HOBBY HORSE DANCING:The spicy mix of moves in salsa dancing has its origins in Africa, writes Eoin Butler
Almost unheard of in Ireland a decade ago, salsa dancing is now a hugely popular leisure activity. But you may be confused as to what exactly this famous dance style, typically associated with Cuba and Puerto Rico, has to do with African culture. I know I am. Perhaps Joshua Amaechi senses this, because he answers the question before I've even asked it.
"Salsa originated in Africa," he states at the outset. "Most people don't know that. They associate it with Latin America. But, actually, it originated in Africa and moved to the Americas with the slave trade. It was a means for slaves to express themselves and their culture in defiance of their Spanish masters."
A Nigerian based in Ireland for more than 10 years, Amaechi has been dancing since he was a child. "Like the Irish, Nigerians have large extended families. So my brothers and I started dancing at family occasions, copying videos of the Jackson 5. For me, dancing is the fullest expression of who I am." Despite being discouraged by his father, who would have preferred him to concentrate on his studies, Amaechi became a professional dancer at 13 and now runs the International Dance Academy in Dublin. "When my company first came to Ireland there was no salsa dancing here. So you could say we were pioneers in a way."
The popularity of salsa here is not difficult to understand. It's fun, exuberant and it provides an opportunity for both exercise and interaction with members of the opposite sex. Amaechi laughs at that. "I think if a person wants to have a laugh, lose weight and meet people, then salsa is ideal. You don't drink alcohol - so when someone is talking to you they are actually communicating with you." He stresses, though, that salsa is a serious business. "If you come here just to meet people you might be disappointed, because most people who come here have really come to learn."
One of Amaechi's proudest achievements is the Irish Salsa Congress, in which top international salsa dancers fly in for the weekend to perform. The event, which now takes place annually, also includes workshops, dance shows and the Irish Salsa Open Championship. Competition is intense and many former winners have gone on to become professional trainers. "It's a real authentication of your ability to dance," says Amaechi. "It's one thing to say you can dance. But to go there and be judged by international experts is a much different ballgame altogether."
Above all, Amaechi is proud of his African heritage and takes great pleasure in being able to share some of that culture with his Irish and international pupils. "For me, as an African, being able to share something that originates in Africa here is a beautiful story. When I dance, I always allow the African influence in terms of body movement to come to the fore. And I try to teach that to my Irish pupils." One cannot help wondering how do we freckled, flat-footed Irish fare at the hip shaking? He clasps my arm. "Everybody asks me that . . . " he laughs.
Over the years he has been in Ireland, one thing he has noticed is that Irish people are very quick to put themselves down. "Irish people will say 'Oh, we Irish can't do that.' But, actually, when you push them a little, you find that a lot of them are fantastic dancers." That said, Amaechi has noticed a perceptible change in the years he has been here. People, he says, are more confident in themselves now. "The first time I came to this country, it was so funny. Everybody was wearing either black or brown. It was like they had to hide themselves. Now, look at the girls - they're wearing all kinds of colours. That's what money does, I suppose."
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Salsa trivia
The term salsa (Spanish for "sauce") was first applied to describe the emerging dance genre in North America in the 1970s.
Salsa music is based on complex African percussion rhythms which work around the son clave or the rumba clave. Most dances are done to music with 80-120 beats per minute.
The precise definition of salsa style has always been contested. The famous Latin band leader Tito Puente argued that there was no such thing as salsa, but only mambo, rumba, danzon and cha cha cha.
Perhaps surprisingly, the late Celia Cruz, widely acclaimed the "undisputed queen of salsa", shared that view, making similar remarks on a number of occasions.
Today, salsa is popular throughout the world. One of the most popular salsa acts is Senegal's Africando.