Caribbean Coast Dance

Location:
Bluefields, Nicaragua

Entertainment Types:
Folkloric dance

By Alvaro Vergara

Caribbean Coast Dance

Most all Nicaraguans are dancers the Pacific Coast Region is salsa territory, the Northern and Central Region are cowboy-style quebraditas and the Caribbean Coast is reggae, dancehall, calypso, punta and soca. Like most musical genres originated in the Americas these beats and melodies are fusions of African, Indigenous and European musical legacies.

Bluefields is the reggae capital of Central America and dancing is definitely something that’s taking very seriously. Maypole is Bluefields’ signature dance; during the month of May the whole town dances in street parties all over town, concerts in the stadium, and maypoles in each neighbourhood there’s even a full-on carnival, complete with barrio competitions.

Ordinary citizens earn their stripes as dancers during carnival season, some living legends are: Wanda Lee Morgan, Merida Obando, Donald Benard, Papo, Francis Ellis and Doko, to name a few. Almost every year Barrio Beholdeen wins the competition; how ever this year first place went to long-time rival Cotton Tree.

Each neighbourhood has at least 60 dancers in their group; there are also smaller groups that perform different choreographies in Bluefields.

Spirit Dancers is the Garifuna group, Garifunas also live in Orinoco, north of Bluefields and have festivities on November 19th for Garifuna Day, and their dances are: Punta, Punta Rock, Punta-Punta Palacio, Conga and Yau Kuno (the war dance). Other dance groups are Ethnic Expansion, Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU) Ballet Co. and Erupción Caribeña which do all of the regional dances.

If you’re looking to bust your moves to contemporary Caribbean greats like Erick Donaldson, Ivonne Curtis, Chaka Demus, Judy Boucher, Pat Rose, Owen Gray and more! When visiting Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast the best options are dim-lit small breezy and romantic clubs like: Cima Club and 4 Brothers in Bluefields, Drop Draws in Pearl Lagoon, Anastasia and Sapo in Corn Island and Jumbo or Malecón in Bilwi.