Big Dance Video and MegaMix 29

OK people, if you haven’t seen it already... you didn’t miss much. Here’s the official top secret song and Zumba^® choreography for the UK Big Dance Week 2012: Es Tiempo De Bailar. Why did they make this video “unlisted”, I know not. The song is thoroughly boring (at just over four minutes, sounds like eternity to me), the choreography... As Beto didn’t even break a sweat (see, his top is still on), I figure he is dead bored too. Big yawn.

As for MegaMix 29: actually, on the second listening, it’s not as bad as the previous compilation. (Then again, should one even attempt to replicate that?) It is worth keeping for De Una Vez Gozando by Sonora Carruseles alone. Then I really liked the cover of Gabriel Romero’s La Subienda. But the rest?

Merengue El Pollo is one of those patience-testing songs: they really should try and change a chord once in a while. Reggaeton Latino may have been Don Omar’s major hit back in 2005. Now it sounds terribly dated. Frankly, it never was that good in the first place. And, with all respect to Dido, what Thank You has to do with Zumba? (Just checking, I know the answer. Zumba wants to become even more mainstream by catering for those who does not listen to Latin, African or Asian music... basically anything that is not sung in English.)

Song List

1. Anderlecht Champion (Euro 2000 Olé Olé Olé mix) — Warm Up — by Eurostars
2. El Pollo — Merengue — by Amarfis y la Banda de Atakke
3. Mete Bronca — Axé — by Ceceu Muniz
4. La Subienda — Cumbia *
5. Hybrid — Caribbean Hip-Hop — by K-liber4life
6. El Party — Merengue House — by Proyecto Uno
7. Reggaeton Latino — Reggaeton — by Don Omar
8. De Una Vez Gozando — Salsa — by Sonora Carruseles
9. The Sign — Pop *
10. Thank You — Cool Down *

* Covers

Zumba, as seen in Gran Hermano

Where is everybody? I mean, everybody? OK, let’s see, there was Semana Santa, then Feria de Abril, then Día del trabajo... But that’s it. Is it? There were very few people attending recently. And when I say very few, I really mean very few. You know that even if just one person turns up, I give a class. During the last two weeks, three classes were cancelled. Not a good sign.

If you remember, two months ago I did my first fundraising Zumba class in CEIP “Antoñito El Farero”. Which I thought was a success: local people were talking (at last!) about Zumba. So I did expect a little bit more turnout for our second Zumba event on 7 May 2012. Obviously I was wrong. Maybe it was too short a notice, but there were far less people yesterday.

Could it be that everybody was watching Gran Hermano instead? For some time, my fellow Spanish Zumba instructors were discussing Zumba being promoted on The Big Brother. Personally I do not subscribe to a view that every publicity is good publicity. Zumba, “as seen in Gran Hermano”? If I never heard about Zumba, I would probably say “no, thank you”.

Still, I got my endorphins going wherever they go, couple of new songs were learned for the occasion, and there were children who apparently enjoyed Zumba too (especially the fact that some of them got to wear hip scarves). Tamara did two songs with me, Hecha Pa’lante and La Gota Fría. All in all, I think it was not a bad class.

Song List

1. Mbube — Warm-Up (1) — African song — by Miriam Makeba
2. Samba De Janeiro — Warm-Up (2) — Samba Dance
3. Chillin’ — Merengue
4. Vivre — Salsa — by Zap Mama
5. Alegria Pa Zumbar — Samba
6. Busamba — Salsa / Cha-cha-chá
7. La Peinada — Quebradita
8. Hecha Pa’lante — Bellydance
9. La Gota Fría — Cumbia
10. Hindu Cumen — Indian Fusion / Cha-cha-chá
11. Mambo — Rumba Flamenca — by Bandoleros
12. Caipirinha — Brazilian Dance / Bellydance
13. Aña Pa’ Mi Tambor — Salsa — by La Excelencia
14. Zorba — Sirtaki
15. Vuelvo al sur — Cool-Down — Tango — by Gotan Project