Title: Merengue, Salsa and Bachata - Arthur Murray Danbury
Headings: Merengue, Salsa and Bachata
Merengue, Salsa and Bachata
Merengue
Salsa
Bachata
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Content: Just like Samba, Merengue was not originally a partner dance. Instead, it was danced in a big circle with much more complex footwork instead of the body motions you may see in Merengue today. The dance struggled to rise in popularity in the beginning because each dictator in sequence determined if the public could practice it or not. It wasn’t until Rafael Trujillo came to power in 1930 that Merengue got the boost it needed. The song “Compadre Pedro Juan” by Luis Alberti, which came out while Trujillo was in office, became a favorite all around the world, and it marked the moment when Merengue truly exploded. Salsa
Salsa is such a fitting name for this dance because, much like the spicy sauce, it is a combination of many rich and flavorful styles. These elements were combined together in Cuba in the late 1800s, and it spread like wildfire. American soldiers on active duty during the war in Cuba in 1898 were the first to discover the style’s infectious music and moves. They brought back colorful stories that drew many American jazz musicians to travel to Cuba and learn the music so they could incorporate it in their own performances. The intoxicating sounds of this new music were recorded and sold by Fania Records.