Links to YouTube videos: malambo from Argentina

In the early 80s I made friends with a group of Argentinians. Back then the Argentinian community in Philadelphia was very active, holding social events and featuring performances from local or visiting artists. I attended one event featuring a performer from New York named Juan Carlos Salazar, "El Super Gaucho," who dazzled the audience with his dancing, playing of the bombo and mastery of the boleadoras, which he banged on the stage in perfect rhythm. The audience, myself included, exploded in applause.

The Argentinian malambo can refer either to a guitar rhythm or to a dance of the gauchos. The dance is not accompanied by song lyrics and is primarily composed of the rhythm of the footwork or zapateo, though it sometimes is accompanied by a guitar or the bombo (drum). The feet
rarely touch the ground and feature lively movements and elaborate tapping with the soles, the heels, and other parts of the boot.

A brief description of the malambo dance:
http://www.travelsur.net/argentinamusic/malambo.html

A demonstration of the malambo rhythm on guitar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXe8Vw-5EY

The malambo as a solo dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzNUImwU1-k

A modernized version of the malambo that adds the boleadoras or
lariats for stage performances:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYuCURAXTII

An article in Wikipedia regarding the bolas or boleadoras, as used by
the gauchos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolas

Spain: View of Guadalquivir River, Seville

The Guadalquivir River cuts through the heart of Seville. The older part of the city is on the north bank (where the boats in this picture are docked).
In colonial times the ships that came from Spain's colonies in the Americas would arrive here, and as a result Seville was the hub of Spain's economic activity during much of this period.

Nowadays the river is too shallow for the commerce that used to characterize it, so it is more the domain of the tour boats. The large tower toward the right of the picture is called the "Torre del Oro" or Gold Tower.


See my webpage on Spain at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/spain.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Some notes about the culture of St. Martin

One of my motivations to travel to Latin America and the Caribbean is to collect recorded music, particularly folk music. There is much one can collect via amazon.com and in more conventional retail stores, but there are many places that you can only learn about by going there. St. Martin, well-known as a tourist mecca, is a case in point. In the mad rush to cater to foreign visitors and revenue, the culture of the island and the need to preserve its uniqueness as a legacy for its inhabitants are sometimes neglected.

Fortunately, there are people on the island who are serious about promoting the culture and teaching it to their children. One such person is Clara Reyes, who when I met her was finishing up a Master's program in dance at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Brockport. Clara did research into St. Martin's "ponum dance" as part of her Master's degree. The dance originated as a celebration of the liberation of the slaves on the island in 1848. Back then, as today, the island was divided between the French and the Dutch. France abolished slavery in its territories in 1848, and when the slaves on the Dutch side learned of this, they fled to the French side and ultimately the Dutch side of the island would have to grant freedom to its slaves as well. The Dutch would not abolish slavery in the rest of its territories until 1863.

Clara later took time out of her schedule to perform the dance in a presentation that we organized in Philadelphia in 2002. Shortly afterwards, Clara returned to the island after completing her studies in New York to begin teaching in a primary school on the Dutch side.

I made a follow-up visit to St. Martin in 2003 to meet people who practiced different types of folk arts. Among those I visited was Clara's mother, Regina Millet, who owned a souvenir shop in Philipsburg and posed for this picture. Regina was wearing a madras skirt which often appears in Caribbean folk dress.


Visit my webpage on the Caribbean at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/caribbean.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Puerto Rico: Isla Verde beach in San Juan, 2007

There are three beachfront areas in San Juan: Condado Beach at the western side near the bridge that connects this part of the city with Old San Juan; Ocean Park, further to the east; and Isla Verde, which is closest to the Muñoz Marín International Airport and has hotels of every shape and size. The Isla Verde beach, while not the absolute best the island has to offer, is advantageous because it is convenient to the airport and many shops and restaurants.




See my webpage on Puerto Rico at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/puertorico.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Mexico: Visit to Popocatepetl, 1979

About midway between Mexico City and Puebla stand the twin volcanoes Ixtaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. Both of them are visible on a clear day looking east from Mexico City. We had an unexpected opportunity to visit that area shortly into our semester in Mexico.

One of our roommates had a car and offered to take us there. We piled into the car and drove due east from the capital. We took an expressway out of the city and then pulled off at a town called Cuautla. We went a little further and stopped at the town of Amecameca. This town was one of the first small Mexican towns I had seen, with its plaza and church, and one thing I liked a lot - slices of fresh coconut for sale. We took some time to walk into the church and look around, and as we were walking out, one boy looked at the other and said in Spanish as we were walking by, "They're gringos," which for some reason made me crack up.

Further along we went up along the winding mountain road until we reached a lodge close to the summit of Popocatepetl, where there were plenty of tourists. What I liked about the area was that you could walk around and find some little piles of snow on the ground. The top of the volcano was so close that it looked like you could take a stroll there, but we saw a group of mountain climbers returning from the summit in their full gear, reminding us that the climb was not as easy as it looked. In any case the view was spectacular.

Visit my webpage on Mexico at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/mexico.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Colombia: Hot Springs in San Vicente near Pereira, 2007

From the city of Pereira, in the middle of coffee country in central Colombia, one can take a day trip to some hot springs in the mountains. San Vicente was one of these hot springs or "termales." This was an 1-1/2 hour drive from Pereira, where one would pick up the microbus. After leaving Pereira and going north to Santa Rosa, the bus quickly leaves the paved road and meanders deep into the countryside before stopping in an area completely enclosed by mountains, with the hot water coming down the sides of one of the mountains and channeling through several of the pools. Aside from bathing in the waters or spending some time in a sauna, there are opportunities to get massages or take nature hikes. The presence of soldiers at the site and along the road indicates that this is a remote area that requires protection for its employees and visitors.

See my webpage on Colombia at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/colombia.html

Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/

Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews

Spain: View from Ronda

From Seville there are opportunities to take several day trips to nearby towns with interesting architecture. They are collectively known as the "white towns" because many of the buildings of these towns are whitewashed.

I had spent most of my week observing the April Fair in Seville, but as I had seen most of the activity of the fair, I had the day to explore another town. My first choice had been Arcos de la Frontera, which was the closest of these towns to Seville, but the bus schedule was better to Ronda. I wasn't disappointed: Ronda boasts plenty of fascinating architecture and some phenomenal views, as Ronda sits on two hills with the huge Tajo gorge cutting through the middle of the town. This particular view you can see by walking the fenced perimeter, where there is a wide promenade.

See my previous entry on Ronda at http://latin-caribbean-travelblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/spain-bullring-in-ronda-2006.html

Also see my webpage on Spain at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/spain.html


Other websites:

Caribbean Folk Arts Network (Caribfolk) - Caribbean cultural network: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/caribfolk/
Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas (Latin American Cultural Roots) - a nonprofit organization I founded in 1991 that presents Latin American cultural shows, exhibits, and workshops: http://www.raicesculturales.org/

Raicesnews - Latin cultural events in the Philadelphia area: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/raicesnews