The Habanera has created all the Caribbean music we know: Reggae, Calypso or Socca, Samba, Bachata, Salsa, Zouk, Rumba…etc. and all their variations. Therefore, it creates a connection in all the Latin dances. Knowing this helps a dancer to grow, expanding the ability to dance in all the HABANERA rhythm dances.
Let’s talk about, Tango and Kizomba, two dances deeply connected and similar that use the HABANERA rhythm.
Tango originating from Milonga uses the repetition of the HABANERA rhythm, as does Vals (or Tango-Waltz). The Vals in Tango has been permeated by the HABANERA and is no longer danced as the Viennese Waltz.
Unfortunately, the situation of a lot of people in the Tango community who are struggling to hear the Downbeat makes it very hard to learn to dance. One does not have to be born and raised in Africa or to an Afro culture to enjoy it. All it takes is a little bit of opening the mind to find the rhythm.
The other reason why people struggle to hear the Downbeat in the Tango community is the fact that, after CANDOMBE was banned in Argentina, the entire repertoire of Tango and Milonga music was re-written in the Chamber Orchestra context. The lowest instrument that usually gives the Downbeat is the Counter-Bass or the lowest keys on the piano.
The precursor and generator of Kizomba is the combination of Semba and Zouk. Semba and Zouk are the repetition of the HABANERA rhythm.
Kizomba, originated from Semba, also known as African-Tango, has borrowed from Tango, many elements and many more to come, one being the close embrace. The close embrace presents to the partners the challenge of holding their own axis and still being able to dance. Just like in Tango, dancing in the square or rectangle shape on the floor became limited. Skillful dancers came up with curvy moves. These curvy moves allow the partners to be offset and not always be in front of each other. With Tango, came the Salida and in Kizomba came the Saida (meaning the same thing, one in Spanish and the other in Portuguese). The Salida and the Saida have the same effect, as they both allow the production of many more moves and traveling around with the partner.
Anyone who wanted to explore the connection between these two beautiful dances are welcome to learn with us here in Warwick, New York. We are the only dance studio not only in Orange County, but in the whole of the Hudson valley, as well as the Tri-State area to offer not only Argentine Tango and Kizomba, but also Urban Kiz and Brazilian Zouk. We also offer the opportunity to combine all three of these dances together in KizTango and Kizouk.
