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Hispanic Dances
Salsa, a smooth, beautiful music with a joyful and vibrant carnival beat. This dynamic combination of rhythms from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin regions continues to grow and embrace all ages and all people. Salsa may be the most popular dance music to take to any party. In Latin dance music, the male dancer leads his partner in a joint expression of her sensuality and together their movement is elegant to behold.
Merengue as a music and dance form is most strongly identified with the Dominican Republic. Its spread has been aided in part by the large numbers of Dominicans immigrating to the United States, bringing the Merengue with them. The Merengue, like Salsa, is now recognized as a transnational phenomenon, spanning an increasing number of countries in an ever-shrinking globe.
Cumbia originally a Colombian folk dance and dance music and is Colombia's representative national dance and music. Cumbia is very popular, widely known in the Latin music mainstream throughout South America, Central America and Mexico. Traditional instruments of Cumbia are mainly percussion; different types of drums, claves güiro, woodwinds and flutes.
Bachata, the most popular and widespread genre of romantic guitar music in this century. Pan-Latin American tradition of guitar music, typically played by trios or quartets comprised of one or two guitars with percussion provided by maracas and/or other instruments such as claves (hardwood sticks used for percussion), bongo drums, or a gourd güiro scraper.
MOST POPULAR HISPANIC HOLIDAYS
Hispanic Dances
Salsa, a smooth, beautiful music with a joyful and vibrant carnival beat. This dynamic combination of rhythms from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin regions continues to grow and embrace all ages and all people. Salsa may be the most popular dance music to take to any party. In Latin dance music, the male dancer leads his partner in a joint expression of her sensuality and together their movement is elegant to behold.
Merengue as a music and dance form is most strongly identified with the Dominican Republic. Its spread has been aided in part by the large numbers of Dominicans immigrating to the United States, bringing the Merengue with them. The Merengue, like Salsa, is now recognized as a transnational phenomenon, spanning an increasing number of countries in an ever-shrinking globe.
Cumbia originally a Colombian folk dance and dance music and is Colombia's representative national dance and music. Cumbia is very popular, widely known in the Latin music mainstream throughout South America, Central America and Mexico. Traditional instruments of Cumbia are mainly percussion; different types of drums, claves güiro, woodwinds and flutes.
Bachata, the most popular and widespread genre of romantic guitar music in this century. Pan-Latin American tradition of guitar music, typically played by trios or quartets comprised of one or two guitars with percussion provided by maracas and/or other instruments such as claves (hardwood sticks used for percussion), bongo drums, or a gourd güiro scraper.
MOST POPULAR HISPANIC HOLIDAYS
- January 6 - Día de los Reyes Magos, Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day)
- January 21 - Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia (Our Lady of Highest Grace, Patron of the Dominican Republic)
- Semana Santa (Holy Week) – The week that precedes Easter. (date varies)
- July 25 - Santiago Apóstol (Saint James), patron saint of Spain
- August 1-6 - El Divino Salvador del Mundo, patron saint of El Salvador
- August 15 - Feast of the Assumption
- September 8 - Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre, patron virgin of Cuba
- September 10 - St. George’s Day (Belize)
- September 29 - The Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel and All the Angels. Celebrated in several Latin American cities.
- October 18 – El Señor de los Milagros, patron saint of Lima (Perú)
- November 1 – Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day)
- November 2 - Día de los Difuntos or Day of the Dead (All Souls’ Day) (México, Central América) This is one of the best-known Mexican holidays
- November 19 - Feast of Nuestra Señora de la Divina Providencia (Our Lady of Divine Providence), patron of Puerto Rico. This is one of the many Puerto Rican holidays
- November 21 - Feast of Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace), patron saint of San Miguel, El Salvador
- December 8 – La Inmaculada Concepción de María (The Immaculate Conception). This is a big Holiday in Nicaragua
- December 12 - Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe, the Feast Day of our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico
- December 16-24 - Las Posadas (Mexico, Guatemala and other Central American countries)
- December 24 – Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
- December 25 – Navidad (Christmas Day)