Rueda Hand Signs (Part 21) Rompe El Brazo

The move Rompe El Brazo litterally translates to “break the arm”. It is sometimes seen under the name “Rompe Brazo” or “Rómpele El Brazo” although the accent on the “o” which is the correct Spanish spelling in the latter form is sometimes missed out. Particularly in the form “Rómpele El Brazo” meaning “break his arm” it is clear that we are talking about the leader’s arm instead of the follower’s arm which corresponds to the move where it is predominantly the leader’s arms that are twisted. There are in fact certain parts of the move where new students will initially think they cannot keep hold of both hands without breaking something and it can indeed feel very uncomfortable if the move is not executed perfectly in terms of timing and signals which is where the name of the move comes from.

While there are certainly more complicated moves which would deserve this title more, “Rompe El Brazo” is often an introduction into these type of moves for new students so it can feel like a big challenge to twist the arms in such a way that the move works smoothly without anyone getting hurt without losing the rhythm of the song.

The move itself is often confused with the move Parte El Brazo meaning “part of the arm” and in some Rueda groups the moves are used interchangeably, however, these are completely independent moves that have very little in common other than the names being similar which may be the source of confusion particularly for non-native Spanish speakers.

There are some nice elements in this move that are not commonly seen in other moves such as the leader’s left turn at the end of the initial Pimienta to be able to lead the follower into another Vacilala based turn straight away instead of a Dile Que No or the leader’s right turn underneath both hands towards the end while bringing their right hand over the follower’s head which is unusual and not easy to execute but a nice variation on some of the more common elements.

The hand sign for Rompe El Brazo consists of the sign for “Rompe” which is the caller’s free hand forming a fist and quickly pivoting it around itself in a swift motion like the movement a hand would make when trying to break a branch into two parts. This is followed by the sign for “Brazo” which is signalled by the caller grabbing their upper arm with their free hand.

To see a video of the move Rompe El Brazo as well as the hand sign, please click on: https://youtu.be/o0b6SETh37c

Trios de Casino (Part 2)

Trios de casino is a very challenging form of Casino that only few people master well and it is rare to find classes and dance teachers that go into this subject. The most commonly seen form (un hombre con dos mujeres) involves the leader taking the right hand of one follower into their left hand similarly to normal en parejas Casino while taking the second followers right hand into their right hand at the same time. That is to say, the leader will lead two followers simultaneously which requires a very good handle of the normal en parejas Casino moves in order to figure out quickly which moves can be led with one hand only. The leader not only has to give the correct signal with both hands but also ensure that the space between both followers is maintained at all times so that they are not in each other’s way. Similarly, followers need some experience in this dance form to maintain the correct body position and spatial awareness between themselves and the leader as well as the other follower. The few leaders who do master some of the basics of this style of Cuban salsa tend to use the same exact moves on both followers i.e. leading an Enchufla or a Vacilala for both followers at the same time. What is immensely more difficult is the ability to actually lead two independent moves with each hand separately i.e. leading an Enchufla with the right hand and a Vacilala with the left hand which requires the simultaneous lead of two completely different signals as well as guiding followers through independent moves without favouring one side over another. The ultimate goal is often seen as the point where special moves are executed that involve both followers at the same time so that the full trio looks like one unit in producing a move that could not be executed en parejas.

The other form of trios de casino (una mujer con dos hombres) is equally challenging and involves two leaders dancing with one follower but rather than both leaders trying to lead independently they effectively act as one unit, that is, they are joined together going into a Dile Que No type hold such that one leader will act as the left hand and the other leader will act as the right hand. In theory, this allows for almost any move to be performed in this constellation although some moves which involve a tight connection have to be slightly modified to account for the space of two people where only one person would be normally. Similar to the other style there are certain moves that can only be executed when there are exactly two leaders and one follower which is the aim for many people trying to learn this style.

Rumba (Part 1)

In the blog series “Salsa Leeches” we looked at how some dance types such as Kizomba are often pushed onto the salsa market and promoted as if they were in fact related to salsa. This causes a lot of confusion particularly among beginners who try and find some common ground between these dance types that they are asked to learn together. In reality, however, it is not their lack of musicality or dance ability that prevents them from forming any meaningful synergy between these dance types but the misleading marketing mechanism that paints these entirely different groups of dance with the same brush.

The opposite is equally true. There are many dance types that are closely related to Cuban salsa without being mentioned in a lot of dance classes and which are hardly ever danced at salsa socials. It is hard to come across an event or party where you can even hear Cuban music being played that is not immediately recognisable as “salsa” and the few instructors who are able to teach these non-mainstream dances can usually only offer some taster classes at bigger salsa congresses and events as they would simply not get enough interest to teach group classes regularly.

Out of these type of dances, some of the least common and most misunderstood dance types can be classified under the term "rumba" or also the "rumba complex" as it is more and more frequently referred to by musicologists. The complex consists predominantly of the subgenres Yambú, Guaguancó and Columbia which are seen as the three traditional forms of rumba although other styles and more modern forms are often also included in this category.

