SALSA

In the 1970’ an established term for the Caribbean dance and music played by Latin-Americans in the USA. Dance in 4-count-beat. Salsa has its roots mainly from Cuban music and dance rhythm son, but has been so internationalized so that it is nowadays not associated to any particular country
During the 1960’s the Puerto Rican styles bomba and plena became popular and salsa became a cultural community identity for immigrants from Puerto Rico and other Latin-American countries

SAMBA

Samba is a Brazilian dance and music which has it roots in African rhythms. The Portuguese brought with them African slaves to Bahia and Rio De Janeiro and mixed African and Portuguese culture. There are countless of samba schools which each year participate in the big carnivales in Brazil. The Brazilian samba is strongly associated with carnival in different to ballroom samba which is danced in couples and looks very different. Samba is played in 2-count-beat

REGGAETON

Latinsk musik med spanska texter med influenser från bl a reggae, dancehall, hip hop och salsa. Växte fram i slutet av 80-talet med ursprung i Puerto Rico och Panama
Fester som kallades reggae marathon sägs ha givit upphov till namnet reggaeton
Man dansar fritt i singel med hela kroppen och mycket rytm. Ibland kan dansen vara tät och het mellan man och kvinna och uttrycket perreo används då ibland, vilket översatt betyder ungefär "att hunda"

AFRICAN DANCE

There are 3 categories of traditional african dances
The first category reflects on the day to day experiences and historical events that the African people have experienced throughout the centuries. The day to day experiences are marked by those animals who are a part of their world, the different elements (wind, fire, water and earth) and the daily activities like picking berries and grinding flour. Historical events could be migration or the search for cultivable land
The second category is worshiping, that is to say the dances that have evolved to show reverence to the many different gods och to show gratitude towards life
The third category is the war dances of which purpose is to mark territory, show strength and pride and to be intimidating

MERENGUE

A dance in 2-beat-count from the Dominican Republic and one of Latin-Americas most popular dances. History of Merengue

BACHATA

Dance in 4-count-beat from the Dominican Republic
History of Bachata

CHA-CHA-CHA

A Latin-American dance with 4-beat-count, originally from Cuba. The dance is a further development of mambo and was introduced by bandleader Enrique Jorrin in 1953. It is considered to have gotten it’s name after the pattern of the steps: 2 slow steps followed by 3 quick steps (go-go-cha-cha-cha). The dance came to USA through Mexico and from there on to Europe, where it became very popular

CONGA

Dance in 4-count-beat from Cuba. For example you dance conga at carnivales och street parties

AFRO CUBAN RUMBA (Yambú, Guaguancó & Columbia)

Latin-American dance with it’s roots on Cuba. The music is mostly in a 4-beat-count with a fast tempo. The dance combines African and Caribbean rhythms, which emphasizes with percussions and “rattle” instruments. Read more about Rumba at www.obbara.se/rumban.html (text in Swedish!)
HISTORY OF GUAGUANCÒ
- A playful game or flirt between man and woman. The man does a movement (vacunao) towards the woman who then protects herself. Symbolically the man tries to touch the womans pudendum. The word ”vacunao” means vaccination
- The man shows his interest and tries to come close and infront of the woman and simultaneously trying to impress her. If his effort is too low his courting skills will fail and the woman loose interest. If his effort is too much then he seems too eager that the woman wont show of herself
- The woman flirts but turns away from the man and play hard to get. If she is too hard to get the man will loose interest then the woman will have to turn towards the man every now and then to keep his interest going. If she shows herself too openly the man will feel too secure and will not put much effort in to it
- The man can make movements with kicks, hands ands hips etc. Often the movements are hard, fast and aggressive to surprise the woman (example: turn your back and make a movement with the heal). The movements are pointed towards the womans front. The man shows that he believes that he is successful by doing different movements like shaking his shoulders or rolling the shoulders back
- The woman protects against the movements in her front. She can use her skirt, arms, hands, turn away quickly, protect herself by bending down the body. The woman shows when she believes that the mans movements have failed by different movements. For example shaking the shoulders, rolling back the shoulders and doing a pallagest

AFRO CUBAN RELIGIONS

www.obbara.se/religionerna.html (text in Swedish!)

SON

Music- and dance from the Cuban country side from the 1700’s. Tres and laúd (both a kind of guitar), regular guitar, bongos, congas, claves, maracas and guiro are instrument that are used. Son, just like many other Cuban music are influenced by the Spanish and mostly of African music culture. The music is played in a 4-count-beat

MAMBO

A dance in a 4 or 2 beat count, most likely from Cuba. During the 1940’s mambo was introduced as a social dance in the USA by the Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado. There after it was spread to Europe

CUMBIA

The dance aroused among the Indians and Africans in Colombia during the 1800’s. In the beginning of the 1940’s the music was played by bigger orchestras and became international known. The dance comes in many variations. The dance and music is played in a 4-count-beat

BOOGALOO

Dance in 4-count-beat. Created in the 60`s in New York. Today Boogaloo is very popular in Cali, Colombia

MAPALÉ

From Colombia

PUYA

From Colombia

VALLENATO

This dance and music comes from Colombia. Carlos Vives is one famous artist that has spread this music. A dance in a 4-count-beat

LAMBADA

Developed in the late 1980’s through the north western Brazilian dance styles like samba and baião. The melody to the music is believed to have its roots from Bolivian folk music. The group Kaoma spread lambada to Europe. Lambada is played in a 2-count-beat

Drag the pointer across the map to see where the different dances come from