Wow, has it been five years already??!! Time flies!!!
From downtown to the Westside, we’re so happy and grateful to be coming up on our anniversary this Saturday. And can’t wait to celebrate with you all!!
There are so many people who’ve contributed to our success over the years…too many to mention here, but we want to say thank you for the help and thank you for all the memories!!
Anyway, join us on Saturday, and let’s make this the BIGGEST Blen Blen yet!!
The fun kicks off at 8 pm with Javier & Kiki teaching in the salsa room and, for the first time at Blen Blen, Tony & Lyliana teaching bachata! And also, Chris is teaching Kizomba. Followed up by Kati teaching Casino at 9 pm.
Bachata is a dance and music originating in the Dominican Republic in the ’60s and now popularized on dancefloors around the world. It is a partner dance that can be danced in an open, semi-open or closed position. Unlike Salsa, Bachata does not include many turn patterns, although more are being incorporated into the dance as it changes. The basic dance sequence is performed in an 8-count moving within a square and usually side to side, consisting of three steps with a tap. Bachata can be danced on any beat of the musical sequence as long as the basic step pattern is maintained. Most of the dancer’s movement is in the hips and lower body. Bachata is still danced today in the Caribbean and all over the world and has been evolving for several decades. More contemporary Bachata has become faster, adding more footwork, turns, and improvisation. It is often played intermittently on dance floors between Salsa, Merengue, and other Latin dance forms. As always, it’s good to know the differences in both music and dances so you can more thoroughly enjoy your time dancing! The more dances, the merrier some say!
As L.A. emerges from the pandemic and months of isolation, I’ve heard many folks, both friends and casual acquaintances, express a desire for a life filled with something a little more meaningful, something more soulful and connective, something with a little more…pizazz than zoom meetings in pajamas. I’ve heard of many folks who wish to take up something new, and who have made “post-covid resolutions” to learn to Salsa Dance.
For many who have yet to venture out onto the dancefloor, the idea of the salsa conjures images of sweaty bodies, lush music, passionate exchanges between dance partners. Many casually assume that salsa is a spinoff of American ballroom, just one slightly saucier step away from the foxtrot or a waltz. If you, too, long to feel the exuberance of the salsa, it’s a good idea to learn a bit more about the dance and its amazing origins, going back by way of the Caribbean into its African Roots. The more you know, the more you can fully enjoy not only the natural joy of the dance and the music, but become a better dancer as you go on a journey into the culture and meaning of all the sound, rhythms, and movement.
So what is Salsa, really?
Salsa can be a blanket term that describes both a style of dance music and the dance itself, that comes out of Latin America and the Caribbean. Many beginners mistakenly assume everything rhythmic they hear in Spanish or at a club is called, or considered Salsa, but that is not the case, and it’s important to learn the differences in what you are hearing and what dances people are doing.
More specifically, Salsa refers to a specific style of music and dance that is a Cuban-influenced genre created in New York City in the 1960s. Its origins are rooted in a style of music from Eastern Cuba called Son Cubano, an Afro-Cuban style of music created by Cuban musicians of Bantu descent, combining traditional African rhythms with European musical traditions. The Bantu people, as well as people from other ethnic groups from Western and Central Africa, were brought to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and the US as slaves during the slave trade, and they brought with them their traditional rhythms, languages, religious beliefs and cultural practices, many of which have survived to this day both in Africa and the Americas.
Salsa as its own genre took form in the US, and while it draws its roots from Son Cubano, early salsa musicians also incorporated elements of other Cuban forms, including danzon, rumba, guaracha, cha-cha-cha, mambo, son montuno, and Latin jazz. Many of the early salsa musicians in the U.S. were Puerto Rican, and they incorporated additional Puerto Rican traditional forms such as plena and bomba into the music. Other prominent Salsa musicians hailed from countries including Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American Countries. With its incredible mix of influences, it is no wonder that “Salsa” means “the sauce”!
Early bandleaders and singers from the ’60s and 70’s- whose names and music you will quickly begin to hear regularly in Salsa clubs and on dancefloors- include Tito Puente, the Cuban-born Celia Cruz, Hector Lavoe, Ray Baretto, and Johnny Pacheco. In the 1960s, Pacheco’s label Fania Records, and the collective of performers called the Fania All-Stars, released many of the top recordings and thus began the popularization of the genre and the spread of salsa across the US and back into Latin America and the Caribbean.
Salsa, however, is not a stagnant genre, stuck in its golden days of the ’60s and ’70s. It has evolved as its own genre over time, with cutting edge creativity, and also inspired various forms of pop, Latin jazz, and hip hop. Timba is a present-day, thriving musical genre that combines Salsa, funk, and R&B. While one technically still dances salsa steps, and the rhythms are similar, Timba has its own following within the Salsa world, and differences in dance style, often incorporating Afro-Cuban traditional forms, contemporary hip hop styles, and explosive improvisation. Other contemporary styles within Salsa also include what is known as New York Style/”On 2”, and Los Angeles style salsas.
In some salsa clubs, Salsa and Timba may be the main fare, but to break it up and give dancers a rest or change of tempo, DJ’s and live bands may include several other music styles, each with their own rhythms, dances, and unique cultural origins, including merengue, bachata, cumbia, and reggaeton. If you are new to the dancefloor, be observant when you hear the rhythm and change and the dancers shift into different steps, and ask some friendly folks about those dances. You’ll be off on another historical journey into Latin America and back. So many dances to learn….so little time!
