Ghana embraces Salsa

By Bernard Yaw Ashiadey

Dance is at the heart of all traditional African societies, and Ghana is certainly no exception. No wonder a dance like salsa has come to stay, extending its influential magic to both the young and old in a country that loves to dance.

Salsa dance movements originate from the ‘Cuban Son’ dancing of the 1920s’ more specifically through the beats of ‘Son Montuno’ with influences from the dance of ‘Danzon, Mambo, Guaguanco and Afro-Cuban’ folklore dancing.

The dance started in Ghana around 1997, by a trendy Jamaican-born woman fondly known as Patsy and her suave partner Enoch. It started in her home as friends joined them and news of the opportunity to learn salsa grew.

They then formed a club called the Latin Club and began teaching classes at what was called Costa Rica restaurant, located at Ringway Hotel. For a short while also, Afrikiko became the centre of the salsa scene.

In April 2001, another salsa club was opened at the University of Ghana, Legon campus, by Lumo Bortei-Doku, a dance enthusiast who learned his first steps from Patsy. The concept of the club, called DANCATION, was, and still, is to develop the salsa talent in Ghana to the point where it could be further promoted through a sustainable television programme.

Other clubs began forming around Accra and throughout Ghana including at 7^th Heaven in Tema and on the KNUST campus, Kumasi. The influence of these various clubs has seeped into our culture and is increasingly apparent at state banquets, weddings, beauty pageants, gospel rock shows, nightclubs and in music videos and TV Ads.

Currently Citi Fm, a leading innovator in radio broadcasting, organises a salsa programme called ‘Salsa Mania’ at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel every Wednesday from 7pm to 10pm. The event brings together salsa lovers and dancers of all ages, business executives and members of the general public to dance, relax, network with each other and release the stress of the week.

In an interview with B&FT Weekend, Programmes Manager of Citi Fm and Presenter of ‘Salsa Mania,’ Jessica Opare Saforo, said Citi Fm started ‘Salsa Mania’ about seven years ago with about 20 people because they saw that people wanted an avenue to express themselves while Citi Fm itself wanted to do something different.

“We at Citi Fm saw the need to entertain Ghanaians with something different during the middle of the week, so we came up with the idea of ‘Salsa Mania’ and the public loved it.

“Even though, salsa is not a Ghanaian dance, Ghanaians are really patronising salsa and every Wednesday we witness about 300 to 500 young and old Ghanaians listening and dancing to salsa at the Coconut Groove Regency Hotel,” she said.

There are a few basic steps of salsa. The most common are the three-weight changes or steps in each four-beat measure. The beat on which one does not step might contain a tap or kick, or weight transfer may simply continue with actual steps not occurring until the next beat. The option chosen depends upon individual choice and upon the specific style being danced.

One of the steps is called a break, which involves a change in direction. Different styles are often differentiated by the timing of the break stop (On Beat “Down break on 1” or off beat “Up beat on 2”). After six weight changes in eight beats, the basic step cycle is complete. While dancing, the basic step can be modified significantly as part of the improvisation and styling of the people dancing.

Salsa has several styles just like any other dance genre. These include the Columbian or Cali, Cuban or Casino, Miami-style casino, Rueda de Casino, Los Angeles, New York and Puerto Rico style.