The rebirth of a «great»
Although it is considered our national dance, danzón is not a musical genre that is equally loved by today’s young Cubans. That is the harsh reality.
With the irruption of reggaeton, trap and cast, as popular as mambo, chachachá, rumba and danzón were in the past, and which have long been embraced by Cuban culture, their popularity has waned.
This is a somewhat understandable phenomenon. It is far from the same era. A different world brings with it new patterns and schemes to follow and consume in the realm of culture, and in particular that of music. The question is, is it really worth leaving aside our roots and betting only on the most contemporary?
That is why we are grateful for the good intentions of the Miguel Failde In Memoriam International Danzón Festival, soon to be in its fifth edition, an event that insists on seducing the newest generations of dancers to reintegrate this genre into their routines.
Attracting teenagers and children to this lilting rhythm is the greatest challenge of the event. Something that is possible, since according to studies by researchers of the genre, it has been demonstrated that this ballroom dance is not exclusively a thing of our grandparents.
The danzón, born in Matanzas in 1879, has the charm of being danced with a soft rhythm and the bodies glued together. This is how its creator, Miguel Failde, conceived it, and the best example is precisely Las Alturas de Simpson, premiered at the then Liceo de Matanzas.
It was never exclusive to blacks or whites. It was a dance of Cubans that was so popular in all strata of society that the Creole aristocracy replaced it with the imported waltz that from then on only remained in the parties of fifteen and weddings.
Today, with the emergence of musical tendencies that seem to be more in tune with modern society, the lovers and representatives of the danzón have been motivated to rescue this melodious genre because of its great influence in our culture and in other regions of the world.
Experts on the subject maintain that the danzón should not disappear. Of course, it is necessary to contextualize it and do everything humanly possible to keep it within each one of us… because danzón is also Cuba.
For the time being, it is necessary to recognize the contribution of those who for some years have been promoting its rescue and are devoted to multiple initiatives so that in Matanzas and in other regions of the country the followers of this rhythmic rhythm, our national dance, multiply.
Written by Lizt Lauren García Hoyos, Journalism student.
