Slowing Down

While all of our other dance blogs on Oahu are going up, even though slowly, this one is going down slowly. Only Ritmo Mestizo is farther down than Dancing Nights. May only be temporary. If we can get a couple of information contributors and another Guest Author, it might go to the top. Since most of us on Oahu do not know much about blogs, we just have to play it by ear.

“Words spread because words will spread even though they may not be true."

From where we stand, it seems like the Night Club scene is going strong. Bachata - Salsa seems to be predominant at the moment in both the DJ and Live music parts. We are not aware of the Salsa scene in the Neighbor Islands yet. But the Search Engines have a lot of work ahead of them in music and dance in Hawaii.

"La Paloma" by Placido Domingo

The top bands on Oahu all have their own Web sites so they believe they do not need additional help from Blogs. Patience, they will eventually realize the facts. And we try to avoid commitments from anyone. It is only when you want to share the information. Another two or three years will do it. Meanwhile those that do not have Web sites, try using one of our blogs. You will see more recognition very soon. The cost? Wow!

“We all need something to help us unwind at the end of the day.

Quite harmless if we had a couple of glasses of wine."

Songs, Live and DJ

A DJ can play songs that are shorter than the ordinary three minute social dance kind and they play non-stop. It means more than 20 songs per hour and you are not going to get that much in live music. We all understand that it is a much different environment. In a live environment the songs may be longer and you will get 12 to 15 depending on the crowd. If the crowd is quiet and they are waiting then the band has to play. If the crowd is having a ball talking story and saying hello to their friends, the band can delay the play a full minute.

“Most of us have the deficiency of not having a bullshit meter

that can read someone's statement as false.”

It has been a long time when the great composers of the 17th century agreed that the silence in music at the right time is priceless. In live music you get it automatically. In social partner dancing, it is invaluable to have the opportunity to exchange opinions, go to the restroom, get another beer, say hello to that special friend, whatevah. Next time you go out on a live musical jaunt, look around you and see what you enjoy the most.

"Mi Son Maracaibo"por Rene Touzet

How about a Latin NIght Club? In a 60 song agenda, a Latin club requires most of the music to be in Rumba and Cha Cha Cha. Perhaps 10 Rumbas, and 10 Cha Cha Chas. and each one would be played every sixth song. There would be at least, 8 Merengues, 8 Sambas and 8 Tangos and at least 6 waltzes, 3 of each kind. That would leave them 10 to test the winds and the dancers could make the decisions. How about a nice Fox Trot? In Hawaii?

"Ir does not have to be end of a perfect day, to have a glass of wine" 

Steady

This blog is no longer advancing the way it was. At one time it was in 3rd place with the help of some scam, spam robot hits and some search engine hits. Now about even with Dancing in the Dark. But all the blogs need more information contributors to spread the word. Patience.

“All that is important is that one moment in the movement to music.

To make that moment important, vital, and worth living is dancing.

The communication from the blogs to share with other blogs is going very well. Any of my Blogger blogs is connected to share with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Google+. Every blog has five separate contacts with readers. Then I also use Word Press blog named Dancing On Oahu and it is connected to share with Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Tumblr. Each blog has five separate contacts with the readers.

"Pearly Shells" by Don Ho

They are all proceeding very slowly because they are limited to me and SOS (same old shit) and that is definitely not social media. A few regular steady information contributors could do very well in making these blogs into social media. Then it would be fairly easy to get a Guest Author and the hits would go through the roof. 100 average hits per day and I could resign and the blog would go independent. The Guest Authors could make their own rules.

"Lonely Summers" by Carol Kai

Meanwhile in town most have their own Web Sites and do not know that Blog Sites are not an "instead of," they are an "addition to" whatever you have now. Simple? My best blog will go independent this year, the junk blogs remain mine. And we shall keep on dancing.

"Welcome to all the new people coming in. You will meet other new

people who have different points of view. But you may just

live a little better life, one that you will be proud of."

Latin Live

There are at least four good Salsa dance bands in Hawaii. All of them billed as Salsa, on their Web sites, newspaper ads, radio and TV advertising. At any rate, they are playing Latin music - Live. We have all heard it, somewhere. "I'll take great music, performed in a great venue every time. Not only is the music more involving, but the energy of musicians playing with and off of each other adds another dimension to the story-telling." So be it.

“For social dancers, it may be far better to grasp our Oahu Dance World as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”

The truth is, everyone likes to look down on someone, here as well as anywhere else. The core of the problem is how we want to define “Latin Music.” That music is either delivered - they connect with an audience - or they don’t, and on Oahu they do very well. For some, that audience is a few thousand wanna be Latin dancers and some critics and of course there are always a few outstanding dancers that could very easily become pros.

"Cien Ańos" por Pedro Infante

Those connections happen because the music successfully communicates something real about the human experience. Sure, there is trashy music that does really well, but that’s because there are trashy facets of humanity, such as increasing the number of steps or patterns you can dance to the music, Auwe. What people value in their music - and Latin may be what they count as music - really tells you more about them than it does about the music.

