Colombian Salsa music troupe to perform in Delhi

NEW DELHI - Salsa, the scintillating Latino dance music from Colombia, will set the capital rocking to its raucous beats July 30 to mark 200 years of independence of the South American country.

The concert by popular Salsa music troupe, LA 33, will be presented by the Embassy of Colombia and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at the Mavalankar Auditorium here.

Announcing this at a press conference in Delhi Friday, Colombian ambassador Juan Alfredo Pinto said: “Salsa represented the joyous spirit of Colombia and its vibrant culture.”

The ambassador said he would continue his efforts to bring Colombian culture to India and enhance the exchange for celebrations of 200 years of independence.

“Earlier, we had hosted the first-ever Colombian gastronomic festival that was much appreciated and welcomed in India. Continuing in the same spirit, this event will be a remarkable event in bilateral relations of India and Colombia,” he said.

The event will represent the cultural side and celebrations for the independence of Colombia.

Salsa, a popular contemporary dance and music across the world, has been flourishing in Cali, known as the world’s capital of Salsa. The 16th century city located on Pacific Coast is known for its Salsa nightclubs. Juanchito with its 120 of the hottest dance halls is the pulsating soul of Cali’s nightlife. Every week, throughout the year, 200,000 local people pour into this eastern suburb to party at the discos and “viejotecas” (dance bars).

The culture of Cali Salsa has spilled to faraway Delhi as well with mushrooming Salsa clubs and dance schools teaching women and children to sway to the Salsa beats and the basics of Salsa music.

“That was one of the reasons why Delhi was chosen as the venue of the LA-33 concert,” Pinto said, adding that the event was bound to attract a lot of youth from all across India.

“Recently, Colombian singer Shakira and Indian percussionist Ravish Momin collaborated on a production. This tour of LA-33 is expected to open new avenues in music industry for India and Colombia for co-productions,” the ambassador said.

LA-33, formed in 2001, plays salsa, boogaloo, jazz and folk Colombian rhythms.

The first album of the band was “La-33”, independently produced and released in 2004, sold more than 20,000 copies. The second album “Gozalo” was released in 2007. In 2009, they released “Ten Cuidado”.

One of the songs from their first album is “Pantera Mambo”, hit the charts with its very foot-tapping beat. On July 20, 1810, Colombia won its independence and became a sovereign nation in 1819, free from Spanish rule.

Salsa, a syncretic dance and musical genre, can be traced back to Cuba. It represents the meeting point of African and Cuban music. It has been adopted by the Latin American nations with variations and travelled across the world over the last 50 years.