This is an open letter to all Los Angeles dance instructors and DJ's.
The world is ever evolving. Trends come and go. Some things stay and others go quickly. Salsa (tropical dance music) has never left us. Though It changes, though it goes through various levels of popularity, it has survived.
It has not died (or at least completely died) because it is a musical art form that deserves to live. It is something that indeed makes life worth living. It is a recharge for your soul. It is important. More than that, it is vital.
As such, it is important to remember that we (as part of the community) have a certain responsibility to make sure that the traditions are passed down correctly to the succeeding generations. As time marches on, most of the masters that created this art form have passed on. We must make sure that what they created doesn't also pass, into oblivion.
This does not mean that you need to be a revivalist. Music is supposed to change. But just because music changes, that does not mean that we can afford to forget rhythms and other key elements that made the music what it is.
Historically the musicians (and authors of this music) have had a symbiotic relationship with dancers. They created the music and the dancers individually found it within themselves to create dance.
Every time a new rhythm was created, the dancers followed. Mambo came from an older rhythm (the guaguanco). The Cha Cha came from the older Danzon. Rhythms of more African origin were refined into modern incarnations (Mozambique, Bomba, Plena, Jala Jala, Comparsa). Every time one of these rhythms came onto the scene, the dancers were able to adapt. The further away from these rhythms (and Africa for that matter) that you get, the further away you get from what Salsa is. Salsa is not supposed to be pop music with tropical window dressing.
It seems that dancers are less and less equipped these days to deal with these rhythms (all of which fall under the umbrella term of "salsa"). There was a time when a band couldn't get away with not playing a Bolero. When a band played a bolero, It was the time of the night when dancers were really able to get close to one another.
Bachata seems to be what dancers use to do this these days, when they want to dance close. That's all well and good. But it is a mistake to let Bachata entirely take the place of these other dances that are part of the salsa tradition. Bachata has very little to do with salsa. It is not salsa. This is not to say that there is no place for Bachata. Dancers want what they want. But give them options. Don't forget to teach dancers how to handle a Cha Cha Cha. Equip them to handle a Bolero. It would be a shame to let these traditions die on our watch.
This is of course just a reminder. We musicians would have nothing without the continued support of promoters, dancers, DJ's, music lovers, and everybody else in the salsa community.
