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Cha cha is the
newcomer of the Latin American Dances. This dance was first
seen in the dance-halls of America, in the early fifties,
following closely Mambo, from which it was developed. The
music is slower than Mambo.
Chonque was
the grandfather of Rumba and Cha cha with African rhythms
and Spanish guitar, but Enrique Joren came up with the first
full-fledged Cha cha in 1951. He wanted it to be a medium
rhythm, very recognizable and not too frenetic. His creation
came from the idea that there should be a music created
specifically for dance and participation, not only for
listening, or for a select elite.
The name Cha
cha is an imitation of the "rhythm" from dancing Cuban side
steps. From the less inhibited night clubs and dance halls
the Mambo underwent subtle changes. It was triple Mambo, and
then peculiar scraping and shuffling sounds during the
"tripling" produced the imitative sound of Cha cha. This
then became a dance in itself. Mambo or triple Mambo or cha
cha as it is now called, is but an advanced stage in
interpretive social dancing born of the fusion of
progressive American and Latin music.
After the
World War II the Mambo was pushed aside by the Cha cha which
became popular around 1956. According to its roots the Cha
cha should be played passionately without any seriousness
and with staccato allowing the dancers to project an
atmosphere of 'naughtiness" to the audience. |
