Cali vibrates to the rhythm of 1,600 dancers at the 20th World Salsa Festival.
Cali (Colombia), Sep 26 (EFE).
When they say Cali is the “salsa capital of the world,” they’re right. This city in southwestern Colombia has more than one person dancing with their feet tapping at the World Salsa Festival.
This is a unique show that began on Thursday and will run until next Sunday, bringing together more than 1,600 dancers from around the world to demonstrate good rhythm.
“Salsa unites us, fills us with pride, and erases all differences. We are very happy that our city is hosting the largest salsa festival on the planet. This year, we’ll have DJs, music lovers, and orchestras with shows open to the public, demonstrating that this rhythm is in our DNA,” Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder told EFE.
The World Salsa Festival, held at the El Pueblo Coliseum, also brings together shoemakers, costume designers, researchers, and old-school dancers on a single stage.
“Salsa is a cultural heritage and a driving force for development in our city, which is why we safeguard it, protect it, promote it, and project it for the future. With culture, we recover our identity, our traditions, and our pride in Cali,” Leydi Higidio, Cali’s Secretary of Culture, told EFE.
This Friday, the show opened with “Las leyendas de la salsa,” a group of more than 20 winning couples from all editions of the festival, under the direction of maestro Luis Eduardo Hernández, “El Mulato,” who was Jennifer Lopez’s choreographer.
In addition, a posthumous tribute was paid to singer Wilson Manyoma, whose rhythm continues to resonate throughout the city despite his death last February.
“My brother left behind a musical legacy that continues with us in every song. From the Manyoma dynasty, we honor his work and legacy so that salsa music is recognized in Cali and around the world,” said Henry Manyoma, a relative of the artist.
Skills that surprise
Meanwhile, on the festival stage, the artists sweat it out to the last drop to wow the jury in categories such as Cali couple, cabaret couple, cabaret group, solo artists, on-one-on-two couple, and elite category, among others.
Sequined costumes, aerial pirouettes, and coordination with every musical note amaze the thousands of attendees.
“The level is always too high, the preparation is intense, and as a native of Cali, it’s an honor, a joy, to represent my city, even more so when the eyes of the world are upon us. We’re going to give it our all here,” Carlos Espitia, a participant in the elite cabaret category, concluded to EFE.
Salsa is a musical genre that originated in New York in the 1960s and 1970s, which fuses Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as Cuban son, mambo, and guaracha.
