Gabriel & Adrienne, of Mambo Romero Photo courtesy of Gary Tom	Twirling at Berkeley's Down Low Lounge	2003 L.A. Salsa Congress Photo courtesty of Rita

MAMBO: THE MUSIC

Mambo means different things depending on who's speaking. For musicians mambo is an expanded rhythm section at the end of the danzon (initially called Nuevo Ritmo) introduced by Antonio Arcaño’s group in the late 1930s. Arcaño labeled this upbeat section “Mambo”, borrowing the title from a composition by his bassist the late Orestes “Cachao” Lopez. In the 1950’s, Cuban-born, Perez Prado vaulted mambo to world wide prominence (propelled by his big band's popularity in Mexico and the U.S.), his mambo with lush jazzy arrangements, infused with throbbing congas and high-octane brass voicings.

Mambo is a repeating instrumental phrase played in unison by the rhythm section (piano, bass and percussion) which bridges different sections of a composition.

The original Bantu meaning of mambo is " a conversation with the gods."

MAMBO: THE DANCE

The legendary Palladium Ballroom (at W. 53rd and Broadway in Manhattan) was center of the universe for mambo dancers during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Renowned musicologist Max Salazar recalls,

“It was the dancer’s home away from home, a weekend escape from the everyday problems of life. It was a place where for dollar and twenty five cents (and sometimes only seventy-five cents before 10 P.M.); people could meet and enjoy two bands, free dance lessons, a floor show and a dance contest. In addition, the Palladium’s libidinous mambo accomplished what social reformers for centuries could not do: by arousing people’s passions and compelling them to the dance floor, it annihilated racial and religious barriers.” (Mambo Kingdom, 2002)

According to Wikipedia “Mambo is danced in 4/4 time …The basic pattern or “Basic Step” of Mambo consists of two halves: Forward Basic and Backward Basic. When a man dances the Forward Basic, the lady dances the Backward Basic and vice versa. The steps are performed with Cuban hip motion (first seen in Cuban son) a weight change while bending the knee - this will result in the hip motion which is typical for salsa. In mambo however this move is made to appear more sudden and accentuated.

There are three steps per measure. They start on the second beat of the measure and cued "(pause)-Two-Three-Four".

Count "One" is often described as "pause" or "hold", while in fact the body motion and Cuban hip motion do not stop.

Leader's Forward Basic (Cuban Style)

Count 1: Hold
Count 2: Step forward by left foot
Count 3: Replace weight on the right foot
Counts 4, 1: Step sideways. (Variant: Step backwards, often used by "Salsa on 2" dancers) Weight is transferred completely on count 4.

Backward Basic

Count 1: Hold
Count 2: Step backward by right foot
Count 3: Replace weight on the left foot
Counts 4, 1 Step sideways. (Variant: Step forward, often used by "Salsa on 2" dancers).

The first two steps of the Forward Basic are sometimes called "Forward Break" or "Rock Forward". The first two steps of the Backward Basic are sometimes called "Rock Backwards", rock back, back rock, or simply Rock Step.

NEW YORK OR PALLADIUM STYLE MAMBO (dancing on 2)

According to www.salsanewyork.com the basic step of the New York style is:

1st beat of the measure - The man steps back with his left foot. The woman steps forward with her right foot.

2nd beat of the measure - The man steps farther back with his right foot, then changes direction, starting to lean forward with his body = "breaks forward on 2." The woman steps farther forward with her left foot, then changes direction, starting to lean back with her body = "breaking back on 2."

3rd beat of the measure - The man steps in place with his left foot, while his body is moving forward. The woman steps in place with her right foot, while her body is moving backward.

4th beat of the measure - No steps.

5th beat of the measure - The man steps forward with his right foot, in front of his left foot. The woman steps backward with her left foot, behind her right foot.

6th beat of the measure - The man steps farther forward with his left foot, then changes direction, starting to lean backward with his body = "breaks back on 6." The woman steps farther back with her right foot, then changes direction, starting to lean forward = "breaks forward on 6."

7th beat of the measure - The man steps in place with his right foot, while his body is moving backward. The woman steps in place with her left foot, while her body is moving forward.

8th beat of the measure - No steps.

The New York mambo is danced forward and back, in a line or slot, not side to side or in a circle or square. You can see this step precisely demonstrated and broken down into its separate elements in the Eddie Torres Teaches Salsa videos. Since mid 1990’s, the On 2 approach to mambo has bubbled out of the New York City dance scene and poured into to salsa clubs across the country, notably in Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

For more perspectives on Mambo dancing, log into our interviews with leading New York dancer and teachers Eddie Torres, Ernie Ensley and Nydia Ocasio.