How much salsa is there at your club?

[SalsaGirl]

I'm curious what is the approximate amount of time that salsa is being played at your club. In our city I'd say there's 75% salsa, 15% cumbia, 8% merengue, and then maybe 2% bachata. I've heard that in the bigger cities, especially in the US, the latin dance clubs play exclusively salsa, and maybe some others, but cumbia is not at all popular. Is that true?

[Sagitta]

You missed out reggaeton!!

[squirrel]

Our club used to play a mixture of 50% Salsa, 20% cumbia, 20% merengue and the rest bachata, cha cha and raggaeton (and some other latino pop).

Now it's closed down! :cry: :cry:

[tj]

Most of the clubs that I go to play about 90% salsa, it's quite nice.

The one I go to on Saturday is more like 75% which is still great.

I guess it depends on the city and who the club is trying to cater to. Salsa dancers are notorious for being cheap.

[djpatricio]

This is always a constant issue for both dancers and djs alike. As a dj, it's always been an issue for me, because I love salsa more than anything but I just can't play it 100%, we don't have the demographic. But I came up with a good solution. From 8pm-10pm, it's pretty much 100% salsa and mambo, with some cha-cha-cha too. But then from 10pm on when the drinking crowd comes in, I play more salsa-mix. I think a good dj plays to the crowd, whatever the crowd is, whether its mixed or not. Our salsa crowd tends to be a little older and doesn't stay out until we close, so this works for us.

If I had everyone from the salsa forums here at my club it would be 100% salsa!!!!!

So, that's the salsa report from Club Agave in Avon, Colorado.

[BrookeErin]

I'm not sure what Cumbia is.... Our clubs vary, but mostly play a majority of salsa, some merengue & bachata, a bit reggaeton, and a song or two of punta

[djpatricio]

Cumbia is Colombian folkloric dance, on the clave beat just like salsa, but a little earthier, heavier down beat, and marked by the tic-tic-tic, tic-tic-tic of a wood block. It's very hard to describe, it's one of those things that once you've heard it you know what it is. There are cumbia licks and interludes in salsa quite a bit, especially Colombian salsa. It started out in the mountains of Colombia, and in it's pure form is basically Colombian country music. But, in it's modern form can be just as tasty and appropriate as salsa at a club.

I don't have my cd's in front of me right now, but there are three songs I can think of that are excellent examples of cumbia that you should ask your dj for next time...
1) "Golpe de Folklore" by Grupo Niche. It starts out as salsa, EXCELLENT salsa as usual from Niche, but the middle part is Cumbia, and you'll know what it is when you hear it.
2) "Canoa Ranchaa" by Grupo Niche again, the whole song is Cumbia.
3) "La Gota Fria" by Colombian superstar Carlos Vives, one of the most recognizable songs in all of Latin America, has a lot of Colombian valenatto influences in it but is basically a cumbia, also a "guaranteed floor packer" for all latin djs.

I'm rambling, but I have to say one more thing about Cumbia. It is heavily popular in Mexico, but there is a WORLD of difference between Colombian Cumbia (the original) and Mexican Cumbia. They're not even in the same universe as far as I'm concerned. A lot of people who are turned off to cumbia had the misfortune of hearing Mexican cumbia first and thinking that's all there is to it. That would be like hearing J. Lo and thinking that's all there was to salsa. Not!

[squirrel]

Question: does Rafaga play cumbia?

[djpatricio]

I honestly never heard of Rafaga before but I did some googling and they are an Argentinian band, so I bought a cd online. There is another band from there tyhat plays awsome cumbia, called Amar Azul.

Anyway, I guess we are getting off the subject...maybe we should start a new thread?

[Salsaonone]

You missed out reggaeton!!

Um is Reggaeton the music that sounds almost like a samba beat with an extra beat at the end (samba:boom ba boom pause boom ba boom pause, one I am thinking aobut: boom ba boom BA, boom ba boom BA..)??And you dance basically a "grind" dance to it?

I think there is never enough bachata played....might have an occasional cha cha...mostly salsa and murengue....sometimes mostly salsa....

[Sagitta]

You missed out reggaeton!!

Um is Reggaeton the music that sounds almost like a samba beat with an extra beat at the end (samba:boom ba boom pause boom ba boom pause, one I am thinking aobut: boom ba boom BA, boom ba boom BA..)??And you dance basically a "grind" dance to it?

I think there is never enough bachata played....might have an occasional cha cha...mostly salsa and murengue....sometimes mostly salsa....

An interesting description of reggaeton, but I think you got it. I do salsa to it.

[BrookeErin]

hmm... the Mexican Cumbia thing has me wondering if I might have heard it... There is at least one song that I've been told is popular in Mexican clubs that I just don't get how to dance to, but some of my Mexican friends really get into it... more of a group dance though.

I describe reggaeton as the latin version of american 'club' music. You could certainly grind to it.

[Salsaonone]

hmm... the Mexican Cumbia thing has me wondering if I might have heard it... There is at least one song that I've been told is popular in Mexican clubs that I just don't get how to dance to, but some of my Mexican friends really get into it... more of a group dance though.

I describe reggaeton as the latin version of american 'club' music. You could certainly grind to it.


Im not an expert....but...Cumbia does have similiar music to salsa,but there is a distinct difference, but I havent heard enough of it to point it out, but I know when its a cumbia, and not a salsa....the dances are also similiar but the cumbia basic step is more side to side on the same count as salsa...I dont dance cumbia, but I will put in the basic into a salsa dance just to do something different for a few secs.....I have also noticed that some people from south america will go out in a group and dances all solo to salsa music, just like americans do in club music...

[djpatricio]

Question: does Rafaga play cumbia?

I just received my first Rafaga CD yesterday in the mail, and yes, they do play Cumbia, Argentinian style. Man, it's good stuff, for Cumbia. Thanks for letting me know about them, Squirrel!

[MapleLeaf Salsero]

It depends on the club, however, I´d say on average it´s:

70% salsa
20% kizomba (and some zouk)
10% other latin (bachata, cha cha & merengue)

Once in a blue moon they play rumba.

[borikensalsero]

The places I go to are 100% salsa. :mrgreen: The joy of being in NY City! Well, minus 2 or 3 wonderful cha chas...