Tales of Spice & Flavour - Ch. 6 - El Ritmo del Corazón
A piece about Cali needs music. This is a playlist of songs heard during my stay here. Dance while reading.
Curiosity excites. Its exploration leads to unexpected journeys.
Connections. Places. Following the signals and listening to the sounds unfurls new layers of you.
Music scenes are curiosity playgrounds. Expressions in every detail invite thought and perspective.
Tales of Spice & Flavour is a series celebrating music culture. Every edition highlights a depth of music’s medicine.
Music binds us.
A glue connecting everyone. Its magic speaks past language, age, and backgrounds. It’s a superpower that takes you around the world.
Cali is the heart of salsa. Walking the city its heartbeat is felt. It thumps. Rhythms rush the streets. The energy shows in the people. A contagious passion for dance.
Access
Cali’s access to dance is unique. Exploring interests in dance in other locations requires effort. In Cali it’s unavoidable.
Dance is everywhere. Everyone dances.
Existing in this environment exposes you to intense levels of movement. If you’re looking to immerse in a music bubble, it’s the place to be.
I first visited Cali for two weeks in February. Enamoured by the dance scene, I returned for a six-week block. It intrigues me what will surface from a prolonged stay here.
It’s beautiful meeting others with similar relationships to Cali. Once this city holds you, it’s hard to let go.
Process
Cali greets you with the reality of process. Walking into La Topa is humbling. The salsa caleña style is like watching a time lapse. The feet are quick. It’s hard tracking them with my eyes let alone executing it.
Their frenetic footwork is a reminder that things take time. Comparing myself to years, lives of practice is unfair. At one point they were in my shoes. Dancing out of time. Stepping on feet. Tangling arms.
Time in the Cali scene is revealing that it’s not about knowing the moves. Perfection isn’t the desire.
To dance ‘well’ is to access the feelings of movement. Noticing where your feet meet the earth. Connecting to the music. Sharing the experience with your partner.
It’s helping me relax more when I stuff up. There’s less tension in my body. I laugh when I fall out of rhythm. I’m having fun with the process.
Exposing Walls
Entering the dance floor of a social is like the first lunch time at a new school. Being unsure who to talk to. Looking down at my feet. Anxiety building.
Dancing in Cali exposes walls in confidence. Approaching strangers to dance. Leading the movements. Communicating without words and through my body. Confidence in myself to give the followers assurance.
It’s an edge.
I notice my concerns live in the anticipation. Once we’re dancing, it settles. It rips off the band-aid releasing the judgements existing in my head.
People don’t care if the dance is bad. They want to share the love of music and connection. If your intention is good it will speak past skill levels.
Cali Gallery
Here is a collection of favourites from my time in Cali.
