We pass through the dark area of entry, so that the tropical night behind. Suddenly, the waves of sound crash over you like surfing. Breaking sweat, your heart beats to the rhythm of bass, bongos, bells and brass. The walls seem to pulsate. The acrid smell of sweat mixed with perfume assaults. When your eyes adapt to darkness, from hypnotic flashes of multicolored bolts broken, you realize that it is not walls that you add, however, dozens of dancers dancersFlashing spinning, weaving and swirling, limbs, even the quarter hour push to beat. Fills the lungs with the spicy flavor, hold the belt a notch and a dip logged Welcome to Chango Cali, Colombia - one of the hottest Salsa Latina Night Club.
Cali, a modern, festive city, lies in the heart of the Valley "." Colombians say that if "downstream" refers to the Valle del Cauca, a garden, not so little Eden of a hundred fifty miles long and about fifteen miles wide between theCoastal mountains and the Cordillera Central. Until the end of this valIey little more than an outpost of rural areas.
Then, with a population of about 15,000, Valle del Cauca was primarily cattle country, divided into large tracts of land under the haciendados "." These were proud, almost arrogant people who raised cattle for leather and beef. Some plantations of sugar cane used to produce the sweetener "panela" and distill the lens, but strong "aguardiente"sipped today. Life has been slow, measured, patriarchal and unchanging.
It 'been said that the region of Cauca in southern Colombia that the United States. In fact, there are similarities. In recent days, "walked the dirt hidalgos" Calles "in velvet jackets or red cloth embroidered with gold buttons and silver, their waistcoats of silk flowers, and the ripples of their shirts were the best batista "says Kathleen Romoli, author of Colombia: Gatewayto. South America. And like the colonial South Rimes was a large number of slaves imported to work the fields and serve the masters.
Time has brought many changes. Today, large plantations of sugar cane still carpet the Valley. Mechanized production of cotton, rice and cattle, has turned the Cauca Valley, in the agricultural sector more important in Colombia, for the "king of coffee". And with economic growth has come industry. Pleasant colonial city in 1900, grew up in Calimost important production center, with over a thousand industries at last count
There is Salsa in the air
But with all the changes, Cali maintains a welcoming charm, a personality from other cities, a climate that one expects to find in the Caribbean. Romoli good description:
The most striking thing in Cali today is not the place with imposing government buildings and rows of taxis on the road to huge palm trees, even the suburbs, with their villas and modemChurch, whose bells ring instead of sounding melodies, which employs Bogotá, or factories. It is the widespread expression almost serene serenity Not that there's a city with many pleasures, Cali is not gay by commercial entities organized for distraction, but for the grace of God
Cali attracts travelers from all over, tourists, business travelers, tourists, scholars and students. And, of course, fans of salsa and salsa artists. Studios,"Rumberias", "hard" and "viejotecas" abound.
What is to Cali's appeal? The lively atmosphere of the city? The spectacular sunsets? The natural beauty of the Andes soaring? The much-vaunted beauty of women? Perhaps it is the climate in which there is always June. Or it could be his extraordinary cleaning? Many Colombian cities are clean, but Cali is so clean that stings. Or maybe the trees and flowers, waving red and purple bougainvillea, which falls inHost Carmine red walls of the cup-of-gold dripping from the eaves, the flow of waxy bells trumpet, the poinsettia bushes, gorgeous gardenias, trees with leaves and magenta flowers and much green with feathers, flowers white or pale clusters Pink Hummingbird-wild extravagance with iridescent green flowers in winter also abdominal flapping.
No sauce, no date
Cali has all these. But undoubtedly the main attraction for many, attractsthis charming city is the salsa music. penetrate the sensual, tropical rhythms of Salsa, the lives of two million, more Caleños. On every bus, you hear salsa. Take a walk to school or shopping, there's salsa in the air. And of course there are the local salsa on almost all more than two dozen radio stations. Everywhere in the city 24 hours a day, salsa blasts from loudspeakers in the streets, in parks, shops, cars, portable radios, and private homes. Cali lives and breathesSalsa. But why salsa? Many other musical traditions, styles and genres of folk music to thrive in Cali (including the traditional cumbia, where machete-wielding dancers stomp full busted women) in ruffled skirts. What's so special sauce? After all Vallenatos is a brand of folk music with roots in the time of the Spanish conquerors, is still very popular, especially as sung by artists like winning a Grammy in Colombia, Carlos Vives. Boleros (check-out Luis Miguel Inolvidable ") and Merengue remain strong following here.
