On Friday night I went back to the salsa club Cuba Mia in San Telmo. This time I was meeting up with a couple of Colombians that I had met at a party a few weeks ago. I was definitely tired from the week, but excited nonetheless to dance. The boyfriend wasn't actually much of a dancer, but his girlfriend studied dance and was obviously very good. He actually asked me to dance with her for a while because he said I was better than him and he wanted her to be happy.
But this second experience in this salsa club was different than last weeks. Honestly, I didn't like it as much as before, and I'm not sure if I'll go back. First, it's too expensive. You pay $30 ARG to get in which includes a drink, which is standard club price in Buenos Aires. But if I'm paying that much for a salsa club, I only want to hear salsa, or maybe a few songs of merengue, bachata, or cumbia mixed in. But they kept mixing it up with reggaeton, which I do not like.
I guess I never noticed it before, but there's no way to be a very good salsa dancer and be humble out it. The dance just doesn't allow it. There are only two types of people who go to that club. Excellent dancers and people who don't know how to dance salsa at all. I'm pretty much the only middle ground. There's just something annoying about watching someone show off their moves. It's obviously the only place they would be able to show the talent, but I just don't want to sit and watch people do it.
So instead of impressing Argentinians who don't know how to dance, I faded into the background as Cubans, Venezuelans, and Colombians rocked the floor. Not that I need the attention though. It's actually a relief to just be there and not be questioned why. I might try to find another salsa club at some point, but as for Cuba Mia, I think I'm going to put it on hold for a while.
Showing posts with label salsa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label salsa. Show all posts
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Salsa? In Buenos Aires?
I made it my mission during the last two weeks or so to find a salsa club and to also find someone who would be willing to go with me. First and foremost, I still don't know a ton of people, and it's hard to organize something when you know people from different walks of live all over the city. Everyone has their own plans every weekend. Argentinians are not known for dancing salsa, and they mostly do not get it, so I put my faith in an Ecuadorian who once lived here for advice.
I was told a couple of places to check out, but ultimately went to a club called Cuba Mia in San Telmo. I met up with a friend of a friend who I had been trying to meet with since I got here, and her boyfriend came as well. It was a bit pricey to get in--$30 ARG, which included a drink, but there were few other options at that point. A live salsa band from Cuba was playing and it was pretty packed. Along the walls were Halloween decorations and the staff were handing out little costumes. Sebastian, the boyfriend, commented how odd it was that we were in a Cuban bar listening to salsa music while they were celebrating an American holiday. He had a point.
The bar got pretty packed and we all wound up dancing for a while. It turns out the bar was packed with Venezuelans, Cubans, and Colombians, so I wasn't the only one who knew how to dance. In fact, I probably looked like a shmuck compared to them, but in terms of the Argentinians, I was turning some heads. I wound up dancing with a couple of women for most of the night who guessed that I was 35 or 36, which they said was a compliment. I'm not entirely sold on that one.
It felt good to be dancing salsa again. I am not great at it, but I learned to enjoy it in Ecuador and it can really be fun if you just go with it. Sitting in the bar, listening to those familiar beats, it all made me think of Ecuador and for a moment felt like I was back there. Of course, Cuba Mia would have been one of the nicer clubs you could go to, and so expensive that only the richest people in town would go, thus changing the element a bit. I was kind of hoping for something more hole in the wally, but what can you do. There are other salsa clubs out there, and I'm starting to hear about more and more of them.
It's been raining hard all day with on and off thunderstorms, and should continue through Monday. But for now anyway, I have plans to go to another salsa club tonight. Azucar is pretty well known, though gets sort of a negative image too. I'm interested in checking it out and seeing how it ranks with the others, especially since I was told about it by an Ecuadorian. So maybe I'll find an even better club to write about soon.
I was told a couple of places to check out, but ultimately went to a club called Cuba Mia in San Telmo. I met up with a friend of a friend who I had been trying to meet with since I got here, and her boyfriend came as well. It was a bit pricey to get in--$30 ARG, which included a drink, but there were few other options at that point. A live salsa band from Cuba was playing and it was pretty packed. Along the walls were Halloween decorations and the staff were handing out little costumes. Sebastian, the boyfriend, commented how odd it was that we were in a Cuban bar listening to salsa music while they were celebrating an American holiday. He had a point.
The bar got pretty packed and we all wound up dancing for a while. It turns out the bar was packed with Venezuelans, Cubans, and Colombians, so I wasn't the only one who knew how to dance. In fact, I probably looked like a shmuck compared to them, but in terms of the Argentinians, I was turning some heads. I wound up dancing with a couple of women for most of the night who guessed that I was 35 or 36, which they said was a compliment. I'm not entirely sold on that one.
It felt good to be dancing salsa again. I am not great at it, but I learned to enjoy it in Ecuador and it can really be fun if you just go with it. Sitting in the bar, listening to those familiar beats, it all made me think of Ecuador and for a moment felt like I was back there. Of course, Cuba Mia would have been one of the nicer clubs you could go to, and so expensive that only the richest people in town would go, thus changing the element a bit. I was kind of hoping for something more hole in the wally, but what can you do. There are other salsa clubs out there, and I'm starting to hear about more and more of them.
It's been raining hard all day with on and off thunderstorms, and should continue through Monday. But for now anyway, I have plans to go to another salsa club tonight. Azucar is pretty well known, though gets sort of a negative image too. I'm interested in checking it out and seeing how it ranks with the others, especially since I was told about it by an Ecuadorian. So maybe I'll find an even better club to write about soon.
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