Noche Latina

Latin music is well known in Hawaii but like most things, everyone knows and yet they all have their own definitions. Latin music is a genre used by the music industry as a catch-all term for music that comes from Spanish and Portuguese speaking areas south of the Mexican Border all the way to Argentina. This includes music sung in either language regardless of its genre or the artist's nationality. The Recording Industry Association of America and Billboard magazine use their own definitions of Latin music to track sales of Spanish-language records in the US. Spain, Brazil, Mexico and the United States which are the largest Latin music markets in the world.

"Social Latin Dancers learn to move more in the body than the feet. Then they

know they have something desirable, they can move to Latin music.”

On the Mainland most "Latin Nights" include the standards from the disciplines, American and International. These are Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, Samba and Tango. In this century they also include, Latin Waltz, Bachata and Salsa. On Oahu, there are different combinations and all have their fans. Lambada came and went in the last century and was good for over ten years. Anybody know what Latin Dancing is, why on the one or the two?

"Maria Elena" por Javier Solis

I saw my first Noche Latina in Waianae about 20 years ago. Then about ten years ago I saw a poster of one in Hilo and a year or so later, one in Lahaina. Then last year I saw my first one in Honolulu, a poster of Dragon Upstairs on Monday nights. Now there seem to be several others that are picking up on the action and each one will have their own menu. Email it in and I will post it to the blog of your choice.

"You should never make a ballet dancer mad. They can

kick your face no matter how tall you are."