Today, Friday, the XXXI edition of the chachachá festival began in Havana, official sources reported.
From the place where the first melodies of that song were heard, the corner of Prado and Neptuno, in the capital and led by the Orquesta América, the event will take place over three days until October 23.
The artistic director of the event, Henry Gutiérrez, said that the central axis will be a dance competition starring couples from the community, and that groups such as the Orquesta América, Estrellas Cubanas and Enrique Jorrín will put music to their activities.
Organized by the Department of Culture of the Havana Historical Center, the festival will be the stage to evoke the origins of this genre. Its name comes from the characteristic sound produced by the rubbing of the feet on the ground, recalled Johannes García, National Dance Award 2020.
Conceived as a space to defend native sounds and Cuban cultural heritage, the event will have a jury that will evaluate the dancers.
Musically distinctive due to the rhythm of the güiro, this genre forms the basis of other popular dances such as those of the deities of the Yoruba religion, said García, director of the JJ Traditional Dance company.
The chachachá repertoire includes universally known songs such as “El bodeguero”, “Los marcianos”, “Rico vacilón”, “Adela told me”, “Corazón de melón” and “Cuéntame”, among others.
