Due to the popularity of salsa as a dance form, an ever
increasing number of less and less related dances are being thrown into the salsa
pool as the trend continues to run from one fad to another.
Many dance styles have come and gone trying to jump on the
salsa bandwagon and some of them have indeed become quite popular on their own.
While debates around which type of dances should be included in certain dance
evenings have existed since the beginning of mixed parties, at the point where even
such unrelated dance forms as salsa and Kizomba are being bundled together it
is important to at the very least be aware of the exaggerations if not blatant
lies that marketers use to paint everything with the same brush.
These particular dance styles are in fact so far removed in
terms of historical, geographical, cultural, musical, rhythmical etc.
experience that they have next to nothing in common other than both styles
being a category of dance, i.e. people moving to music, such that it seems the
constant marketing lies are the only factor that keeps them together.
This, however, creates serious misconceptions with respect to student
expectations and their dance training in both salsa and Kizomba alike, a side
effect that is equally annoying for dancers of both styles. It is therefore
very important to at least be aware of the false information out there so that
students can choose to pursue their dance training for the right reasons and talk
to others about their passion without repeating misleading slogans they have
read on a banner:
- Kizomba is related to salsa and hence it makes sense for it to be played in a salsa night. This is by far the biggest lie of them all. Kizomba is as far removed from salsa as you can possibly get. Son which is the root of all forms of salsa originated in Cuba whereas Kizomba originated in Africa. While it is true that a lot of Cuban dances that influenced salsa have their roots in Africa such as Rumba, these are elements of the dance and in no way make salsa on their own. It is only through the history and culture of Cuba that African and European influences blended to form Son so for people to say that both Kizomba and salsa contain elements whose roots are in Africa is like saying an orange and a television are both made from atoms so they should be classified as the same category of objects. I.e. if we go back this far in history and only look at specific elements then we can relate pretty much any dance to another. Even if we acknowledge the African roots communality to some degree, then it is important to distinguish between the various African influences that contributed to both dances. I.e. Afro-Cuban rhythms have their roots primarily in Congo as it was mainly Congolese slaves that were brought to Cuba whereas the main influences shaping Kizomba came from Angola. This among other factors results in the modern version of these dances being completely different in every possible way. There is next to no historical link between the two: the cultures surrounding the dances are completely different; salsa is fast and dynamic while Kizomba is slow and sensual; the rhythms of these styles are entirely different … the list goes on.
- Kizomba and salsa are both Latin dances so it is fine to play the two in the same night as long as it gets designated “Latin dance night”. This is similar nonsense but harder to catch. Kizomba feels Latin to some people and has been compared to Tango in the past. However, as discussed in point one it is entirely African in terms of its origin and has no relation to Latin dances whatsoever other than coincidental similarities.
- Kizomba is needed at salsa events to cool off from the fast and
dynamic salsa songs. This is already the argument that was used when
Bachata entered the salsa market. Some people may indeed enjoy such a
cooling-off period so I can let this argument count to some degree if we
are talking about a sequence such as 4 salsa songs 1 Bachata song, 5 salsa
songs, 1 Kizomba song etc. However, I have never met anyone who needs 2
Bachata songs to cool off from 1 salsa song and then 3 Kizomba songs to
cool off from the 2 Bachata songs. I.e. it is the split that makes all the
difference.
Secondly, since Bachata has already been shoved under the salsa umbrella, why do we now suddenly need Kizomba in addition to Bachata? If there was indeed a need for an even slower style than Bachata at a salsa event for cool-off periods, then Kizomba would simply replace Bachata at such events for this purpose. However, adding Kizomba into the mix with an equal weight to salsa and Bachata really cannot be justified by this argument. In addition, I know few serious salsa dancers who actually do need this artificial break. In fact, most people I know can dance all night without a break given the chance and they would love the opportunity to do so.
Thirdly, if people do want a break then what is stopping them from simply taking a break while another salsa song is being played? I used to love the chance to sit and watch other people and maybe pick up a few ideas just by watching the dancers perform, however, I cannot remember the last time I did not desperately try to dance every time I heard a salsa song out of fear I would not get the chance again for the next half an hour.
Finally, if we really do need slow songs every now and then that break up the salsa energy then why not just play a slow salsa song or a dance style that is actually closely related to salsa but achieves the same effect i.e. Son?
More on this to follow in part 4 of the series.
