(For fun, you can check out my page summarizing the arguments why this law is unconstitutional as well as resources to learn more about it).
In the backdrop of all this, enter: mambo icons who presented at the New Jersey International Salsa Congress. Barbara Craddock and Izzy Sanabria both gave lectures last week at NJISC. And race was a theme in both. In their own styles (and both are exceedingly unique people) Ms. Craddock and Mr. Sanabria showed that afro-cuban music and salsa dancing have the power to rise above racism.
Both Ms. Craddock and Mr. Sanabria showed footage and pictures of their respective eras. You really feel the power of what was happening at those times. Both of them were there. They knew the people in videos and photos they show.
Ms. Craddock began her lecture by asking "What was going on during the Palladium era that made the Palladium so unique? And the answer is: segregation. Segregation was explicit and violent in the South. In the North, it was implicit, but no less damaging and still psychologically violent. The Palladium existed during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
One could see how deeply Ms. Craddock felt the tragedy of the segregation. As she says: "It was a horrible, horrible, thing." The Palladium, at the time, was the only place were black people and white people (including white women dancing with black men, gasp!), jews, Puerto Rican, rich, poor, the famous (Frank Sinatra) and non-famous, all came together to enjoy the music and dancing of the Palladium. She talked about the beautiful dresses that the Puerto Rican dancers wore to the Palladium...a product of many Puerto Rican women toiling as seamstresses in New York and able to show their design and sewing skills at night at the Palladium (in addition to their dancing skills).
Mr. Izzy Sanabria picked up with later history at his lecture on Sunday about the Fania era. The Fania ara was the time that brought us the term "Salsa," which began as a marketing term. Fania exploded onto the music scene in the 70s and, with the combined genius of the Fania musicians, Mr. Sanabria, and Fania businessmen, Salsa became a world-wide musical phenomenon.
Salsa was a phenomenon created by Puerto Rican "immigrants" (in quotes because people from Puerto Rico are American Citizens but often face the anti-immigrant attitudes). Barriers during the Fania era were not just racial, but now exposed class issues, even within the Latin-American community. It was fascinating to learn how Fania was ignored by the Spanish language press (part;u due to salsa music being seen by upper class latino immigrants as low class) and that it was only the English language press that got behind Fania promotion. On his website Mr. Sanabria explains how the older, mambo, musicians like Tito Puente distanced themselves for a time from association with salsa music, but later came around and reconciled with the newer musicians. Again, it was the power of the music and the dancing that broke through barriers. Dissolving racism does not always have to be conscious. As Mr. Sanabria said: "We did not know we were making history....we were just having a damn good time!"
I wrote before on one my early posts that one reason I write this blog, and why I keep dancing is because there are times, moments, at socials or congresses when all barriers dissolve - racial, class, even levels of dancing skill, and a couple. As Ms. Carddock said about the Palladium era: "Dancing mambo was the only time you could meet a guy (of any race), and within two minutes, you were in his arms."
Do not miss these lectures if you are at a congress and they are available to you! It will deepend your understanding of salsa. I believe that the history helps me understand the music better and therefore, to dance better because I feel more connected with the music.
These lecture were so inspiring and heart warming to me.
Peace, Kathleen
