LATIN SPECIAL
Latin listins
MUSIC & DANCE
For one-off Latin music gigs check out The List’s Folk and World and Jazz listings. Below are details of bars and clubs where you’ll find everything from Latino line- dancing to learning the mambo and the merengue.
GLASGOW THURSDAYS
Club
I Club Salsa Sabrosa at The lla\ana Bar. It)..‘~()pm 3am. L41L‘3.5()i.\\'eekl_\. 'l‘op-notch Latin \olllltl\. with all hip- xhaking genres cmered thanks to residents Keith. .'\|e.\i\ and (ieo l).
GLASGOW FRIDAYS
Pre-club
I Caliente! at llaxana. (rpm 3am. I‘ree. \Veekl}. Loco Latin action Irom the Salsa Sahroxa crew
Club
I Rumba Te Tumba at Ila\ana Bar. 0pm 3am. l’rec. \Veckl). A \\ ild mix oI Latin and Spanish hip-shaking selections Irom the Salsa Sahroxa crew.
GLASGOW SATURDAYS
Club
I Club Cubana at :\\} lum. ('aledonian l'nixersil} Studentx‘ l'nion. llpm 3am. L4 iL'Ri. 23 Sep. l‘ortnightl}; Latin groch oI all kinds Irom the (‘uhana [Us at a ne\\ \enue. Watch olll lot the Iorthcoining do\\ ntempo hack room. All })I't1L‘L‘L‘tI\ lo Scollhh ('uhan Solidarity Campaign.
GLASGOW SUNDAYS
Club
I Descargarana at lla\ana. 8pm 3am. I'rce. \VeekI}. I.i\e Latin ja/x action as D] (ieorge Martin i\_jtiil1ctl l1} resident hand (‘he (iue\ara I’i\e.
GLASGOW TUESDAYS
Pre-Club
I Club Salsa Sabrosa at llaxana Bar. 8pm midnight. L11 (£3.50). \Veekl}. I)J\ Keith and Alexis pro\ ide )Utl u ith a cool night ol' Latin tunes. \\ ith merengue and salsa claxxex Irom 8pm.
Club
I Havana a! ()ctoher. Princes Square. Rpm midnight. l‘ree between 8pm and ()pm. l-"ortnightly The longest running exening oI merengue. salsa. \amha and Ilamenco. and easil} the huxiext. 'l'he drexsed up hedonixt regulars turn up at Rpm on the dot. and the joint gets packed to the i'al'terx \oon alter.
GLASGOW WEDNESDAYS
Club
I Algo Differente at lla\ana liar. H.30pm 3am. L4 1L3 l. \Veekl}. :\rri\e earl} Ior salsa tuition. then re\ eI in the Salsa Sahroxa ci‘c\\ '\ high octane Latin
I Club Santiago at Brel.
‘lpm midnight. I-ree. \Veekl}. Latino groo\e\ \\ ith Marcelo and .\lanue|o (‘il'uentex
GLASGOW CONTACT DETAILS
I Havana 50 Hope Street. 243 4-H)“. I Caledonian University Student's Union 7() (‘oucaddens Road. 333 “()3 I.
I October RooItop. l’rincex Square. 3 mos.
I Brel 39 Ashton Lane, 342 4966.
110 THE LISTN 80;, i) 0:: 230’.)
"I
Clave and prosper
It looks good, it feels great, but if you've never danced Latino-style before, how do you do Roms. Jan Fairley
When you get to a club, you’ve got to get onto the floor, either courtesy of a dance class, a bit of courage, an attraction for someone spied across the room, but hopefully not too much booze: drunken dancers are the pits. Many Latinos drop into clubs to meet other Latinos, creating a community visible in the way they greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks or a firm handshake. No drifting in with a mere nod of the head. And when they dance, they often exchange names; if you go to a club regularly you will soon find yourself making friends, becoming part of the scene, and suddenly find yourself also kissing cheeks and shaking hands.
It’s the norm for men to ask women but if you are a woman and there is someone you fancy dancing with, then go ahead and ask. Men can be shy too. Each will have his style and you will be expected to adapt rather than vice versa. The exception to that are African Latin dancers who seem to be much more flexible.
For all Latin dances the man holds the woman in front of him. His right hand will rest in the lower middle of her back, her left hand is placed on his right shoulder. While you are learning to dance you will probably spend a lot of time counting 1-2-3 while following your partner’s moves. Spend time listening to Latin music, letting the music dance you, rather than you dance the music; a good dancer lets the music suggest moves rather than impose them on the music‘.
Glossary
Clave the key rhythm of son and therefore salsa is called clave. It is often played by a band singer on a pair of wooden sticks called claves. The son clave (and the word actually means key) is in every musician's head, a count of 1-2, 1-2-3 (not to be confused with a rumba clave which has a 1-2-3, 1-2 count and a different, heavier emphasis). In a salsa band the different rhythms of instruments will all hinge
Dancing at Edinburgh's El Barrio
" #3": i
together at different points of the clave. If there is no clave player you can be sure the musicians are playing it in their head.
Son Cuban son is the root of salsa. It is slow and sensual unlike salsa which tends to be up-front and sexy.
Salsa While you may learn basic steps in a line (and there are line dance versions) this is very non-Latin. Salsa is very much a couple dance with the man holding the woman. The first step is on the spot (’on the one') and is often just a tap or a pause, then the dance begins, Cubans then tend to move backwards away from each other, New Yorkers move forward, and Colombians do a small jump or skip. But individuals also customise their dancing and have their own ways, dictated by the man. A silent count of three on the head keeps you in place. There are various turns, again led by the man, inspired by breaks and shifts in the music if he's a good dancer.
Merengue is fast and is often perceived to be easier than salsa as it has two basic steps that go with a swingy 2/4 rhythm. A couple may dance very close, their legs moving in and out of each other, their bodies seemingly glued together.
Cumbia Probably the most popular of Latin dances in Latin America itself, Colombian cumbia is user friendly and enjoyed by all ages, but rarely danced in Europe.
EDINBURGH THURSDAYS
Pre-club
I Baracoa at Baracoa. lllpm lam. l‘ree. \Veekl}. l)J Nano plays a Latin selection. Dance L‘I;t\\C\ \\ ill) Sam. L4.
I Caliente, Caliente! at lil Barrio. l()pm lam. l‘i'ee. \Veekl}. Illix NC“ hot \ptil l'or all things Latin treats )titi to a ’I'hurxda} night helping oI. salsa and merengue. \\ ith dance classes at the
hegitming ol‘ the e\ ening. More inlo Irom C\L‘Ill\(“ clhat‘t‘iocottk.
I Salsa Viva at ('uha Norte. lllpm lam. l’ree. \Veekl)‘. Salsa and Latin [Us on rotation.
EDINBURGH FRIDAYS
Pre-club
I Cuba Norte at (‘uha Norte. lllpm lam. l-‘ree. \Veekl). l‘lamenco l’uro
pla) live. I)I\ altemardx.
I Rhythmic at l-Il Barrio. 0pm lam. liree. \VL‘Ck’I). .\lore xal\a action. lliix time directed at hardcore Ianx. \\ ho are promised the most sensual rh)thm\ ol' the neck. 'l‘hoxe needing to hi'uxh up on their salsa skills should check out the lirida} lunchtime \L‘\\l0ll\ with the inasterl'ul Sergio Irom ('uha. .\Iore inl‘o Irom
C\ L‘nl\(“ L‘lllal'l‘iot‘otlk.