The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 01, 1999, Page 11, Image 11
□ .s-Ni , This Day In USC History
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The Gamecock Celebrates
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With the popularity of
Latin American music
growing thanks to the
arrival of heartthrobs
Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez
on the pop music scene, many
Americans are discovering the
beauty and sensuality of Latin
American culture and dance.
First popularized in New York
City during the heyday of the
dance culture of the 1940s and
1950s, Latin dancing was almost
lost from American culture, on
ly to be resurrected briefly during
the “Dirty Dancing” days. How
ever, this form of high-energy,
high- emotion dancing has since
been gaining a following not on
ly among Hispanic Americans, but
also the rest of modem America.
Latin dancing’s popularity
stems from the infectious rhythms
and big-band sounds of the Latin
American music. These sounds
and steps fuse the dances and
rhythms from a variety of cultures
like African, Cuban and Ameri
can. The most well-known of the
Latin dances, the mambo, the
merengue and the salsa, all have
their roots in these cultures. Be
cause of this influence of so many
cultures, it is often hard to trace
the origins of the dances.
The mambo dance is said to
have originated in Cuba, and its
introduction to popular culture is
attributed to Perez Prado, who
first brought it to a nightclub in
Havana in 1943. It first appeared
in the United States in one of New
York City’s Harlem dance clubs,
and soon gained recognition among
many of New York’s avant-garde
I-1
clubs.
The original dance was then
toned down becasue of its acro
batic moves and presented to the
public in dance studios and resort
hotels.
However, the dance is one of
the most difficult of Latin dances,
and its popularity today is mostly
limited to advanced dancers. An
other of the popular Latin dances,
the merengue, has two popular
stories of origin. One story claims
that the official dance of the Do
minican Republic originated with
slaves who were chained togeth
er and were consequently forced
to drag one leg while working to
the beat of a drum.
The other tale says that a great
Dominican hero was wounded
in the leg during one of the revo
lutions in the country, and the vil
lagers felt obliged to limp and drag
one foot while dancing out of sym
pathy for the wounded hero. An
other version of the merengue, the
meringue, is found in Haiti. Un
like the mambo, the merengue has
existed in the Dominican Re
public since the country’s early
years. By the middle of the 19th
century, the dance was very
popular both in that country and
also throughout the Caribbean and
South America.
The merengue was then in
troduced into the New York City
area, but did not gain recognition
until many years later. The dance
tempos vary a great deal for the
merengue, switching from a slow
er pace, then quickening into a
sharper pace, and then closing with
a bright, fast tempo. The ballroom
merengue, however, is slower and
has a modified hip action. Because
of this, it is often said to be one of
the most fun and easiest to learn
of the Latin dances.
The salsa, which is perhaps the
most well-known of the Latin
dances, is said to have its roots in
the Affican-Cuban tradition. While
often associated with Puerto Ri
co, the dance is said to have
been brought to America in the
‘30s by big-band musicians who
i-1
traveled from Cuba and integrat
ed it into a style of music. How
ever, the dance has since evolved
from its Cuban origins, and Puer
to Rico is credited with accepting
and advancing its style.
The popularity of salsa and oth
er Latin dances declined during
the British Invasion of the ‘60s,
but the ‘70s saw a resuigence of
the style. The ‘90s have increased
the number of fans of the salsa,
and the rise in Latin clubs across
the nation gamers more and more
popularity for the music and dance.
One of these Latin clubs, the
Lotus Club, is right here in Co
lumbia. The club, which was
founded in 1994, is on Beltline
Boulevard. Jane Fishburne be
gan the club because of her rela
tionship with people from Puer
to Rico and Spain, and said she
wanted to start “a big Latin club
for everyone.”
The club, which calls itself Co
lumbia’s only salsa club, offers
more than just salsa music.
“We play a little bit of every
thing,” Fishburne said. “Salsa,
merengue, Latin house; there’s
something for everyone.”
L. — . ■■ I
In addition, the Lotus Club al
so hosts various Latin bands, like
Mando Rico, which will play at
the club Friday. Fishburne says
Mando Rico is a Latin ska band,
and its music is “a fusion of
Caribbean, rock, Latin and hip
hop.”
According to Fishburne, while
the popularity of Latin music might
have just recently achieved na
tional recognition, the Lotus Club
has been pulling in dancers since
it opened. “Even when we first
opened the club, we had a lot of
attendance, I think because we
were instrumental in bringing this
type of music and dance to the Co
lumbia area. Five years ago Co
lumbia didn’t even know the word
‘salsa.’ I am happy that others have
taken notice of the style though,”
Fishburne said.
Fishbume says that the type of
dancers who attend the club is not
limited to Hispanics. In fact, says
Fishbume, “We have a lot of di
versity at the club: a lot of USC
students, a combination of all col
ors, all races. It’s something dif
ferent for South Carolina. There’s
just a lot of love here.”
The Lotus Club also offers sal
sa lessons for those who are in
timidated by their lack of knowl
edge.
The lessons, which are given
by Gabriel Williams, were offered
only on Fridays, but the course in
terest has increased so much that
a new lesson schedule for Satur
days had to be made.
The club is open beginnign Fri
day and Saturday nights. To sign
up for salsa lessons, call the club
at 790-9951.
Campus Notes
Carolina For Kids
holds kick-off
Carolina For Kids will be holding
their annual kick-off Sept 1 and 2
from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on
Greene Street in front of the RH.
For more information call Phyllis
Davis at 735-9924.
Circle K announces
fall meetings
USC’s Circle K International will
hold meetings for the Fall
Semester at 8pm on Sept.l, 8, 22,
Oct 6,20 and Nov. 3,10 in Room
304 in the Russell House
University Union. For more infor
mation call Rebecca Timmins at'
796-2642 or e-mail at
USCCircleK@aol.com
Blood drives to be
held
The American Red Cross is hold
ing blood drives on the following
days: Aug. 25 - Sept. 1 from 7:30
a.m.- 6:30 p.m. at 2751 Bull St.
For more information call the
American Red Cross at 251-6000.
USC Rugby holds
scrimmage
USC Rugby will hold a Garnet
and Black scrimmage at 2 p.m.
Sept. 4 at the P.E. field.
CHDC holds work
shop
The Counseling and Human
Development Center will be
offering a Drop-in Self Hypnosis
workshop from 2-3:30p.m. start
ing Wednesday Sept 8. For more
information call the center at
777-5223.
USC Orchestra to
open 1999-2000
season
The USC Symphony Orchestra
opens its 1999-2000 season at 8
p.m. on Friday September 17 at
the Koger Center, Tickets are
$ 14-general public, $ 11 -senior ^
citizens and USC faculty & staff,
$7-students. Tickets can be pur
chased at the Coliseum Box
Office or by calling (803)251
2222.
Literacy Council
needs volunteers
The Literacy Council of Greater Co
lumbia needs volunteers to tutor adults
for all levels of literacy. For more in
formation, call the council at 765
2555, or contact Joan Kirkpatrick at
777-3799 orjoank@gwm.sc.edu.
Briefs can be submitted to
room 333 Russell House. We
can’t promise to print every
thing, but we can promise to
try.
FINE CLEANERS
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