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Search Results for: Dancing

What makes sensual bachata so popular

Why sensual bachata is popular

With the passage of time, music has undergone such a big transformation that it looks no longer as what it was a few decades ago. Just as new musical genres with very modern rhythms have emerged lately, the old ones have continuously adapted to consumers’ changing tastes of this era. Such is the case of bachata, which has progressively succumbing to the sensual fashion that has spread to a good part of current genres. 

Nowadays sensual bachata has gone on to become one of the favorite musical styles for both young and not so young. The best proof of this is that each day there are more radio stations and nightclubs that include in their repertory this music to appeal to the public who support it. 

What has made sensual bachata become so famous? 

This genre from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico has always stood out for its waste of romanticism and sensuality, which has made it very famous in the rest of the world. One of the most important characteristics of bachata is the deep connection that should exist between the members of the dance couple in order to infect the audience with magnificent energy and an intimacy out of this world. 

Sensual bachata has become one of the favorite variants for most people, which has expanded enormously thanks to a large number of dancers who have dedicated themselves to seeking new horizons and setting aside traditional styles from previous years. This style has had plenty of promoters, which was the reason it has become so popular in a pretty quick period of time. 

The role of women in sensual bachata 

Why sensual bachata is so popular
Young couple dancing sensual bachata

Without any doubt, women have acquired a leading role in bachata in recent years as it is the female part of the dance that performs the most sensual movements of the choreography. On top of this, there are a more or less intense touch of eroticism and a very vivid interpretation of the music to give the result that the dancers are looking for. After professional dancers started adding these ingredients to their choreographies, there was the emergence of a set of rhythms that reinvented itself and won the support of the public. 

One of the reasons why sensual bachata has gained so much popularity lately is the role played by women during the dance. 

This genre shows us a woman who should be able to take advantage of all her femininity and be very sure of herself at all times. Every part of her body must move to the rhythm of the music without neglecting the load of eroticism needed at any time. 

The best of all this is that every day there are more and more women who want to bring out this sensual side that all women have, so they choose to enroll in dance classes where they are taught to dance these types of rhythms in a professional manner or not so much. A large part of these classes is aligned toward learning delicate body movements, cadence, and much more. 

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Somaly Zapata Santana Artist

Somaly Zapata Music

The Dominican Republic is known for being the second largest and most diverse country in the Caribbean, noted for the warmth of its climate and the hospitality of its people. They are also known and famous for their talent for dancing wherever there is music, which is influenced by their West African, Spanish and European roots; Among the genres that stand out the most is “Merengue”, “Bachata” and “Son”; Another genre that also stands out as popular music is “La Balada”, “Rap”, “Dembow”, “Rock” and “Jazz”.

In this opportunity we have the pleasure of introducing you through International Salsa Magazine to Somaly Zapata, a Dominican singer who followed her path in the musical world firmly and in an evolutionary way in her musical themes, from her first song in merengue “Regálame” to his new theme song to be promoted at the moment “¿Verdad que duele?” In its sauce version.

She was born on July 24, 1988, from a very young age she showed inclinations for musical art, getting to participate in different social events. Her first song was a Mother’s Day gift to her grandmother when she was 13 years old. As the years went by, its melody and lyrics developed in the genres of Salsa, Merengue, Balada, Bachata or a fusion of them, giving it a characteristic that other songs do not have.

Somali Zapata Music
Somaly Zapata recording in the studio

It was influenced by great tropical artists such as Milly Quezada, Olga Tañon, Celia Cruz, La India, among others; However, he did not show his voice to the public at that time because he was a very shy person, but always with a musical spirit deep inside him.

Later he began to perform in different activities imitating only the movements of Milly Quezada and doing an almost perfect mimic of his great songs. In her adolescence she began to discover herself as an artist on a vocal level through her lyrics, taking classes on topics related to this art, writing situations without personal experience, but that were interesting for a composer hungry to express her most intimate feelings.

