Who truly plays alternative latin ballroom / salsa music?

November 27, 2007 1:54 PM

Who truly plays alternative latin ballroom / salsa music?

BallroomDanceFites: Of course during ballroom dance competitions, the dj guy will often play covers people make that sound like remakes of the original tunes.. just with altered tempos to make 'em suitable for dancing.

But i'm talking about, say, stuff that is alREADY suitable for dancing without alteration... for example, Kirsty MacColl's Tropical Brainstorm, a great pop record with words and melodies for all the tunes, yet almost the whole thing is done with beats that need no adjusting, nearly perfect for your cha cha, samba, merengue, etc. of choice.

I did already search on mefi, and listened to a bunch of stuff people recommended for salsa, but none of it was particularly nifty AND also ready-for-dance-usage. Some tunes here and there are good to go from people like Pink Martini or early Goldfrapp, Thievery Corporation, etc, but how about an entire record?

Gracias, mefiters.

posted by bitterkitten to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Gotan Project might work. It's mostly tango-ey, but they might do other styles.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:23 PM on November 27, 2007

The entire record 'Rei Momo' by David Byrne is full of great danceable salsa/samba with a nice full orchestra. Great tunes.
posted by greenskpr at 3:09 PM on November 27, 2007

Without a doubt, Grupo Fantasma is your answer.
posted by umbú at 4:01 PM on November 27, 2007

Also, why not some salsa classics like, say, Siembra by Rubén Blades and Willie Colón?
posted by umbú at 4:54 PM on November 27, 2007

If you listen to Plastico off of Siembra, don't be fooled by the first thirty seconds of orchestral disco. The intro corresponds to the song's lyrics commenting on the "plastic-ness" of urban life. It'll kick into salsa soon enough.
posted by umbú at 4:57 PM on November 27, 2007

Almost the entire soundtrack for the movie Dance With Me is latin and danceable, though some tracks are dated (especially the ones with Gloria Estafan...I can't hear her voice without thinking '80s). Jazz Machine by Black Machine is a great fast track. It was featured on So You Think You Can Dance, which often has some great alternative ballroom music . (This is in contrast to the Dancing With The Stars / Strictly Come Dancing franchise, which often features "what the hell were they smoking?" alternative tracks, like the Superman theme for a paso (shudder).) Another good track that was on the most recent edition of So You Think... was Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club des Belugas, which you can get on iTunes in several flavors.
posted by derMax at 11:52 PM on November 27, 2007