 
Even though the complex is a Cuban product of African origin that has remained popular predominantly on the island with some small success internationally, the so-called rhumba (with an h) aka ballroom rumba has made the name of the complex famous internationally while associating it with a completely different form of dance. The Cuban Ministry of Culture once stated that “Rumba sin Cuba no es rumba, y Cuba sin rumba no es Cuba" – rumba without Cuba is not rumba, and Cuba without rumba is not Cuba. I.e. Rumba is seen as one of the most characteristic dance forms of Cuba and it is therefore all the more lamentable that most people are completely ignorant about this fact and immediately think of ballroom rumba when they hear the term.

Halloween in Cuba

Halloween seems like a nice celebration that is certainly enjoyed by many people around the world. It gives kids the chance to dress up and receive sweets despite the inevitable parental concern of accepting them from strangers as well as the ensuing toothaches. Some of the cultures and customs associated with Halloween have become world famous even in countries that do not celebrate it like the carving of pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns.

While the history of Halloween is still subject to debate it is believed to have been derived in part from Christian customs some of which have Pagan roots. The origin of trick-or-treating for instance is believed to have come from a custom called souling where groups of predominantly poor people would go from house to house collecting cakes in exchange for praying for the dead in the Christian triduum of Allhallowtide which is a time to remember the dead. The modern world usually celebrates Halloween in the way it has become common place in the U.S. with some small variations locally.

However, what seems like an innocent holiday that is celebrated internationally is in fact often perceived as the epidemy of American cultural and commercial imperialism destroying local customs in the process. Customs that seemed closely related on the surface such as the German tradition of Ruebengeistern or the Mexican Día de los Muertos have already been mixed with Halloween to the point where many people believe it is one and the same thing perpetuating a process that swallows some of the traditional customs. In countries where there were no similar customs traditionally, Halloween has often been incorporated “straight from TV” and is often linked to the arrival of American troops like in Italy.

It is therefore no surprise that a country which has had rather difficult relations with the U.S. and has no problem with engaging in interventionism to protect its culture is watching the spread of American style Halloween with horror. There have been reports in recent years where salsa clubs and other touristic venues in Cuba were made to close on 31st October or had to make it a policy to not admit anyone wearing a costume. The official view in Cuba is that the holiday is something strange, alien and inappropriate that has no place in Cuban culture. Of course, the reality is that the more something is being suppressed the more interesting it becomes so inevitably there are universities in Cuba where people are starting to celebrate this American import not to mention the hotels that try to cater to the increasing amount of tourists who want to go abroad to receive the exact same thing they left behind at home.

That being said, it is maybe not as big a deal as many people fear. Cuba has a remarkable history for developing their own culture and many customs and traditions in Cuba may have influences from several countries at its core while being adapted and changed to suit the Cuban spirit. Even tourists who come to Cuba go there predominantly for the uniqueness of the Cuban culture. The very idea that things like Halloween may become a common celebration in the future after Cuban and U.S. relations are starting to ease has had many tourists come to the island over the last few years in an attempt to see the uncompromised country one last time before it becomes contaminated with globalised products such as Halloween. It is therefore questionable whether there is indeed any significant interest in Cuba to simply copy a piece of culture without any modification or whether the holiday will simply be ignored on the island in the long run. Given Cuba’s history, chances are they will take some influences from Halloween and create their own unique customs and cultures that will not be an exact copy of what everybody else does. Instead of Halloween swallowing Cuba, Cuba may just swallow Halloween.

Rueda Hand Signs (Part 20) Tiempo España

There are several types of holds in Cuban salsa one of them being “Tiempo España”. This hold is the starting point for any move which is performed from a close-hold position and is generally danced at the start of a song both for dancing in pairs as well as in Rueda to ease into to the dance. It is however, possible to go back to Tiempo España at any point during a song and is usually associated with slower sections of the music. The partner moves that start from Tiempo España can make for a more relaxed and romantic dance in contrast to some of the fast and energetic moves usually done from Casino and are ideally suited for social dancing in close spaces such as at a live concert where there are a lot of people.

Moreover, Tiempo España is the name of a Rueda formation in Cuban Salsa from where many Rueda calls originate that cannot be called from any other position (i.e. Taro Con La Mano) and which has some specific rules associate with it such as the fact that any change of direction can occur on both beats 1 and 5 contrary to most moves in Casino which always start on beat 1. As discussed in previous posts, while the name “Tiempo España” is not grammatically correct from a Spanish linguistic perspective, the name is not to be taken literally. Tiempo España meaning “Time Spain” is not so much a Spanish expression but rather the name of a hold in Cuban Salsa with a historical reference to the time of Spanish colonial control that plagued the island when the close hold was introduced into Cuban dancing.

