Rumba: Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba, Yordis Larazzabal and Jessica Glez videos + event listings

I am DJing at 1313 - Thursday October 10th!

I will be the DJ at 1313, Thursday October 10th – 1313 Hollis St
9-11pm. $3. The latest timba, cubaton, salsa and bachata and merengue hits from Cuba and beyond. Hope to see you there!

Yordis Larrazábal - Addimú Pa' Mi Timba

Maykel Blanco singer Yordis Larrazábal has a new solo album out, Esto Me Huele a Éxito. It’s an interesting listen – most if not all of the songs lack the typical bipartite structure of son, salsa and timba music. There’s no cuerpo or tema – the gentler, prettier verse section found at the beginning of most songs, which is then followed by what is sometimes known as the montuno or estribillo – the more intense second section of alternating vocal coros, horn mambos, and rhythm section devices such as the efectos, bloques and presión. Instead he dispenses with formalities and goes straight into the high intensity jams. The video features cameos from a who’s who of contemporary Cuban musicians.

Yordis Larrazábal - Addimú Pa' Mi Timba

Jessica Glez - Pa´ tra

This was posted on the Salsa Halifax Facebook group, apparently Jessica is the sister of someone based in Halifax. Super fun regueton from Havana – bonus points if you can identify all the orishas!

Jessica Glez - Pa' tra

Book

Rumba - Dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba - Yvonne Daniel

Indiana University Press, 1995

Rumba dance and Social Change in Contemporary Cuba looks at rumba culture from all angles. Daniel was a professor of dance and anthropology and this book was a reworking of her PhD thesis. She spent a great deal of time in Cuba living and studying with rumberos including Los Munequitos de Matanzas in Matanzas and the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional in Havana.

She looks at the effect that the revolution had on rumba culture – how it went from a marginalized and persecuted pastime for black Cubans to being promoted by the government as a de facto national music and dance, above the wealth of other options that may not have been seen to reflect the values of the revolution as clearly.

The various styles are covered – guaguanco, yambu, columbia, as well as lesser known forms such as the newer batarumba, and narrative rumba genres. These are tackled from a musical, dance and cultural perspective.

She tackles issues such as race, gender, economics, politics, the effect of tourism and promotion of rumba events and classes for tourists, the evolution of rumba as a living art form versus its preservation as folklore, incorporation of outside influences from within Cuba – including orishas gestures and other influences from abakua, palo, and santeria for example, as well as from outside Cuba – interaction with tourists and external music and dance etc.

An interesting look at rumba from an outsider that ventured fairly far in.

Events

Nov 7-10 - Havana en Belgrado - in Belgrade, Serbia - short event but with an extremely impressive roster of teachers including Jennyselt Galata Calvo, FredyClan and other illustrious names in Cuban dance, as well as concerts by Maykel Blanco with Mayito Rivera and 2019 Cuba Disco winners El Niño y la Verdad.
Nov 17-22 - Baile en Cuba – 6 days of workshops and concerts in Havana, with an unbelievable lineup of bands: Van Van, Septeto Santiaguero, Pupy, Adalberto Alvarez, Manolito Simonet, Haila, Maykel Blanco, Alan Daniel, Elito Revé, Havana D'Primera and Los 4. Includes 22 hours of classes at all levels with instructors from the top national schools of the arts ...
Dec 7-8 Casino Festival Barcelona - 2 days of workshops and parties in Barcelona
Jan 4-12 7 days in Habana - $950 USD package tour includes dance instruction, clubs, activities, transportation to activities, airport transfers, accommodation, breakfast, dinner etc – put together by Julio Montero from Casino Tradicional
Feb 8-23 Rueda in Playa Del Carmen - very open-ended opportunity to do and learn rueda in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico with people from Boston Rueda
Feb 13-16 Salsa Rueda Festival - in San Francisco. The 2020 schedule is not up yet but you can see from the 2019 schedule that it will be an impressive program
Mar 7-15 7 days in Habana - $950 USD package tour includes dance instruction, clubs, activities, transportation to activities, airport transfers, accommodation, breakfast, dinner etc – put together by Julio Montero from Casino Tradicional
Mar 15-27 10 days across Cuba - $1150 USD package tour includes dance instruction, clubs, activities, transportation to activities, airport transfers, accommodation, breakfast, dinner etc – put together by Julio Montero from Casino Tradicional
Mar 29-Apr 5 2020 - Havana Dance Experience 2020 - Group from Halifax, NS going to Cuba for private classes and dancing. $1349 fixed price includes accommodations, breakfast, a SIM card, classes and taxi dancers as well as some daytime activities. Airfare, transportation and admission to dance clubs not included.
Apr 20-26 2020 Ritmo Cuba – includes 7 days of workshops and classes (30 hours of classes I believe, with four tracks to choose from), tours, a pool party, a beach party, as well as admission every night to the best clubs in the city with top bands in Cuba
May 29-31 2020 - Rueda Fest - in Brighton UK - has some intriguing workshops on rueda in all kinds of funky formations and more
Jun 20-28 7 days in Santiago - $950 USD package tour includes dance instruction, clubs, activities, transportation to activities, airport transfers, accommodation, breakfast, dinner etc – put together by Julio Montero from Casino Tradicional

Halifax Events

Thu Sep 26 - 1313 Hollis - Social at 1313 Hollis St, 9-11pm, $3, salsa/bachata/kizomba
Fri Sep 27 - Haliente - salsa/bachata/kizomba social, 8:15-12, $3/$5/$8 (lesson/social/both)
Thu Oct 3 - 1313 Hollis – Social at 1313 Hollis St, 9-11pm, $3, salsa/bachata/kizomba
Fri Oct 4 - Free To Move Social - with a salsa/bachata room and a kizomba room
Thu Oct 10 - 1313 Hollis - 1313 – I am DJing! Come out and dance! 9-11pm, $3, The hottest timba / timbaton / salsa / bachata / merengue / son hits for dancing
Thu Oct 26 - Haliente Halloween Party - at the Haliente studio

That’s all for this week, thanks for reading!

Facebook

Twitter

Website