COVID-19 has decisively left its mark on the Latin dance scene around the globe by practically obliterating any chance of safe dancing opportunities, unless it is with your significant other or people inside your bubble that you see and interact with regularly anyway. Millions of people around the world are sorely missing the chance to engage in safe dancing practices again in order to fill their cups by socializing, exercising, and getting their “happy hormones.”
When it comes to Latin dancing, specifically salsa and bachata, below are some of the new, newly reopened, or about to be reopened places across the LA area where you can get back into doing what you love. If you follow the establishments’ rules and if your desire to dance is greater than your fear of the virus, that is.
As of this publication, these locations are open, but days, times, or entry regulations may change with the changing state of COVID guidelines. Make sure to bring your mask and use hand sanitizer generously throughout the night if you re-enter the dance scene! Dancers, please stay safe. Engage in safe dancing practices for your sake and for others.
Beginner Salsa lesson at 8:00pm Intermediate Salsa lesson at 9:00pm Social Dancing with music by DJ Charlie from 10-2am
Cover $10 Valet is $10 for our event All ages from 5-10pm After 10pm 21+
Legacy Orange County
Newport Beach’s newest dance event is Bachata Brunch Sundays, every Sunday afternoon from noon to 5 pm for the foreseeable future moving forward. Entrance is $5, and dancing will take place in the main room, as well as on the patio. Space is limited and masks are mandatory, so make sure to get there early if you want to combine brunch and dancing.
With its grand opening scheduled for tonight, March 31st, Costa Mesa is about to gain a new Wednesday nightspot for the dance lovers. For $10, you will enjoy drinks specials and two separate rooms dedicated 100% to salsa and bachata, respectively. Just like it was usual in the past, the night will start with a dance class, followed by open dancing at Café Sevilla. Video
Salsa Thursdays begin this week on April 1st at this NoHo Arts District Mexican & Peruvian Restaurant. Alejandro Sol, a well-known salsa instructor and salsa promoter in the Valley, is jumpstarting the salsa scene with a private salsa event this week.
Fusion Fridays
April 9th marks the grand opening of Fusion Fridays in Westminster. The free
Fusion Fridays is an event held in Westminster at the PCH Club, and will be happening Friday August 20 th and Friday August 27 th from 8pm-2am. Check for future scheduling beyond August. Classes and open dancing are at the following times: 8PM Bachata Beginners & Intrmed/Adv 8:45PM Salsa Beginners & Intrmed/Adv 9:45PM Dancing Dancers will have the option to use a special color wristband should they only want to dance with their “select known crowd.” Ticket purchases will take place online, and once capacity is reached, purchasing will be cut off. The PCH Club is located at: 6285 E. Pacific Coast Highway Long Beach, CA, 90803
Chinaland
If you want to venture out a bit further to Oxnard, Chinaland is the next on our list of newly reopened places for salsa dancing. Sunday nights the dancing is back, starting with a free bachata lesson at 6 pm and then open dancing until 10 pm.
Chinaland is located at: 543 S. Ventura Rd Oxnard, CA, 93030 805-201-8685
Steven’s Steakhouse This long time mainstay of the Los Angeles Salsa Community is back open, offering Salsa and Bachata on Sundays, from 4p-3am. 5332 E. Stevens Pl, Commerce, Ca.
El Pollo Inca El Pollo Inca, in Gardena, has reopened to offer Latin Dancing every Sunday, and offers classes before open Dancing begins. Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, and Cumbia are featured. 6 PM Salsa Lessons Beginners 7 PM Intermediate Lessons Price: $10 per class Music & Dancing starts at 8PM – No Cover Charge! El Pollo Inka Peruvian Restaurant & Night Club 1425 W. Artesia Blvd. Gardena, CA (Corner of Artesia & Normandie Blvd) (310) 516 – 7378
El Floridita Salsa Mondays are back on in this classic LA location known for its excellent live entertainment, intimate space and great food. 8pm-1am. Call early for table reservations as they fill up quickly. El Floridita Cuban Restaurant 1253 N. Vine St, Hollywood, CA IXTAPA Tropical Tuesdays are on. If you want to experience the Pasadena Latin Dancing nightlife at its best, take a trip down to Old Town Pasadena this Tuesday night and enjoy a night of Salsa dancing at IXTAPA hosted by Latin Dance Pro. Bachata lesson 7:30pm Salsa Lesson 8pm Dancing and Music 9p on IXTAPA, 119 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena
3 Vinos
3 Vinos in Covina has re-opened to offer Salsa on Sundays and Wednesdays, and Bachata night on Tuesdays. There is no cover charge, though there may be a charge for classes. 3 Vinos is an upscale club, located in one of the oldest historic buildings in the East San Gabriel Valley, renovated for its beautiful architecture and unique, classical design. To keep the atmosphere positive and energetic, they enforce a fashionable, trendy dress code. Upscale fashionable attire, no loose clothing, no clothing with holes, no tennis shoes or sneakers of any kind (ie Vans, Nike, Jordans, Ect.), no sports or gang apparel of any kind, no baseball caps (fedoras, newsboy hats, ect, are okay), no sandals and no mens shorts.
Bachata Mondays Lesson from 8:45-9:45 Followed by DJ, bachata, salsa and merengue until 1:30 am
3 Vinos Salsa Sundays Dance class at 5pm
Dancing until 10pm 3 Vinos Salsa Wednesdays Class at 8pm Dancing until 1:30am
These are just the first places to open back up for dancing. Make sure to bring your mask and use hand sanitizer generously throughout the night if you re-enter the dance scene!
Dancers, please stay safe. Engage in safe dancing practices for your sake and for others.
