Reggaeton

Reggaeton music originated in Panama in the 1970s. By the 1990s it had spread to Puerto Rico, where the youth now claim Reggaeton as a musical genre of their own. Reggaeton music has a mixture of Jamaican and Latin American influences, blended with Hip Hop and Electronica beats. Reggaeton usually incorporates rapping in Spanish or English. Its similar lyrical structure to Hip Hop has caused some controversy due to the use of sexual innuendo and explicit lyrics in some of the music. In an attempt to get around censorship issues, some Reggaeton artists prefer to utilise double meanings to make the messages in their songs more subliminal. However this is not to say that Reggaeton is simply a form of Latino Hip Hop; it has its very own distinctive rhythm known as ‘dembow’, the name of which refers to the title of the Shabba Ranks song ‘Dem Bow’ that first popularised Reggaeton in the 1990s.

The infectious beats of this Latin American urban music of the 1990s caused it to spread rapidly worldwide, along with an accompanying dance style that is simple and easy to learn. It is primarily a partnered dance and is likened to the dancing style to that seen in the film ‘Dirty Dancing’, but with more of a Caribbean influence. A classic Reggaeton dance move is often referred to as ‘Perreo’, which means ‘Doggie’, and refers to its explicit sexual overtones. The man stands behind the woman and both grind their hips and shoulders in time to the music. Reggaeton is a sexy and passionate dance, making it very popular in clubs worldwide, and especially in Puerto Rico. It is also suitable for any party or social occasion for fans of Latin music.

What Tribal Fusion Is All About?

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Tribal Fusion

Tribal Fusion Belly Dance

Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a modern form of belly dance which has evolved from American Tribal Style belly dancing, blending elements of ATS with any other style of dance. It frequently incorporates elements from Popping, Hip Hop, 'Egyptian' or 'Cabaret' belly dance, as well as from traditional forms such as Flamenco, Kathak, Bhangra, Balinese, and other folkloric dance styles. Improvisational Tribal Style (ITS) has also contributed to tribal fusion.

The term Tribal Fusion is used to describe any Tribal Style dance form that incorporates the use of solo performances, utilizes world music, classical music or electronica, and involves the fusion of Tribal Style belly dance with any other kind of dance.

Sub-genres of Tribal Fusion

Vaudeville Style Belly Dance (also referred to tribal vintage style) is an emerging style of tribal fusion belly dance that uses cultural elements of the mid-1800s through the 1930s. This style is deeply inspired by pre-WWII vaudeville acts, often incorporating comedy into performances. Vaudeville belly dance often uses jazz, swing, blues, Balkan, or Middle Eastern-derived music. The costumes are perhaps the most recognizable feature of vaudeville belly dance because they almost always incorporate style influences from the Jazz Era and earlier. This form is closely associated with Burlesque fusion belly dance and much overlap exists between them. Both styles have strongly influenced the tribal fusion genre overall.

Other popular tribal fusion subtypes include Steampunk, Art Nouveau, Burlesque, Gothic Fusion Belly Dance, world fusion, theatrical belly dance, and hip-hop/jazz dance fusion.