Clave Latina Fest organised as part of the festivities in London marking the Bicentenary of the Latin American republics, is an event celebrating the world heritage of Latin music and dance. The Festival will highlight and promote the rich cultural, artistic and historical aspects of these popular expressions, with a particular interest and emphasis on the contemporary music and dance genre known as Salsa, its history and development. Such important aspects mentioned above, have given this popular idiom authenticity, significance and strength to survive and preserve a tradition avoiding marked adaptations and degenerations, despite new trends in modern times. Clave Latina Fest aims to bring to the attention of the general public the most important values of a popular cultural expression, developed within Latin culture and which has attained a universal validity and respect throughout the world.
Latin American rhythms and dance forms today, and specifically the Afro-Latin genre known as Salsa, has become a global phenomenon throughout the world seducing, captivating and creating millions of avid followers. The sensuality, exotic qualities and hedonism of its dance, combined with the strength and happiness of its music, have penetrated all nations, breaking down barriers of all kinds, be it cultural, social, language or religious differences. Salsa has become almost a new cult or religion for many people outside the Latin world, in numerous cities around the world you can be sure to find devoted and thriving Salsa communities.
Salsa is part of a great cultural legacy, it is the continuation and preservation of a long tradition that in the early 20th Century had already conquered some parts of the world. Afro-Cuban rhythms such as Son had been adapted in the 1920’s and under the name Rumba, by 1930 it had taken over dance halls in the most important capitals in the western world. This and other new Afro-Cuban rhythms remained popular, amongst the common tastes of the general public until the beginning of the 1960’s.
These Afro-Cuban musical traditions in this early period had already conquered other Latin American countries, thus originating the development of major world centres for Latin music and dance culture: Havana (Cuba), New York (US), San Juan (Puerto Rico), Caracas (Venezuela), Cali (Colombia), amongst the most important. Salsa with its Afro-Latin Caribbean origins is a cultural tradition and expression of the popular sectors of the Latin world; it is a source and instrument of cultural identity for Latinos and their diasporas. Salsa today is not just a music and dance style, nor is it a passing fad, like culture itself Salsa has become a way of life, it is a universal phenomenon that has had a tremendous impact in the modern world. Salsa now belongs to the world and we can no longer say that it belongs to the Spanish Caribbean, Latin America or New York the city that propelled it into the international arena back in the 1970’s.
Clave Latina Fest will show and promote the cultural, historical and artistic richness of one of the most authentic, lasting and universal Latin American popular traditions. The Festival will take place in important cultural venues, showing such richness through lectures, films and videos, music and dance workshops, live music and dance events. The Festival will pay a special tribute to Edmundo Ros, pioneer since the late 1930’s and the most prestigious Latin music celebrity in the UK who will be 100 years old in 2010.
Clave Latina Fest will have renowned international guests from Latin America, the US and Europe, there will be renowned writers and academics, musicians and dancers, Latin music DJs and record collectors representing various countries. There will be seminal films about Latin music’s most famous artists, Celia Cruz, Benny More, Hector Lavoe, Fania All-Stars, as well as important live music and dance events taking place throughout the Festival, with many free music and dance workshops. Clave Latina Fest will be part of other important Festivals in London, Big Dance, Kilburn Festival and More London Free Festival, it will also be supported by the Mayor of London.