Somaly Zapata shows us her musical history, beginning in 2011, when she decides to go to work in the United States “USA” at the “Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts” as a cultural exchange, which allows her to acquire knowledge and in turn save money for be able to professionally record your first song. From that moment on, she began her artistic career with the outstanding Dominican musician / arranger Juan Valdez Ybet, who, merging ideas, supported by the great career of Mr. Valdez and the magic of the singer’s lyrics, is launched from gradually form the different singles of the artist; Not to mention that he is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers).

Somaly Zapata Music
Somaly Zapata pose

The themes and / or songs that they present to us:

Author: Somaly Zapata

Arrangement: Juan Valdez Ybet

Regalame – (Merengue)

Para alguien como ti – (Salsa)

Cuando se apague el sol – (Salsa)

¿Verdad que duele?  (Salsa) promotional theme

 

For more information, you can contact this great artist through:

 

Correo: [email protected]

WebSite:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somalymusic/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/somaly_zapata

GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/116832184355913365324

Facebook: @ somaly.zapata.5

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What zouk is and how its origin was

Zouk and its origins

It is incredible to see how far certain rhythms and dances from all over the world have become popular in Europe.  One of them has been zouk, which can be defined as a pretty fast musical style which is traced directly back to the French Antilles, mostly on the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Zouk was viewed as only one sensual dance practiced by African slaves in the less favored areas of the continent at the turn of the 21st century.

In fact, some think that this genre originated in Cape Verde and spread throughout the Caribbean thanks to the slaves were moved into that part of the world. 

As can be seen, the history of zouk is not very different from that of many rhythms of this type that were exported all over the world from Africa. As well as other genres, zouk was merged with other local styles to get as a result a set of sounds that is more relevant than ever. 

How is the origin of zouk? 

Two people dancing zouk with a dark background
Two people dancing zouk with a dark background

According to the earliest records of the word zouk, it was the band Kassav that made this term popular during the 80’s decade, which means happiness or move with force. Supposedly, the rhythm was introduced by a large group of Haitian musicians in the above-mentioned decade. 

Since the 90’s decade, zouk began to diminish in popularity, but this rough patch did not last too long. When it arrived in Latin America, more specifically in Brazil, the genre started to mingle with local sounds and to adapt to the many shadesof lambada. That was the reason why zouk began to be known as lambada zouk, French lambada, among other nice monikers. 

So great was the rapport between zouk and lambada that they gave rise to a whole new mix known as lambazouk. While both rhythms appear to have separate origins, the truth is that these two genres have much more in common than you think. 

How to dance zouk 

Zouk and African slaves
Two people while dancing zouk

Officially, zouk has three different rhythms and one of its greatest characteristics is that it is always performed by couples while both members move in a very smooth and sensual way. It is possible to dance it with a lot of closeness or almost no physical contact on the part of the man and the woman. 

The man has a lead role in this dance and it is he is the one who leads the woman in order to keep up without losing balance at no time. It is the man who must propose all movements and steps that his female counterpart will reproduce on the dance floor. Everything depends on the boy the dance being varied, creative, and respectful of the essence of zouk in each step. 

All the woman has to do is allow the man to take control and follow his directions to the letter. Anyway, she needs to be very attentive to her back positioning and work hard on her style to achieve graceful and delicate movements. 

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What semba is and how it arises

How semba arises

Lately, many African rhythms have become very famous in Europe, which has motivated many African descendants and artists from African countries to organize all kinds of activities related to their culture, especially with music.  

One of the most present African genres in events with this type of music is semba. This lively musical style also known as the belly dance is an Angolan rhythm that originated during the colonial era when African slaves came to America. One of the receiving countries was Bolivia, a place in which it began to be widely danced by the local tribes of that territory. What is even more, this country hosts many festivities where this rhythm is very present despite the time elapsed.  

Over the years, semba slowly merged with other local styles, resulting in a set of mixes that have spread throughout the world. Indeed, it was a process much like that of kizomba and zouk, which also changed a lot after so many transformations and mergers.  

Currently, this African genre is very present in many musical events carried out in Europe. It is impressive to see how the locals have been interested in learning how to dance such a diverse set of sounds. 

