Despite the embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba since 1961, the music of this north Caribbean island has somehow made its way into every corner of the earth, including Japan. It is no coincidence that "The Sons of Cuba," the most recent film from the creators of "Buena Vista Social Club," culminates in a grand concert by an all-star salsa team on a Tokyo stage.
The increasing number of high-caliber Cuban bands coming to Japan -- Bamboleo, NG La Banda, Manolito y su Trabuco -- serve as evidence of salsa's growing popularity. Miwa Okubo of Latin American music promoter Sirena Music recently pointed out that there were only two salsa instructors and two salsa clubs in Tokyo back in 1993. Today, the Japanese magazine Salsa 120% lists more than 50 salsa dance instructors and 20 clubs that offer Latin music in the city.
Further proof of salsa's sway in Japan can be seen at the Tokyo Salsa Festival, which attracts more than 300 onstage dancers every July, and the Isla de Salsa, a summer festival that has been held annually by the Fukuoka-based nonprofit organization Tiempo Iberoamericano led by Santiago Herrera since 1997. This year, the lineup for the two-day event on Nokonoshima Island included two performances by one of Cuba's most significant exports: Juan Formell y Los Van Van. Journeying to Japan after a 15-year absence, this acclaimed salsa troupe -- the first Cuban band to ever win a Grammy -- delivered nine concerts in major cities as part of the Vivela Japon! Salsa Tour and captivated audiences with their fusions of charanga, son, jazz and their own original songo and timba style. The contagious nature of their rhythms was clearly displayed at their Aug. 10 performance at Tokyo Studio Coast, where more than 2,000 fans stayed in a dancing mood for over two hours.