Notes from El Intruso in New York:
Mambo's popularity and longevity has been blown out of proportion, for commercial reasons. It has been taken out of context since the book and the movie, "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love", and gave high hopes, to some dinosaurs, of a Mambo comeback.The Mambo's Golden Age in New York City lasted at the most 10 years - from 1955 to circa 1965. That is really nothing compared with the decades after decades of dancing to many different kinds of Latin Music. The Fania All Stars (nobody was talking about Mambo during their time) were on a roll for almost 15 years.
The Mambo was only one of the musical expressions attracting New York born Latinos, yes, mainly New York Puerto Ricans, or NuYorkricans. For those Latinos, the musical innovations of people like Chano Pozo, Mario Bauza, and Chico O'Farril, to mention a few, provided an outlet to express their biculturality. And yet today, for a large group of Cultural Dancers in Hawaii, the Mambo remains a very danceable fun dance in an evening of Social Dancing. On Oahu it is still a very acceptable dance and when played by Social Dance DJs, the floors are crowded.
In Hawaii, dance blogs are enabling hundreds of dancers to express their opinions with reduced political risk simply because of the sheer number of like-minded opinions online. Facing these independent voices, the old clique machines are starting to crumble. Our blogs are meant to let everyone express their own honest opinion and let it swirl along with all the rest. We are developing our own Latin beat and Oahu is leading the way.
Mambo's popularity and longevity has been blown out of proportion, for commercial reasons. It has been taken out of context since the book and the movie, "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love", and gave high hopes, to some dinosaurs, of a Mambo comeback.The Mambo's Golden Age in New York City lasted at the most 10 years - from 1955 to circa 1965. That is really nothing compared with the decades after decades of dancing to many different kinds of Latin Music. The Fania All Stars (nobody was talking about Mambo during their time) were on a roll for almost 15 years.
"Social dancing of any kind takes up a lot of RAM, like on a computer! Starting with coordination, basic motor skills, mental and emotional resources and doing it."
The Mambo was only one of the musical expressions attracting New York born Latinos, yes, mainly New York Puerto Ricans, or NuYorkricans. For those Latinos, the musical innovations of people like Chano Pozo, Mario Bauza, and Chico O'Farril, to mention a few, provided an outlet to express their biculturality. And yet today, for a large group of Cultural Dancers in Hawaii, the Mambo remains a very danceable fun dance in an evening of Social Dancing. On Oahu it is still a very acceptable dance and when played by Social Dance DJs, the floors are crowded.
"My Molokai" by Willie K
In Hawaii, dance blogs are enabling hundreds of dancers to express their opinions with reduced political risk simply because of the sheer number of like-minded opinions online. Facing these independent voices, the old clique machines are starting to crumble. Our blogs are meant to let everyone express their own honest opinion and let it swirl along with all the rest. We are developing our own Latin beat and Oahu is leading the way.
"Social Dancers know that their time is limited, so they are not
going to waste it living someone else’s life."
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