A colorful parade in Latin America, with live music and dancing.

Then there is distance. Many years ago they had many concerts at the coliseum in Los Angeles. The seats in the upper rows were always the last to go. But the sound of the live music wasn't very good and from the distance you could not see much. Concerts are all much closer nowadays, Blaisdell is fine, Aloha Stadium, no good. If we can go to Night Club on Oahu, where we are sitting in the same room as the band, we are very lucky indeed. Not only that but for many of the regulars, they can say "hello Mary, hello John" which certain makes for the start of a beautiful social evening.

Wrong Ad?: A superb and inexpensive restaurant.

Fine food served by waitresses in appetizing forms.

Host Bars

We have plenty of Hostess Bars throughout the Hawaiian Islands, but we may be getting something else soon. Here’s a description taken of Wikipedia that discusses what these hosts do everyday, but not in Honolulu yet: While hostess bars in Tokyo often have men out on the streets getting clients to come into their clubs, hosts often go out onto the streets to find customers (referred to as "catch,") but these are usually the younger, less-experienced ones.

“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least

once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” 

The more experienced already have a list of semi steady customers and a little free time to spend talking story. A common look for a host is a dark suit, collared shirt, silver jewelry, a dark tan, and bleached hair. Recently clubs where hosts wear casual clothes have been increasing, but still the norm is the smart suit look. At these clubs there can be a (shifukud) or "own clothes day" where the hosts can wear their normal clothes.

"Sakura De Amor" by el trio Los Panchos

Pay is usually determined by commissions on drink sales with hosts often drinking far past a healthy limit, usually while trying to hide their drunkenness. Because the base hourly wage is usually extremely low, almost any man can become a host regardless of looks or charisma (depending on the bar). However, hosts who cannot increase their sales usually drop out very soon, because of the minimal wage. The environment in a host bar is usually very competitive, with thousands of dollars sometimes offered to the host who can achieve the highest sales.

Sign in Pearl City: Dog for sale, Eats anything and is fond of children.

The Velvet Chord

Oahu and Beyond:
Everyone has a free pass to get inside the Velvet Cord of our blogosphere from the beginning. But it has slowly come out that some choose not to participate in our endeavors which should still be just fine with all of us. Usually it is an honest opinion and they can easily change their mind if they see the light some day.

"It seems that any full grown, mature adult would have a desire to
 be responsible, to help where they can in a world that needs
so very much and that threatens us so very much."

However, there is one way that guarantees they will never get inside the Velvet Cord. Lie about me and/or our fellow reader/dancers. They will have made it plain that they want out and they shall remain out. We would rather not be associated with these type of people.

"Tiny Bubbles" by Don Ho

 There shouldn't be any further problem with that. We do not have to talk stink about anyone. No hu hu, they can ignore us and we can ignore them, easy. We will be too busy trying to please so many of the good kind of people. There are over 35000 dancers on the Island of Oahu and they are going to have a say so.

"Green Onions" By Booker T. & The MG's

Next is to denigrate our publications. Then they will have really made it very plain that this is not their cup of tea and they can count on us to respect their wishes for the rest of their lives. Third we must accept that some have made the decision for an entire group or club. So be it - and the members should be made aware of it.

Meanwhile, Live Music in the Central Valley and the North Shore is moving along very nicely and there will be another place before the end of the year.

"Arrogance is the obstruction of wisdom." 

Shaping Up Nicely

Most dancers find their confidence in dancing, just enjoying the movement to music regularly. Right may be a mere inches away from wrong. Failure sometimes seems louder than success. But there is an accumulation of all the things we don’t do wrong, and it becomes our confidence. We can even get to the point where confidence lasts longer than the dance. Seconds at first. Then minutes. Then maybe it’ll be there when we are walking into a party, a social dance or a night club. We can feel that we have something, that may not be great but it is good, and we know we can move to our favorite music.

"Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts

the sacred voice that calls us the Beloved. Being the Beloved

constitutes the core truth of our existence.”

We got Rhythm? Yes we do, all of us. There are Biorhythms, which start at birth, an emotional, a mental and a physical rhythm. Some swear by them, some say they have no impact. They are currently being documented. There are books on these rhythms. There should be many more cycles influencing all life on earth. All these cycles work together, influencing us physically, emotionally and spiritually. These cycles repeat as rhythms, some short, some lasting for ages.

"I've Got Rhythm" by Ella Fitzgerald.

In town, the Peripherals are doing just fine. Salsa is losing ground to Bachata but many venues have both which should be OK. Argentine Tango is keeping up with the growing partner dancing as are the Swing clubs. And Line dance is pretty persistent while waiting in the wings is the Latin club and nobody knows what that is.

“Dance and live your truth. Express your love - share your enthusiasm.

Take action towards your dreams and keep on dancing."