Somewhere over the Andes:
Here’s my new home for the time being – the historic barrio of San Antonio. A lot of people stay up in the modern barrio of the Zona Rosa, but I’m a sucker for the older stuff:
Some amazing Cali-style salsa dancing as done by experts – a million miles from all that lovey-dovey stuff, and pretty intimidating for a beginner:
Here’s a counting track for salsa (1,2,3… 5,6,7…). I didn’t learnt to dance to this particular one, but you get the idea. And here’s Rosa Klebb practising her salsa kicks in From Russia With Love. I didn’t dance with these particular shoes, but you get the idea:
Sebastain Belalcazar, founder of Cali, saying something like “Over there!”:
The Wigan Pier nightclub I mention has since been demolished, so I guess I won’t be approxi-dancing to the Pixies there again.
Here’s a splendid documentary on the origins of salsa, called The Salsa Revolution, by the USA’s Public Broadcasting Service. And here’s Beethoven’s Fur Elise. Imagine a bad rendition of the first few bars played repeatedly. Forever.
And here are some slightly abstract shots of the dance school:
Want to know what the ‘northern soul’ scene was? Or do you already know what it was, but want to watch a half-hour piece by the BBC about it? Well here you go then. But if you just want a quick sample, watch this instead:
This is a chicharrón, a jam-filled pastry named after the fried pork rinds that it resembles:
Calle Quinta (5th Street), one of Cali’s major thoroughfares:
Graffiti on and around Calle Quinta:
The MIO in Cali, cutting through the urban landscape:
San Antonio park, and the dog that could dance better than me:
Here are a couple of classic Cali salsa tracks, neither of which I knew or recognised whilst I was actually there. Firstly, Oiga, Mire, Vea by Orquesta Guayacán:
And this is Cali Pachanguero by Grupo Niche. A pachanguero is someone who dances pachanga, a Cuban genre:
Here is a really skilful rendition of Roll Out The Barrel, along with a bunch of other things.
Here, myself and friends are approaching strip at Kilometro 18 – the site above Cali where people go to remember what it’s like to shudder from the cold:
On the hunt for clothes… Plaza Caicedo and around:
This is Ramona by Ismael Rivera – the track I did my clausura to:
And this is Les Dawson playing the piano. It’s like me dancing, except the mistakes are intentional.
And finally here is a bikini-free Benny Hill chase scene, as done to Yakety Sax. The comparisons with merengue are tenuous at best now I watch it again.