PY Salsa Blog

Hong Kong Salsa Congress - February 07

It was my second visit to the Hong Kong Festival, and although it is one of the smaller on the circuit, there’s a lot going on over the 6 days it runs.  Believe it or not the event is actually organised by an ex-Londoner originally from Ghana Joseph Ennin –. He’s pioneered festivals over there, and he’s managed to make this one intimate and friendly - it’s a lovely festival all in all.

Headline acts were The Swing Guys, Pablo and Diana, Oliver and Luda and Jamie Jesus and Little Liz, and they also have the Asian Salsa Championships so all the Asian dancers and promoters were in attendance.

There were also a lot of Chinese dancers from the mainland, and it’s growing there at an incredible rate. Hong Kong is actually the hub of the Asian salsa scene, and its fascinating to see how salsa has developed there; five years ago the kind of salsa danced felt very much like an imitation or a copy of the real thing, but now Asian salsa has its own real flavour.  As well as dancing on one, many are dancing on two and doing Afro Cuban style.

I firmly believe that Asia is soon going to be the new Europe in terms of salsa.  Salsa migrated from Cuba to mainland America, where New York became its home; then the pendulum swung towards Europe, and in the near future it’s going to swing towards Asia. I predict it’s going to be a real force to be reckoned with.

So, watch this space!