There’s something uniquely cathartic about having a day set aside to focus on celebrating the life of a loved one who has passed on. When you lose someone, so much attention is paid to the mourning process. But what about the vivacity of the life they lead -- the light … [Read more...]
Culture Commentary
Get the latest news and trends in Latin culture with Dance Papi featuring historical analysis, lifestyle news and profiles.
Salsa Dancing Can Help You Fight PTSD
This week, I came across an article online about a Tucson army veteran named Antonio Medina. In the video accompanying the article, Medina is a cheerful, fit-looking guy with a gigantic smile on his face. He’s got some pretty awesome salsa moves, and he’s a military … [Read more...]
Why You Should Care About Hispanic Heritage Month
Did you know that September 15th-October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month? These 30 days are a chance for all of us Americans to take the time to recognize the latin roots of 17% our nation’s citizens. And what better way to celebrate than by learning some new … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Journey Beneath My Skin,” Chronicling Fitto Foster’s Transformation
For many of us active in the Los Angeles salsa community, we first remember Fitto Foster as a founding member of one of the top salsa bands back in the 1970’s - Orquesta Versalles. What we didn’t know was that this singer, keyboardist, composer and arranger would … [Read more...]
The Inner Workings of a Salsa Dance Club
Common threads behind club doors I've been a big fan of salsa for a long time. One of the things that I have always enjoyed about the world of salsa—besides the dancing and the music—is the unique environment found in salsa clubs. I find it fascinating that no … [Read more...]
Havana Village Highlights from the 37th Annual Carnaval in San Francisco
Big thanks to everyone who stopped by the Havana Village Dance Pavilion during the 37th Annual Carnaval in San Francisco for a great weekend of social dancing. The Bay Area's top Timba and Salsa DJs - Walt Digz, Dark Rum, Pepe Timba, JuanLove and Salsa Nick - kept … [Read more...]
Why You Should Dance Salsa
I Asked the Internet: Why Dance Salsa? This is What I Found. I was attracted to salsa dancing for a few reasons. First, I wanted to re-create the memory that I had of learning to dance in Guatemala. I will also admit that I fell for the glamour -- it just seems … [Read more...]