One of the sexiest dances I’ve ever seen, except for the Argentine Tango, is this Cumbia. We just happened upon a fiesta in the little town of Chelem, west of Progreso, in the Yucatan region of Mexico. Part of the fiesta was a Cumbia Dance performance.
We had made a stop in Progreso first. It was a dramatic difference from the weekdays, where the beach and the town was quiet and empty. This was Sunday, the busy day; portable shops were set up along the beach, bar cafes were set up right in the sand on the beach, the water was that creamy turquoise, entertainers walked about singing Spanish love songs, kites flew high above the beach, music was playing, children were laughing and there was a general spirit of relaxation and pleasure.
Of course we stopped for a Cerveza and a Mojito on the beach and they brought over free snacks.
The potatoes were spicy and delicious.
Mexicans love to do different things with wieners. These were in a spicy creamy sauce.
This beautiful lady was carrying around armfuls of heavy wraps in the blazing hot sun.
Heading over the spanking new bridge crossing the Cienega de Progreso, an inland lake that hugs the coast very near the ocean, we arrived in Chelem.
First we checked out the Chelem beach.
Two little girls having a delightful time playing in the sand…
As we were driving into Chelem, we came upon a big semi-trailer driving slowly through the streets. We couldn’t pass so we followed along, later realizing it was hauling what looked like a float with colourfully-costumed dancers on it. Suddenly we realized we were in the middle of a parade! After a bit, I started smiling and waving out the car window at the parade watchers standing along the streets. They smiled and waved back, followed by a quizzical look on their faces trying to figure out who on earth we were, then they would brush it off with a laugh and wave again.
In the town square, music from a church ceremony filled the square.
Taking photos of these precious children in the town square was too hard to resist.
There was a three year old with a pony tail and big white bow eating a candy apple.
There was a proud father, holding a baby in a long white christening gown, posing for photos.
This little girl, no more than two years old, with tiny multiple pony tails had serious attitude!
More people were all dressed up for something… was it the parade?
It was a fiesta! Friendly people told us to stay and watch the parade and the fiesta would start soon after. What fun!
Finally, the fiesta dancing started. This was the sexiest Cumbia performance I have ever seen! Having seen many Latin dance performances as a ballroom dancer, I can be a serious critic, but except for the sensual Tango in Argentina, this was one of the most seductive performances I`d seen in a long time. And they were just dancing on the street!
For a small town, they certainly knew how to put on a great show!
NOTE: My videos are usually terrible, but this last one shows some improvement!
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Wow – that dancing was fabulous – you were in a good spot for filming – really well done. All the dancers were enjoyable to watch and the featured performers were outstanding – especially with those head dresses to balance and shake along with the rest of their bootie…..smiles. Loved the costuming and sensuous Cumbia!
It was so much fun to watch but I was standing on a 6 foot pile of loose gravel, and it was a little wobbly at times. T was concerned when I climbed up and he thought I was going to slide down any minute!