Latino Music

The days of yankee culture and head banging and jarring music are over and gone. Now it is Latino dance and the Latino music that is swaying the world. Everybody is dancing to the tunes of Ricky Martin. And even George Bush the current American President did it very recently. And our Delhi is not behind. The fever has caught both the young and old Delhites.

Pratima, a cool teenager just loves the Latin music for its beats. "The beats are so lively, that I cannot resist dancing. I took lessons in Latino dances for two months. I don't want to be a professional dancer but just want to know enough to jive in a party," she says.

It is not only the teenagers whose hearts and feet are dancing to the Latino beat but even the adults are an equal party to it. Mr and Mrs Nanda religiously attend Latino dance classes. "It is fun and very easy to learn. I always wanted to learn dancing. Now at a party me and my wife dance and it is really fun," says Mr Nanda with a naughty grin.

People are fast taking to Latino culture because of its grace and feasibility. "I always wanted to learn dancing. Indian dances are good but difficult and take a very long time to learn. I wanted to learn something which does not take much time. So I went ahead and learnt it," says a pepped up homemaker, Neena.

Definitely the Latino dances are very easy to learn and at the same time fun. For Rajat a college student, dancing was a distant dream, "Whenever I went to a party or disco I would just stand in a corner and watch people dancing. I am a lousy dancer. But recently I have learnt Salsa and now I can shake a leg, " he remarks.

Also it is a good source of entertainment and fitness. As Philip puts it,"I slog the whole day in the office, but attending the dance class in the evening is very refreshing." Many endorse his idea and find it better than a Gym or going to a health club. It is a good form of recreation.

Salsa , Ramba, Merengue, Cumbia, Ballenato and Lmbada are the Latino dances in vogue. The Salsa dance is a rhythm that allows the body to follow the music. It is a form of melting with the music, it is a way of life and thinking. And many places have come up in Delhi which specialize in teaching such dances. One such is Instituto Hispania, run by a Spanish national, Laura Benito.

The institute is professionally supported by a number of Spanish speaking Embassies in India and many renowned Indian organizations. Besides dances Spanish language is taught and also classes on Spanish cuisine are conducted.

The dances are oriented to adults as well as teenagers. The classes are imparted by foreign nationals who are proficient in these dances. The teachers are from Peru, Columbia, Argentina, and India. The aim of these classes is to enlighten the interested persons in the Caribbean and Latin Rhythms so that people can dance in parties and disco.

With the spread of Latino culture many people have got a chance to dance.

Address: Instituto Hispania, y-10, Green Park, New Delhi 110 016
Phone: 696 8016, 696 8043

- Avni Sood