The sizzling salsa rhythm in Kampala

Different names, different beats and different moves from Kizomba, Merengue, Bachata, Salsa, Chachacha, Tango, to Jive, and Rueda they are all exotic dances which are taking Kampala’s entertainment scene with speed and force.

Thanks to a group of creative youthful Ugandans; Ivan Mugeere, Morris Sirrom and Nobert Barinitwe who are bent on breaking away from what had become the norm of contemporary entertaining dance.

The Latino dance taking Kampala by storm is Salsa. It has its origin in Los Angeles in America. From there, it went to Cuba where it was more popularised into what is known as the Cuban Salsa. Ivan Mugeere, a graduate of Information Technology from Uganda Christian University, Mukono, one of the brains behind the different Latino dancing groups says the type of Salsa danced in Uganda is purely Cuban.

“Cuban salsa involves the shaking of the shoulders and it was popularised by slaves from West Africa. In parts of West Africa, it is called west African Salsa, ”explains Mugeere.

The youthful man explains that with the Los Angeles salsa the dancers remain in a slot or line while in Cuban salsa, the dancers circle around each other and they use more force and power with a lot of energetic circular swirls.

Where to go
In the past years, the now defunct Lotus Mexicana in Nakasero was home to the aspiring Latino dancers until it closed shop a couple of years ago. Morris Sirrom, a student at Law Development Centre, first heard about salsa six years ago at that venue. Since then, he has never looked back.
According to Mugeere, it would take an average of two months for one to master the basics and be able to dance. Personal interests also have an impact on how fast one masters the different patterns of the different Latino dances.

“ If one danced for 60-90 minutes, with three 10 minutes- breaks, he or she can be a perfect dancer in two months or less.”
There are a number of places that host Latino classes and social dances at specific days and times.

“There are few Salsa groups in Kampala, that is why we decided to spread out in different places and times to take the fun to people in different locations of Kampala. Each group has got its day and venue where they carry out lessons and social dances,” Ivan Mugeere says.

He goes on to say that all dance venues charge Shs3,000 for a soft drink except Acacia Mall where a drink goes for Shs 5,000 during the dance lessons. However, the social dances are free of charge.

“The dance lessons cost Shs10,000 for a 90 minute-session. For a month, you can part with Shs 70,000 at Rock Garden every Tuesday and Sunday, where the lessons run from 5pm to 7pm.

On the number of participants, Mugeere says, there are 600 salsa dancers within Kampala alone plying their trade at different places in Kampala at different times. Most of the participants get to know about salsa by word of mouth from friends.

Each of the different dances has its own pattern. Kizomba is a three-beat dance; Bachata has four beats; Salsa main has eight beats and Chachacha six beats. The beats and the dance steps have to rhyme. Merengue is just more of a calypso kind of dance while Rueda is a group dance where dancers move in a circle.

Salsa for money and fun
Some Salsa dancers have formed dancing groups and have gone commercial providing entertainment.

“We perform at different functions from corporate events, to weddings and birthday parties,” says Mugeere, the founder and director of Ivanoz.
Ivanoz is one of the pioneers of commercial Latino dancing especially salsa. One parts with $100 (Shs 260,000) per dancing couple performing four different dances.

“In case the event organisers want more than one dancing couple we can negotiate the price,” Mugeere explains.

During the performances it is not all about the music and dance.
“When it comes to events we theme our dances, for instance, if it’s a wedding we ask the couple to tell us how they met and we make it as our dance theme at their wedding.”

Nobert Barinitwe, a salsa dancer and instructor says for the Latino fraternity in Kampala salsa is about having fun and being happy.
“We are like a family on weekends if all the groups are not engaged we get together for a Salsa party either at one of the member’s residence or we hold them at a beach where we invite the public to join us and introduce them to the dance,” says Barinitwe.
For those who want to join, Salsa is open to all but has an age limit for the beginners. Retiring from the dance has no age limit as long as one has the energy to continue.

“People coming to join the dance classes must be at least 25 years. We have no upper age limit. Currently, our oldest salsa dancer is “Mama Salsa” who is 60 years old, and she is still passionate and energetic,” Mugeere explains.

How they started
An Information Technology graduate, Ivan Mugeere, first came across salsa while on a six-month north -south exchange study programme in Norway early last year. In 2013, during his stay in Norway, Mugeere says the weather demanded that he finds something more engaging to fight the cold during his free time. He went to University of Oslo’s department of culture and creative arts where he first saw people dancing salsa.

“When I saw people dancing salsa, I picked interest and went for lessons that lasted four months. I came back determined to put what I had learnt to develop talent of other youth. Along the way, I realised that it can also help them earn a living. That’s how I started Ivanoz, a Latino dance group.”
Morris Sirrom, a law student, first rubbed shoulders with Salsa dancers six years ago when students of Yale University in America under the AIESEC students exchange programme came to Uganda and asked him to take them for Latino dance.

“I didn’t know there was anything like that in Uganda until I inquired around and we ended up at Lotus Mexicana in Nakasero. And since then I have been hooked to the dance, and that’s how I ended up starting the Latino Stars, a dance group based at Africa Hall in Makerere University.”

The dos and don’ts
Salsa is an intimate dance because you hold your partner at a very close range so, personal hygiene and discipline are key.
“Dancing salsa is all about discipline and etiquette, when you ask a girl to dance and she refuses, take it in good spirit, should she decided to leave midway the performance because she is not comfortable with your hygiene you let go. And should she dance with you until the end, you have to walk her back to her seat,” explains Sirrom, a dance instructor..
Never get to the dance floor when you are drunk or if you have been smoking because you have to maintain balance and smell fresh.
Salsa in Kampala currently is looked at as an elite dance and it takes a lot of confidence to get to the dance floor or pick a partner.
“Nobert Barinitwe, a friend of Mugeere and Sirrom, advises that it is better to dance to only two songs and take a break or else chances are that beyond two songs it may become so emotional.”
Mugeere(Pictured above) however cautions that salsa is addictive once you get used to it. “When you learn salsa, you don’t want to stop dancing, you want to grab any opportunity to get to the dance floor. For us religion is salsa and the tribe is Latino.”

Venues

The dance groups and venues include Ivanoz which carries out dances lessons and social dances at Rock Gardens every Tuesday and Sunday evenings from 5pm to 7pm and 7pm to 10pm respectively. Then, Emerald Hotel on Bombo Road is home to Dance in the Wild, every Friday starting at 7pm, Dance is a group based at Next Step in Bugolobi that dances at 7pm, Latino Addicts at Acacia Mall every Wednesday starting at 7pm, and Latino Stars based at Africa Hall in Makerere University every Saturday 7pm.

Also, there are dance classes conducted at Freedom City, Garden City Rooftop formerly Boda Boda and Cayenne on Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday starting at 7pm respectively.