The close-hold which evolved to Tiempo España originated in Waltz and became the main hold in Danzon and later in Son Cubano. While this hold was the principal hold in Son it became less popular when it was transferred to Cuban Salsa where the semi-open hold (Casino) is the hold seen predominantly on the dance floor. That being said it is in not wrong in any way to give Tiempo España a higher importance or even spend an entire dance in this hold but on larger dance floors with plenty of free space to move it is more unusual to see couples spending a significant amount of time in this hold other than at the start and the end of a song.

In Rueda, Tiempo España has to be called from any position that would normally lead to Dile Que No i.e. while in Casino one may call Enchufla Tiempo España since Enchufla ends in Dile Que No so at that point we can go into Tiempo España instead of performing a Dile Que No. However we cannot go into Tiempo España directly while in Casino position. The easiest way to get into this formation is to call Dame Tiempo España while the easiest way to get out of it is to call a Dile Que No while dancing in the Tiempo España formation. For this reason the hand sign is an open hand showing towards the dancers as if to signal “stop” as when we get into it we effectively stop ourselves from doing a Dile Que No.

To see a video of the move Tiempo España as well as the hand sign, please click on: https://youtu.be/TQnlooq1Snk

Maykel Blanco (Part 2)

We are back from a fantastic weekend in Scotland culminating in the outstanding performance by Maykel Blanco and his band in the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh last Saturday. It was nice to dance with many of our old friends at this picturesque location right at the heart of Edinburgh listening to some of Maykel Blanco’s greatest hits and introducing our students to the atmosphere of dancing Cuban salsa to live music. Maykel Blanco Y Su Salsa Mayor was as great as we could have hoped for and showed within minutes why they are considered one of Cuba’s top live bands at the moment with their energy and enthusiasm driving people to dance as much as the music itself. In short, it was an amazing night and I can thoroughly recommend to anyone to see this band live if you get the chance.

Maykel’s music has a strong base in son and influences of rumba but he is above all considered to be one of the most popular Timba artists having been influenced by bands such as Manolito y su Trabuco, Los Van Van and NG La Banda. His rise to the upper ranks of Cuban timba music is evidenced not only by his band being voted the best Timba group in Italy in 2006 or the prize they won for the best live concert in Paris in 2007 but his continued success with various songs from his 5 albums, with Salsa Mayor working tirelessly to produce more songs for fans around the world. Some of his most well known hits include Recoge y vete, Anda y Pégate, Dale Lo Que Lleva, Mi Destino, Esto esta, Quitame lo malo and Mi Mulata En La Habana among many others.

The lyrical style of Maykel Blanco’s songs range from humorous to serious songs and talk about Cuban life and music as well as love and affection. The attitude conveyed in his songs is typical of timba songs as well as the musical complexity which includes rhythm changes and a strong polyrhythmic percussion base. However, he does have his own style with some songs ending more abruptly than is commonly expected, particularly by dancers, as well as innovations particularly in his percussion style. Maykel himself describes the song Anda y Pégate as a musical experiment which contains “a little of everything”.

There have been some changes in Maykel Blanco’s band in recent years which is not uncommon in such a big orchestra but given his huge success at such a young age let us hope we have many more songs, albums and concerts to look forward to from this amazingly talented artist.

Maykel Blanco (Part 1)

It has been way too long since Aimi and I last saw a live concert by a Cuban band and it is as rare as ever to get the opportunity to see one of the Cuban artists in the UK. All the more reason why the news of Maykel Blanco playing in Edinburgh on 14th October has made us pretty much drop everything and organise an impromptu visit back to our Scottish salsa roots. We only found out about the event a couple of weeks ago and decided to cancel our Leeds and Selby class on the 14th and 16th for the first time in order to go to Scotland for the weekend and give our students the chance to join us. We are extremely excited about this event not only because it gives us the rare chance to dance to live music by one of our favourite artists who we listen and dance to regularly, but also because some of our students are now at a stage where they share our enthusiasm to the point where they are willing to drive for 4 hours to get to see the concert with us.

Maykel Blanco Cuevas aka Maikel Blanco was born on 21 January 1981 in Havana starting his first band when he was only 15 years old. Even though his family was not from a musical background he learned to play percussion instruments autodidactically playing mainly rumba both in the street and at school.
Since he formed his first orchestra “Suprema Ley” at the age of 18 he has become one of the best and most popular Cuban artists internationally receiving many prizes and tributes. He started out as a percussionist originally but went on to learn keyboard as he was not satisfied with the arrangements of other people. This particular background has led him to adopt a “percussive” piano style catching the attention of timba fans around the world.

Today he performs under the name Maykel Blanco Y Su Salsa Mayor with the orchestra Salsa Mayor which he took over in 2004 from Javier Sotomayor's at only 23 years of age giving him the reputation of the youngest director to ever have led a well-known Cuban orchestra. The band consists of 14 musicians who have risen to international fame particularly in Europe and South America producing many hits that are being danced to at salsa events around the world.

"Maikel Bianco en Janvier 2013" by JBy Jpbazard Jean-Pierre Bazard is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0