The Annual Bachata Festival promotes Latin culture

There were a variety of music and dance festivals held this year thanks to the immense support from fans of these festival organizations. One notable festival was the 5th Annual Shanghai Bachata Festival, which was presented by the Hot Salsa Club. It was held from November 29 to December 2 at the Shanghai Rayfront Hotel. The Bachata festival relied on Bachata, a genre of Latin American music originating from the Dominican Republic during the first half of the 20th century, which carries musical elements from Africa, Europe, and Latin America. The typical Bachata group consists of seven instruments: the Requinto (lead guitar), the Segunda (rhythm guitar), electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, bongo, and güira. As the Bachata music is played, traditional Spanish dancers dance along with the music. In order to better represent the traditional Latin dance, this year’s festival consisted of 13 professional artists from several Latin countries and the US.

Every year, the organizers of the Bachata Festival select several different activities that volunteers can participate in while they communicate and dance with the native Spanish dancers. The participants learned the dancers’ unique dance choreography and attended workshops to learn about Spanish culture, all while enjoying the night-long party, filled with traditional Latin music. There were Salsa and Kizomba dances mixed in with the Bachata music, and the dancers created various Master Bootcamps, a term used for dancing workshops. These workshops were held on different dates so that participants could attend multiple bootcamps and learn various forms of dance choreography throughout the festival. This year, there were a total of 5 bootcamps, which included single and couple choreography classes, widening the participants’ range of choices. Furthermore, the traditional dancers organized dance shows for the participants who were only interested in watching professional Bachata dances. With these choices, they could gain a deep understanding of Latin culture and its dances in different ways throughout the festival period, regardless of the participation.

Many participants have expressed their support for the Bachata Festival, deeming it a valuable experience for people who are interested in studying Latin culture in Shanghai. The Hot Salsa Club is also hosting the 2019 winter edition of the Bachata Festival, so there is another opportunity for people to learn Latin American culture.

For additional information about the festival, visit here.

Featured Image – The offical poster for the Annual Shanghai Bachata Festival 2018 Courtesy of HotSalsaClub 

By Amy Kang