Check this out...it is taken from a link advertising an upcoming Salsa Congress in Africa!

"Organising a Salsa Congress is never easy, but organising one in Africa is always going to present some unique opportunities to combine salsa and tourism. It is also going to present some unique salsa backdrops. Nigeria is most likely the birthplace of the clave and is the home of the Yoruba people. Nigeria is also the place from where the Ifa religion (Orishas) originates."

"With the 1st Africa Salsa Congress we hope to bring a bit of an African flava to a Salsa Congress and at the same time hope to be a catalyst for the expansion of salsa throughout Africa. Our intention is that every year the Africa Salsa Congress will be held in a different African country; provisionally we have Nairobi (Kenya) 2007, Accra (Ghana) 2008, and Cape Town (South Africa) 2009."

"In its inaugural year, the Africa Salsa Congress will take place in the purpose built capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Abuja. Not only will we be offering the usual activities that you would expect from a salsa congress (top instructors, top DJs, etc), but also many cultural activities to help you to get to know the host country as much as possible including orientation lectures, African dance classes, African markets, etc."

"We are delighted to announce that the following instructors will appear at the inaugural Africa Salsa Congress...

SuperMario | London, UK
Susana Montero | London, UK
Leon Rose | London, UK
Hacha Y Machete | Boston, USA
Joel and Ana Masacote | Boston,USA
Emma Moore | Manchester, UK
Mushi Noor | Manchester, UK
Andrea Stewart | London, UK
Tamambo | London, UK
Marchant Birch | South Africa/UK tbc

We are also very delighted to have the following DJs...

DJ Gabriel | Paris, France
DJ SuperMario | London, UK
DJ Emma | Manchester, UK
DJ Jano | Togo/UK"

OK, OK, maybe its me, but does anyone else see something wrong in this picture. I think that we all can agree that West Africa is the spiritual home of what has grown to be known as salsa. When we see dancers in the clubs doing their mambo, rumba moves, we can't help but visualize the ritualistic dances done by brothers, heavily chalked, deep in trance and connected with the ancestral spirits of their forefathers in the temples and shrines of Nigerian, Ghanian, Gambian, holy men and healers. This is what the slaves carried with them - their religious beliefs and practices- as they were enslaved and forcibly relocated on many of the islands of the Caribbean. This became the soul, spirit and passion that evolved and later manefested itself in salsa music and dancing.

The idea of putting on a congress with "African Flava" is truly revolutionary. Afterall, there is little similarity between what occurs in a salsa congress and what "real" salsa is about. You would think that this would be an excellent opportunity to show folks what salsa was really about by exposing them to local dancers with that unique and indigenous flava that comes from a unique relationship and connectedness with the spirits of the music.

Unfortunately, the only thing African about this congress appears to be its location. Like missionaries of an ugly time long past, these salsa dancers will go into the birthplace of salsa and "convert" our brothers and sisters to this new religion...West Coast/Los Angeles-style salsa. Instead of dancing from the spirit and soul, they will begin choreographing their movements, incorporating showy acrobatic moves, and wearing shiny rhinestone tops and skirts. Instead of dancing to please the spirits of the ancestors, their dance will be one aimed at pleasing those in front and back of the recording camera and television set.

Maybe the bright side to all of this is that the majority of our African brothers and sisters won't be able to afford the congress in the first place, and consequently, won't attend and won't be effected.

Unfortunately, again, it seems that we truly don't appreciate our uniqueness and what we do. Hopefully, not to be offensive, but this reminds me of the old saying that the "white man's ice is always colder".