Hi Friends:
Right now I'm sitting here in a slightly uncomfortable chair in an internet cafe in Itaewon. The chair.......I don't too much care for but the music I'm listening to on www.batanga.com is very nice. It's their bachata channel.
I haven't said much about bachata to you because I didn't want to cloud what I think is our initial objective. But I think I would be remiss in my responsibility to you if I didn't mention an observation that's been reinforced several times to me lately about bachata.
Bachata is also a very dynamic music in it's own right. Most people learn bachata after they, at some point, learn salsa. Or, as we say in English, bachata often plays 'second fiddle' to salsa. But......Bachata is also a very dynamic music in it's own right.
I've always liked bachata. I'll never forget the first time I went to a live bachata band concert, back in Houston, Texas where I'm from. I was striken by the fact that the band played for almost two hours but there was absolutely no salsa......yet it was one of the most enjoyable concerts I've still ever been to and there were lots of people there too who obviously enjoyed bachata as much, if not more, than salsa.
I remember that at first, as I was learning it(and in retrospect) I probably overdid some parts of it. Particularly the hip bounce part of it. But I always liked bachata. I learned bachat originally at the largest social dance studio in Houston, http://www.ssqq.com. For a successful business model, SSQQ is tops in the dance business. Other than some run-in's I had with the owner's wife (she's not there any more :-), I still have some good friends there.
Then, my good friend Jorge Elizonda from MacAllen, Texas and the guy who has been doing incredible things with http://www.bachatafusion.com lately.....he introduced me to bachata rueda at the 2005 Casino Rueda Congresso in Miami, Florida. I remember he told me that he'd seen it there the previous year when it was introduced by the group who actually invented it, Hips On Fire from up in Boston, MA.
Well, he was right. I did really like it. Jorge waited a few months and when these guys from Boston (i.e. Hips on Fire) didn't make a commercial move to capitalize on the opportunity that Jorge felt they had, Jorge made his first two instrucional DVDs in rapid succession. The rest is history.
Since then Jorge has gone on to more and more success with this one, specific new dance genre. In a manner of speaking, it's still bachata but he has left his distinctive mark on it with lots of new influences, elements and innovation. That's the reason he very recently changed the name of his style of bachata (and his new site) from 'BachataRueda' to 'Bachata Fusion'.
Here just a few weeks ago he told me about the new name and new site and one of the things that struck a chord with me especially was the last song in the rotation that automatically plays when you land on the site.
The song used to be called 'No Me Resigno' for some reason but apparently the real name of the song was 'Chanson d'Amor'. That's what it says now. You can click over there right now and listen to it....just click through to get to it.
I have no idea who the song is by although I think I'll eventually find out. Point is......I think it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. Salsa is still....special, but to be honest, I woudn't describe most salsa songs as 'beautiful'
That particular song, Chanson d'Amor, doesn't have what I would call a traditional bachata sound....and I think that's one of the reasons I like it and it illustrates the kind of innovation I like to hear in music.
I've noticed that I'm hearing a lot of 'new' sounding bachata songs lately. Several songs I've heard lately have a much fuller, richer sound. Chanson d'Amor features an accordian which I really like and I just now heard another song here on Batanga which had an almost orchestral sound and also featured an accordian.
In case you don't know, 'vallenato' music (an ethnic music from Colombia) features accordian. To me, it adds a kinda 'Italian' flavor.
Is it something they're doing consciously?
I don't know. All I know is that I like it. I think music needs to be pretty as well as rhythmic (like salsa). And I think good bachata music fills that void that sometimes you have with a lot of salsa on the market today.
One of the things that I try to do is be open minded to dancing to other kinds of music. In my opinion most salsa dancers aren't......they aren't open minded about what they dance to. And the reason they aren't is, I believe, because they're not really very musical. They're not really hearing the music. Of course, that really starts with the teachers doesn't it?
Anyway....here in Korea Carruseles and in our newly renamed RuedaFusion Meetup group, we're going to be dancing to some of these other kinds of music. I'm starting to keep my eyes open for sources to acquire unique bachata style music that I can download.
As soon as we 'get down' our salsa style, casino reuda basics, I'm going to show you what I know about bachata rueda. I've been through several of Jorge's workshops. I'm certainly not the world's best bachata dancer but, like casino rueda, I know the basics and I think I'll be able to show you what I mean and I think that you'll like it.
Meanwhile, there's now two or three songs on Jorge's rotation (on his site) that have a special sound I think you'll like. I don't know for a fact that Jorge picked them for that reason but I'd like to think that he did.
And if you'd like to explore the bachata style further I'd suggest you listen to some bachata on www.batanga.com. I wish I could recommend other sites where you can listen to bachata online but unfortuntely I don't know any. If you do, let me know.
Maybe Jorge can give me some tips next time I talk to him. Matter of fact, maybe sometime in the near future, we can get Jorge online for a live 'meeting' that we'll all be able to plug into.
So.......Don't forget bachata!
Those of you who are coming to Top Salsa Club tonight...I look forward to seeing you there and having lots of fun.
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