And now for something completely different.

I have just been sitting here sipping my Celtic spring water and was reminded of something that on paper really shouldn't work. Namely a fusion of celtic music and salsa. Yet I have had such fun dancing to this track in the past - partly because of the sheer silliness of salsa mixed up with Celtic diddly diddly music (as i call it) Just goes to show salsa is a very broad church capable of embracing everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdiz-4GHHaw

That was good. I hadn't heard it but I've heard this from them

Lino G Rocha with Salsa Celtica - Esperanza

Going pop-py but the two songs I would like to see Salsa-d to are -

Nikka Costa - Everybody Got There Something
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRcTGHpJnlw

The Charlatans - The Only One I Know
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RJwW77Lsj8 - which, strangely, does work.

Sorry CCC But for me the first is quite unsuitable for salsa. Its not that I don't like it its just all wrong. It might just be possible to squeeze a merengue to it - but I wouldn't. The Charlatans number isn't a bad tempo and does have a reasonable beat and you could do the steps to it (as you could most songs in 4/4 of a suitable tempo) but has absolutely no salsa soul.

If you prefer something pop-py then this might float your boat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMnqZICAIQk

or better still

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMgN50wSnNc

Either of these are salsa - er - able
Last edited by An Thropologist : 03-12-2012 at 20:37

Thanks Chacha but I can't get a salsa or even a merengue to "Everybody Got There Something". Maybe a quickstep though?

Not sure about a dance to "The Only One I Know" I'll sit it out.

Heyyyyy 'uapaaa these are nice. Never heard of them. Found the band playing

Alex Wilson - Show Me

Found these pop songs salsafied

Whitney Houston I Will Always Love You Salsa Version

grupo los kiero salsa stand by me

Not a salsa but my favourite merengue to dance to.

BONNY CEPEDA - UNA FOTOGRAFÍA

To be honest there is no shortage of salsafied pop remixes knocking about . Someone once gave me a CD of the Beatles salsa style - hideous concoction. But my real issue is why? - why use Anglo American pop songs for salsa when there is a vast body of fantastic Latin American music that most British people know nothing of (and frankly I feel are missing out on - when you love something you want to tell everyone so they can enjoy it too).

Its a bit like taking a sweater out of a bag and sewing up the bottom and tying the arms togther to use as a bag - when you could just use the bag!!

Having said all that Alex is a good guy, supremely talented and has produced written and arranged some excellent Latin American style music and I take my hat off to him (he is a fabulous jazz musician too). 'Show me' tends to be disparaged by the salsa comunity - unfairly in my opinion but I think it is because it was a top floor filler and a few years ago got rather overplayed.

Trying to get the ratings up by making it "accessible". Yes no point when the real stuff is not exactly hidden with the correct beats.

Don't be so rude about Lisa.

Here it is. I had to look for it

Sugarplum Fairy from Nutcracker as salsa
http://youtu.be/GcC_F3f3JPw

But in terms of Classical / Latin crossover I really loved seeing live

Orquesta Juvenil Simón Bolívar de Venezuela - BBC Proms 2007
http://youtu.be/_El7qwib0dc?t=2m47s

Gustavo Dudamel - Mambo (Leonard Bernstein)
http://youtu.be/noW6hpOt-M4

Don't be so rude about Lisa.

LOL Don't go there Henry. Think of these 'strictly' threads as little havens of sanity and be grateful.

So very wise and true.

Guess what I have found! I never knew it existed until today. We talked on another thread about the viability of dancing salsa to Dave Brubeck's Take 5 (by using a double tap or pause).

Seems we don't need to go to the trouble. Good Old Tito Puentes has taken the effort out of it for us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGsMhqzxjPI

I must confess though I don't much care for it and having had a liitle try out to it I found it quite hard to get up and running. I actually found it easier to get into the original by the means we spoke of before. The beat on this confused me for quite a few bars until I settled into the pattern.

On balance I prefer this one from Tito P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO36KfmZ9MU

Agree. I had never come across it either. Not keen on it. Too frantic. Strange that I like Jazz - of the Miles Davis, John Coltrane variety. And I like Latin. But never that keen on "Latin Jazz".

I found a great resource for Latin music on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/user/guapachandotv

OK who wins in the dance off - The Dog Dancing Salsa or The Dad Dancing Salsa?

Here's the Dog

http://youtu.be/QrLTQKI1IE4

Here's the Dad

http://youtu.be/Q5Qds3bdV-I

Or Iveta ... or Kristina

Bringing the thread into the 21st century....

Gusttavo Lima - Balada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwDLu_u2GHI

Michel Teló - Ai Se Eu Te Pego
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcm55lU9knw

I bet the BBC don't have any song in this thread on their cleared list though (they cannot play any song they like).

They will pop up on DWTS which has a more South American influence to their show.

Great stuff and thanks. Both added to my youtube playlist under "Axé". I first came across Axé via Ivete Sangalo about a year or so ago.

This English version might be more in tune with the SCD producers' tastes.

http://youtu.be/CwC5BFX7rqQ

I'm sure the BBC could play this song though as it has even been covered by many including André Rieu

http://youtu.be/WWtgyXhIUxc

Only discovered this band yesterday. I love big band Salsa.

Kalimba - Quien Será
http://youtu.be/mv1LR2kpie4

Such a real shame but I don't think we will ever hear a salsa track on Strictly again. One year they used a couple of Sonora Carruseles tracks, which was great, but it's a long time ago now.

I wouldn't even mind salsa versions of pop songs that much, but they don't even bother with that. The worst choice last year was Bom Bom which poor Mark and Iveta had to dance to. It was far to fast for him and the time signature may be 'correct' but there's more to it than that. That song's rhythm did not encourage salsa body movement, making it harder for the celebs and pros alike. Get Lucky was another horrible choice. Too one-dimensional.

F&C
http://www.frankieandcloverstrictly.blogspot.co.uk/