa!  INFO 4 APRIL-MAY 1998 
Click here for additional information 
FRIDAY 1 MAY 
FRIDAY 8 MAY Late Night Salsa! from 11:30pm onwards. Cover charge $99. One drink included. 
FRIDAY 15 MAY 
FRIDAY 22 MAY 
FRIDAY 29 MAY 
DANCE COURSES IN APRIL AND MAY
Former salsa learners: if you wish to refresh your dance skills or to strengthen your basic knowledge, you can repeat the last course you have taken paying only half the course' fee. 

Click here for additional information 

Hong Kong Arts Centre  
(2 Harbour Road, Wanchai - Eric Hotung Studio, Lower Basement)  
Beginners Course  
Starts: 21 Apr 1998  
Times:  Tuesdays 6-7:30pm.  8 lessons, 12 hours.  
Fee:  $600  

Sheung Wan Civic Centre  
(7/F, 345 Queen's Road Central - Dance Practise Room)  
Intermediate Course  
Starts:  21 Apr 1998  
Times:  Tuesdays 8-10pm.  5 lessons, 10 hours.  
Fee:  $500  

Fringe Club  
(2 Lower Albert Road, Central)  
Advanced Course  
Starts:  22 Apr 1998  
Times:  Wednesdays 9-11pm.  4 lessons, 8 hours.  
Fee:  $500 for learners; $250 for repeating learners and voluntary contribution for accomplished salseros  
Note:  Instructions include complex and subtle dance techniques, basic Afro-Cuban percussion exercises, knowledge of musical and lyrical structure of salsa with chorus exercises, all in a party-like atmosphere. All advanced and accomplished salsa dancers are welcome!