Because this is the style of so deeply rooted in the culture? To answer the lovers is simple: "I love salsa music." Whatever the reason for its universal popularity in Cali, salsa is not just music, more of a dance. It is an essential social skills, says my friend , Carmenza, "No sauce, no date." It can not the others, if not> Dance. "And that is why there are Salsa Dance schools in the city. You pay for the education of the moment. Prices vary from $ 2 to $ 6 per hour more private one-on-one instruction. Group was quick. salsa lessons are not just the place to go for learning, but to practice and perfect your moves or get some new ones. You are a good "meeting point" for local residents. "It 'important, very good dance or bored, "says Sofia,A passionate fan of salsa.
Cali describes itself as "Salsa Capital of the World", a post-Fidel Cuba, and often dragged with New York City. But even those who may take exception to the "World Capital", will certainly agree that Cali is the capital "sauce South America." The artist Top Latin salsa, New York Jerry "The King of 54th Street" Gonzalez to fly regularly sinuous move. At any time you can all the famous names in salsa singerWalk in Cuba "Queen of Salsa" Celia Cruz, guitarist, singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra from the Dominican Republic, Raul Frank Grillo, a Cuban-American also known as Machito, Ruben Blades, the Panamanian folk singer, songwriter, actor and politician known for his musical innovations and traditional sauce, Willie Colon, Oscar D'Leon and others.
SALSA Capital of the World
And do not you go long in this city of the dancers hear all the differentTypes and varieties of salsa. Juancito with 120 of the most fashionable dance club, is the heart of the nightlife rhythmic salsa Cali. Every week, celebrating the whole year, pour two hundred thousand inhabitants in this suburb east. Dancing Cali swarming and "viejotecas" for young and old. Latinos of the younger generation, in general, for a smooth, romantic music such as Salsa Romantica, the popular conductor Eddie Santiago, Tito knownNieves. Internationally known salsa singers of 1990, Linda added, "India" Caballero and Mark Anthony. The Puerto Rico-based orchestra Puerto Rican Power "is another hot group of passionate fans, both in Cali and Puerto Rico.
While it is exciting to see famous artists of salsa music to listen from abroad, do not forget, many of its universe of Cali outstanding class groups and famous musicians sauce, mixing the old with the new. The classic and innovative. WorthTravel to Cali to listen not only to the vibrant traditional sound, and Jairo Varela, Grupo Niche. Or other artists like "Son de Cali", the all-female "Orchestra Canela" and Lisandro Meza, who is also a new impulse salsa scene in Cali. That and the intoxicating sound of salsa classic Kike Santander, Joe Arroyo and Eddy Martinez thunder through the air flow in the veins of "Coca-Colos (late teens to early 20s, young people) and" cuchos "in both nightclubs , and salsatecasviejotecas also take the over-35 crowd.
When I arrived in 1995 in Cali, I thought, my sauce was OK. After all, has raised some d Smooth Moves by a bevy of beauties of Puerto Rico, during a hot summer stint in San Juan. Even in my home country of Pennsylvania, there were opportunities to slip away on Friday or Saturday night and mingle with local Hispanic Latinos in our water supply. I had developed a double-Quick Step in a rectangular pattern, too, and added that goes round and roundthe heavy beat. I had no problems, and keep dancing partner. Then shelter in Miami in a Labor Day weekend, I met a cutie Latin. I invited them to dinner and dance show later this week in "La Cima", one of the top Salsa clubs in town, out of my moves. Was impressed. A year later we married and after a little over a year, we moved to their native Colombia.
Colombian salsa is a different animal. The style, rhythm and timing are similar in other places, but it is aanother on the dance floor. My feet knew the strike, but acted as if 1 were wearing Bozo shoes. For a while ', 1 perched at locations inside the city, like putty "Cuarto Venina", on the banks of the knee deep brown, Cali River. He hears only dance here. The music is how you behave in a conversation about meat pies and cold to bear "Costeña. It is exactly the right note for a Sunday afternoon. Today, with my Latin Cutie and 1 are considered"Cuchos" (the over-35 set). It is ten years. We are still here, but still dance salsa. And I'm still showing off my moves.