Popular Dances of Cuba
danzon - son - mambo - chachacha - casino
with the Charanga Orquesta
Estrellas Cubanas

"Danza Charanguero" is a spirited celebration of Cuba's popular music and dance heritage focusing on the danzón, son, mambo, chachachá, and salsa-casino. It is these evocative music and dance genres that, in different eras, have erupted onto the world scene, making Cuba one of the few countries whose music and dance has become adopted and practiced internationally.
Filmed in a beautiful outdoor patio in Old Havana, this relaxed party-performance features a gathering of seasoned "charangueros" (music and dance enthusiasts) drawn from the professional and aficionado dance World of Havana. Inspiring the party is the legendary twelve member orchestra "Estrellas Cubanas", with their classic charanga sound of violin, flute, piano, bass, and percussion.
Accompanying the DVD are extensive interviews with several of the participants who talk about their artistic lives and go into depth about the evolution and rich history of their music and dance tradition (subtitles in English).

Cuban popular dance segments on the DVD:

1. contradanza (music only)
title: La Comparsa
composer: Ernesto Lecuona

2. danzón
title: Virgin de Regla
composer: Pablo O'Farrill

3. son (slow tempo)
title: Tocoloro
composer: Arsenio Rodriguez

4. chachachá
title: Goza Conmigo
composer: Tregar Otton

5. son (medium tempo)
title: El Paralitico
composer: Miguel Matamoros

6. bolero
title: Si Te Contara
composer: Félix Reina

7. mambo (Cuban mambo)
title: Mambo America
composer: Antonio Sanchéz

8. danzón
title: Fefita
composer: José Urfé

9. salsa-casino
title: La Escoba Barrendera
composer: Rodulfo Vaillant

10. danzón - son - conga
title: Popurrí Cubano
composer: various
featured dance artists
many are members and alumni of Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba

male dancers
Domingo Pau Despaine
Ricardo "Santa Cruz" Gómez
Dionisio Paul
Juan Garcia Fernández
Isaías Rojas Ramirez
Carlos Pérez Estrada
Aurelio Calderin

female dancers
Zoila Rizo Sánchez
Miriam Izquierdo
Alicia Santo Soto
Yacelis Sánchez
Llousi Mabel Gutierrez
Dolores Perez Herrera

extras on the DVD include 52 minutes of informative interviews with:
Juan Garcia Fernández - folklorist and past director of Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba:
~ the evolution of popular Cuban music
~ the evolution of popular Cuban dance
~ the significance of dancing atiempo / contratiempo

Carlos Pérez Estrada - dance aficionado in Havana since 1950's:
~ dance life '50s-present

Ernesto Oviedo - singer with Estrellas Cubanas:
~ artistic background & critique on the Cuban music scene today

73 minutes of dance & music
52 minutes of interviews with English subtitles
filmed in Havana, Cuba

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