Costa Rica – Although you will most likely here 80’s music or Calle 13 when getting into a taxi in CR there is a whole world of latin music and dance that you can delve into when living in Costa Rica. When you think of Latin music you may picture the type of dancing you have seen in movies such as Dirty Dancing or in big cities.
However, the dancing style in Costa Rica is much less energetic than in Cuba, New York, or California. It is very graceful but appears slow and repetitious. The most common dance genres of music and dance styles are salsa, bachata, meringue, cumbia, and bolero which is a type of swing only found in Costa Rica and different from other boleros.
The most popular club to dance these styles is Castro’s in barrio Mexico. Other places include El Tobagan, Meridiano al Este, Palenque, Manolo’s, and Picachos.
Most bars in the beach locations will play tropical music, with the exception of in the Caribbean where reggae roots and calypso are most popular. In San Jose and other university areas electronic music and 80s rock are the most normal to hear.
Costa Rican’s love to listen to music and dance. There is a TV show dedicated to pairing celebrities with someone connected with a charity. They are judged on their dancing and the winner gets money for the charity. It’s called Bailando por un Sueno and is on every Saturday night.
Contemporary dance and music styles are gaining popularity. Ballet, jazz, and bellydance are among these. There is a folkloric dance which involves acting out a story of the past while wearing traditional clothing and playing historic instruments. This dance is used in celebrations and parades year round.
By Kerry La
