Even though, Salsa is a part of my culture. I haven’t taken quite a bit notice to it until some recent years ago. This is the beginning of my adventure into Salsa dance music world. For me, even this is just the beginning, my life has entirely changed from the moment I get to know Salsa, Salsa dance, Salsa music.
Salsa dance music: an unchanged love from birth
I was born in Peru and grew up in a loving household with three brothers and five sisters. At age three, we moved to Southern California, where I lived until 1996. I spent a short time living in New Jersey, and for the past 13 years, I’ve been living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, I am eagerly anticipating yet another change of environment. As of Jan 4, 2011, I will relocate to Puerto Rico to follow my passion …
SALSA!
I have always listened to salsa dance music; it is part of my culture. My parents would always have parties at our house, and I remember watching all my cousins dance the night away. I remember listening to the music on the headphones in front of the huge house stereo and singing along to the music. I loved the stories the songs told, and how they were mixed with just the right instruments and sounds.
To this day, I can’t help but feel the music, the emotion, and the life the musicians gave to those songs. It instantly transports me to a different place and time. When certain songs come on I vividly see myself as a little girl watching my mom make the bed while the radio plays the song she requested for my dad. Or if I listen to Jerry Rivera’s “Un Amor Verdadero”, it instantly takes me back to when I was 16 when I first heard that song and all the beautiful moments I lived during that time.
Simply put, salsa dance music and melodies provide the soundtrack to the memories of my youth.
Not only the Salsa music but the dance also
It wasn’t until recently that I actually started salsa dancing, and the joy that it brings to me is like nothing else.
I could be having the worst day, but when the Salsa dance music starts playing and I start dancing it makes everything better. It is my cure-all that I can always count on. However, I must admit that it has been a journey.
At first, I was completely frustrated and felt uncomfortable and foolish on the dance floor. Having a passion for something does not mean that you will be amazing at it naturally. But with the progression of time and unwavering commitment, I can tell that I have made a lot of progress by going out there and doing it. Although I am not quite to the level I aspire to be, salsa has given me countless personal rewards:
- Dancing has increased my confidence and instilled in me the ability to express myself.
- As a woman, I can honestly attest that it has also helped to connect me with my femininity (which is something I feel all women should embrace).
Those are just a few of the surprises I have found as a result of incorporating salsa dancing in my life. And that’s the way that I have started to live my life. If I don’t put myself out there and take the chance that I might look foolish or get frustrated, I risk missing out on that which might enrich my life. I have been blessed by salsa dance music in so many ways:
- The friendships I have made.
- The adventures I have had the privilege to go on.
- The joys I have indulged through years.
It has opened a door to a whole new world for me, and a new perspective on life.
The Salsa adventure has opened a whole new experience for my life
I have had to opportunity to meet some of my favorite salsa artists that I grew up listening to. Seeing them perform live is an outer body experience. Because not only do you listen to the lyrics and hear the live orchestra but now you see the emotion the artists are feeling when they are singing those songs. The energy that is generated in that one moment in time is magical; I’m completely connected.
To attend a live salsa event is to experience a connectedness to music that you might not find elsewhere.
I want to bring more awareness to salsa dance music by promoting salsa artists and events all over the world, and take people beyond the music. The intent is to embrace the culture, the community, and invite others to be part of this growing family. I want to introduce younger generations to salsa music because what I feel is lacking in our children today is positive role models.
With the world the way it is today, youth are so much more insecure than they were in years past. They are influenced easily by anything that gives them attention and respect, not always in a positive way. Learning to dance salsa takes time, effort, commitment, and teamwork:
- Gives you more confidence and inspires you to keep growing
- Helps you learn how to express yourself in a positive way
- Allows you to be creative and be yourself.
I believe if more kids are exposed to this positive way of self-expression and allowed to be creative in a safe environment. Then, we will have a better world full of music, dance, and culture for the generations to come. For those who are still looking some ways to start your Salsa journeys, you should read this: The best salsa dance habit that you should train yourself! or maybe this: 6 super simple advices to kick start your beginner Salsa lessons
Not only me, but I want every people to understand the beauty of Salsa dance music
With that, I strive to keep music classes in school, because without the music we can’t have the dance. There is so much undiscovered talent out there. So many people don’t have the opportunities that are available to rest of us. But the talent is there. The creativity is hidden away. And if we can uncover these talents while they are young and eager to learn we can lead them in the right direction.
We can give them the mentorship that our youth desperately need.
I want to help people discover the talent that they may not know they have. Help them find what their true passion and purpose is. Help them see that it is possible to live the life they have always imagined.
A life full of passion and happiness.
These are just a few of the things that I have set out to do. I know that each new person God puts in my path and the life experiences that are already set in place for me will open new doors, and create new ideas of how I can reach out to others, change more lives, and make a difference in this world. Even if it is by one dance at a time… So for now and always.
“Que Viva la Salsa”!
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* Credit & Author: Lizeth Galvan
