Ernesto y Maritza - what kind of dance and music is this?

ColdSalsero

ColdSalsero

Son
I found this clip of an informal salsa performance, that begins with an intro that isn't salsa. I was wondering, what are Ernesto and Maritza dancing, and to what kind of rhythm?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6Om3okZfo

(moved from videoclips to promote the discussion of Coldsalsero's question :) )
 
The song is called Aña pa mi tambor by La exelencia in case you were wondering. The intro to their choreography is the intro to the song and it's basically a type of Afro-cuban rumba, which would match their choreography. If you search "rumba cubana" in youtube you should be able to watch somewhat similar dances to somewhat similar music.
 
They are opening with Elegua's steps. But I don't think that's Elegua's rhythm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Orisha-Elegua&id=627709
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozq5hj6qAik&feature=related

These steps might appear in rumba but they are folkloric/religious steps. They signify opening a pathway (like pushing aside the undergrowth).

Then yes some guaguanco type moves, done without much passion... (but I can criticize from my office chair... I'm not convinced my rumba would be any better)

The rhythm itself may be refered to as "abakua" or "afro 6/8" or "bembe" though I'm not sure whther these terms are correct for that particular rhythm, they are just terms I have heard used for rhythms with this particular lilting quality and bell pattern.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HhW_zzJNhg#t=1m30s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQpsqRoowJM

I think these rhythms were used in the palo religion too but starting to guess now.
 
sweavo said:
They are opening with Elegua's steps. But I don't think that's Elegua's rhythm...
These steps might appear in rumba but they are folkloric/religious steps. They signify opening a pathway (like pushing aside the undergrowth).
Click to expand...
They only dance 10 seconds of Eleguá from 20-30. Yoruba Andabo has a very good DVD out where they have filmed one of the legends of the orishas partially in a jungle setting and partially from a performance at a theater. Highly recommended. It also has some abakuá stuff.
Eleguá
youtube.com/watch?v=GFMa306jiHU

Abakuá (not from the DVD)
youtube.com/watch?v=6k6XuEM7nXI

sweavo said:
Then yes some guaguanco type moves, done without much passion... (but I can criticize from my office chair... I'm not convinced my rumba would be any better)
Click to expand...

I would never even have thought they were dancing guaguancó if I saw that. The steps she does are actually closer to traditional cumbia and generally women don't keep their hands on their hips when the dance guaguancó although I suppose someone could choose to do it to temp the man to try a vacunao. I think his body language is closer to guaguancó than hers but geez maybe even paso doble-ish or dare I say mariachi type steps???

I like this video with Yanek and Yanet. They mix in several different Orishas with the salsa dancing. I can recognize at least Eleguá, Ogún, Yemayá and Ochún, probably Changó is in there as well but I'm not that good at recognizing all the different steps of the various Orishas and I don't see the Changó steps that I recognize.
youtube.com/watch?v=FWlmnlBGIfM

I have terrible speakers on my laptop and since I'm out of town for the moment that's all I have so I can't hear the percussion very well in the Excelecia song. I'm sure it's not Elegua though I don't know how rumba-ish it is either. I assume Sweavo is right about all that. The 6/8 abakuá thing is probably used a lot more in Cuban salsa as is guaguancó.
The song Manana in the player below has some nice use of what the band refer to as "abakuá efectos" during the mambos at 1.56, 2.05, 3.00, 3.27 and 3.36 and the song ends with a little 6/8 section.

reverbnation.com/richardortegaylajugada
 
timberamayor said:
I would never even have thought they were dancing guaguancó if I saw that. The steps she does are actually closer to traditional cumbia and generally women don't keep their hands on their hips when the dance guaguancó although I suppose someone could choose to do it to temp the man to try a vacunao. I think his body language is closer to guaguancó than hers but geez maybe even paso doble-ish or dare I say mariachi type steps???
Click to expand...


well, I think the woman put the hands on her hips but not the way she does hehe..its more like when youre holding the skirt or you can do with the hands behind your back "the chicken"move..I think its a rumba yambu thing but everybody mix them all so I dont know hehe

timberamayor said:
I like this video with Yanek and Yanet. They mix in several different Orishas with the salsa dancing. I can recognize at least Eleguá, Ogún, Yemayá and Ochún, probably Changó is in there as well but I'm not that good at recognizing all the different steps of the various Orishas and I don't see the Changó steps that I recognize.
youtube.com/watch?v=FWlmnlBGIfM
Click to expand...

1:40 isnt chango? the part "tumbando la cana"? I am almost sure it is "machado de chango"
 
kbitten said:
well, I think the woman put the hands on her hips but not the way she does hehe..its more like when youre holding the skirt or you can do with the hands behind your back "the chicken"move..I think its a rumba yambu thing but everybody mix them all so I dont know hehe
Click to expand...
Right I just don't think here way of doing it looks like that is what she is trying to show.

kbitten said:
1:40 isnt chango? the part "tumbando la cana"? I am almost sure it is "machado de chango"
Click to expand...
May very well be. The part right after when they go on their knees is Ogún so I thought maybe it was some Ogún step. I need to learn my Orishas better. I only know a few of the steps for the main orishas so I have a long way to go.
 
ColdSalsero said:
Thanks for the info guys...trying to figure out how I can work the moves into my dancing ;)
Click to expand...

You should probably start by taking a class with the orisha dances. It is much harder to do than it looks. The body movement is very African. All the steps have some sort of meaning in reference to the deity that they belong to and they all fit to different drum patterns, although adding it to salsa you're not too likely to run into a lot of authentic batá patterns being played so you could be freer in when you insert the different steps.
 
I wish I had a better reference for which rhythm goes with which Orisha. From my limited experience I don't think it's elegua or chango, but it seems like a faster abakua conga rhythm. Sorry i wish I new more or more definitively.
 
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