What is the Mambo? Is it a form of salsa or a different style? Can one salsa to the music of Perez Prado?

Answer 1

I'm no expert, but here's what I've heard about the two dances (plus the Cha-cha):

Mambo and Salsa are essentially the same dance. The *music* for the two dances is noticeably different, but the *footwork* is almost exactly the same at the basic level. Mambo is the ballroom version, and Salsa is the nightclub version. Mambo footwork is sharper and more staccato, and the Mambo has more complicated steps at the more advanced levels (since it's a ballroom dance and is danced by trained dancers). Salsa is slinkier and more free-form stylistically and sexier and is generally danced at a simpler level because it is danced in clubs by amateur dancers.

At the basic level, they use the same *footwork*. Salsa sometimes syncopates by throwing in an extra scuff or kick on the “slow,” but that's just a stylistic variation. So traditionally if you wanted to learn Salsa, you took a Mambo class or rented an instructional video for Mambo. The *music* for the two dances is fairly different--Salsa music tends to be a bit more complex and sexier, while Mambo music is bolder with a simple hard, fast beat. But you can dance Mambo to Salsa music and Salsa to Mambo music (since the footwork for the two dances is virtually identical anyway).

Historically speaking, Mambo came first. Then a variation called the “triple Mambo” was created, and that became the Cha-cha. (Mambo footwork is Quick-Quick-Slow; if you convert Mambo's “Quick” to a “slow” and Mambo's “Slow” to a “quick-quick-slow”, you get the Cha-cha footwork.) Mambo and Cha-cha use many of the same steps, but because of the different beat the Mambo is fast and the Cha-cha is more leisurely. Also, with more footfalls to play with, Cha-cha steps can be more ornate in terms of footwork.

Mambo and Cha-cha were adopted by high society and eventually became formal ballroom dances.

Then Salsa arose later as another variation of Mambo. Like Mambo, it uses the Quick-Quick-Slow footwork (sometimes with an extra kick or scuff during the “Slow”). It arose in the nightclubs and pretty much stayed there. Ballroom Mambo dancers usually look down on Salsa as too simple, but the more complex Salsa music and the freeform aspect of the dance provides Salsa with charms of its own.

I don't know the music of Perez Prado, so I can't help you there.

Answer 2

alright, ive taught mambo for two years, I started with regular salsa 5 years ago. Im not going to write a book, as i could but i'll tell you the main differences. 'Salsa" is when the couple starts dancing on the downbeat of one. Mambo is started dancing on beat two. So in an eight count, usually the bit hits on one, but on mambo you pause and start on 2. Salsa breaks on 1 and 5. Mambo breaks on 2 and 6. I fyou have no experience in this they you wont know what im talking about. If you have any basic knowledge, you wioll know exactly what I mean. Salsa is usually flashier, with dips, flips, etc. Mambo is more laid back, it is the common 'street style" of salsa that breaks on 2 and 6. Its almost as if you are dancing behind the beat instead of one it. It takes a talented musician to hear it in the music. Mambo is driven by the clave, there is a 2 3 clave and a 3 2 clave. Mambo looks more sticatto in some people, because it is puertorican style, and there, they dance more sticatto with smaller steps, but more hip movement, You need to be thouroughly understanding of salsa before you step into the musical realm of mambo. Perez Prado, I dont know. Try Tito puente, Bobby Valentin, Willie Rosario, Wayne Gorbea, Ray Barretto, and Sonora Poncena to name a few :) If you live in phoenix i can give you help.

Answer 3

Mambo is single step cha cha and salsa is sloppy mambo. In mambo the upper part of the body doesn't have as much movement as the lower part. Salsa is very much like mambo, except in salsa the upper body has a lot of movement. Yes, you can dance it to Perez Prado. I have a bunch of Perez Prado CD's!!!

Answer 4

Mambo...An up–tempo dance rhythm typically 190+ bpm. All four beats are evenly accented. Member of the son rhythm group. It was the mainstay rhythm of the Latin big brass bands during 1940s. Some believe that it originated from a section of the danzón. It is also Congolese for "trouble".

Salsa...is danced on music with a recurring eight-beat pattern, i.e. two bars of four beats. Salsa patterns typically use three steps during each four beats, one beat being skipped. However, this skipped beat is often marked by a tap, a kick, a flick, etc. Typically the music involves complicated percussion rhythms and is fast with around 180 beats per minute.

I would think you could salsa to the music of Perez Prado.

Answer 5

MAMBO #5!