What semba is 

semba and its presence in Bolivia
Two people dancing semba

Semba is a traditional dance that is very present in family celebrations and has gained tremendous traction in the European continent after being made known to the locals. Many know this genre as the kizomba’s father, as this style was inspired by semba, although the differences between both genres are more than noticeable. 

To begin with, this genre was the preferred dance for livening up public and family feasts, so there are many real stories about this rich set of sounds and the enthusiasm it aroused in people who danced it. Nowadays, this dance has an incredible presence in a large number of festivals, in which the curious can quench the desire to know much more about African culture. 

How to dance semba 

 There are two ways to dance semba, so the choice is at the convenience of the dancer. There is a version of the dance in which the embrace is not so closed and there are no tricks or pirouettes. In the other version (it is a bit more modern than the previous one), the members of the couple perform all kinds of tricks to decorate the dance and the woman has a much more predominant role than in kizomba. 

Additional characteristics 

Semba and African culture
A girl dancing semba with drums in the background

One of the most important characteristics of semba is the clashing of bellies that dancers are supposed to do during the dance. In the same way, they must move their belly buttons to the beat of drums and gesticulate in a flirty way to transmit more charisma to the dance, which gives the girl a bigger role. 

And plus, dance steps are usually very fast and accurate, so both member of the couple must be very attentive to each other’s moves. In the large majority of cases, it is the girl who walks quickly while the man must keep up with her and bust out cheerful and fun steps. 

There is no right or wrong way of dancing semba, but it is always recommended that those interested in attending events that include it learn as much about the typical steps and moves. This would make the experience a little more fruitful and intense. 

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What urbankiz is and how it is danced

Europe

Urbankiz and its relation with kizomba

In recent years, kizomba has become one of the most popular rhythms in many parts of the world. While ir is true that this genre has gained great ground lately, there are many who think that it is too soft and gentle, so some choose faster and more cheerful musical styles. One of those options is the so-called urbankiz. 

If you consider that kizomba is too slow for you, you have the possibility to learn to dance urbankiz, which is considered a variant of kizomba that is already present at many events worldwide. 

Urbankiz and its relation with kizomba
This is a group of people dancing urbankiz

How could we define urbankiz? 

The urbankiz can be defined as a version of kizomba that stands out for mixing the African essence with other slightly more modern musical styles. It is thought that the name was first heard in Paris, France, which then caused quite a stir between lovers of this fabulous dance style. 

One of the key differences between urbankiz and kizomba as it was known is a group of technical details of one dance relative to the other. In the case of the kizomba, you are meeting with linear movement, a greater distance between the dancers and a greater emphasis on the arm movements. And as regards urbankiz, one of its greatest attractions is its lively rhythm. 

This dance is a fusion of the most electronic versions of kizomba (zouk and terraxa) with well-known urban styles such as rap and hip-hop.

This mix of rhythms is what makes the dance happier and more lively from what one commonly imagines. In the same way, people have been introducing a few changes to the dance styles employed in classical kizomba. 

How to dance urbankiz? 

Urbankiz in Europe
This is a couple dancing urbankiz

One of the most impressive aspects of urbankiz is the separation of the couple during the dance. Many think that this detail does not make any sense, since one of the most enduring characteristics of kizomba is the sensuality wasted by two people who dance very close together. Why is this change taking place? What happens is that urbankiz is much more focused on other aspects such as the strength and the explosiveness appropriate for urban rhythms. 

Additional to that, this variant of kizomba includes various pauses, acrobatics, and very abrupt choreography switchs. This makes this style and the traditional one be quite different from each other, so faint that they do not seem to be linked in any way. 

Conclusions 

From the above, it can be concluded that urbankiz is a variant much more intended for those who want to try a more lively, cheerful, and picturesque style. It is only a matter of trying different rhythms until they find the most exciting and appropriate option for everyone. This is the reason why many artists and singers are always trying to create more new rhythms to choose from, which is very useful for those who are looking for new options.

The more mixes of genres are created, the more likely people are to find what they are looking for when dancing. 

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International Salsa Magazine (ISM) is a monthly publication about Salsa activities around the world, that has been publishing since 2007. It is a world network of volunteers coordinated by ISM Magazine. We are working to strengthen all the events by working together.