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Cuba shakes with music and, surely, this is where its soul lies. For anyone with an interest in folklore and myth the sound of Cuba is a sound source of information. Vital and exhilarating the beat of the country sweeps you up, stops time and with it, your worries.
Everyone has heard of Club Tropicana which flourishes in Havana and has just finished a tour of the UK But most Cuban hotels provide their own dancers and bands. The Hotel Commodoro for example has its own night club and entertainers. Their floor show is called Sabor Cubano - Flavour of Cuba.
The four dancers have graduated from the School of Dance in Havana and have been working together for the past year. They provide a lively mixture of Caribbean, Salsa, Bolero and Cuban dance and songs. The girls sweep and swirl in a blaze of colour. The costumes are designed and made themselves. The climax to the show is the a dance called la chancleta - clog dancing. The dance and songs refer to life on the plantations and the work. The sound of the clogs echo the calls of life and the rhythm of the dance.
Before you can recover your breath, nine more vibrant women sweep onto the stage...
Led by drums their nine voices sound more like ninety. Their music is strong, confident and complex, driven by a fast rhythm. The Rumba and Salsa are irresistible. Above the music their voices call and repeat chorus and folk chants. Throughout the set there are hypnotic drum beats which hark back to their African history. The culture and tradition of the people is in this music. This is Cuba at its most beautiful and best.
| The high-kickers of Sabor Cubano... | |
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Caridad | Ivonne |
 |  |
Jamira | Indira |
Making up before the show... |  |
If you are in Cuba and want to catch this floor show, contact...
Alfonso Carreoso (entertainments' manager),
Commodoro Hotel,
Mimar, Playa,
Havana City.
$4-$8 will pay for a taxi to whisk you from the centre of downtown Havana.
