Julio has done quite a couple live Zumba Percussions throughout the year. He plays Bongos, Güira, Tamboura, and some other percussion instruments I can't name.
It has all started with the hype of Zumba parties. They're everywhere - every dance school and gym not only offers classes but also parties. Essentially, the party lasts a lot longer than a normal Zumba class, several hours in the evening with a couple more guest teachers, loud music, and depending on the location it might be dark and there are disco lights all over the place, like in a club. Just as in this place...
It's quite a clever idea. A lot of people, mostly women come to these parties. Normally, Zumba clothes can be bought directly at the party, which are quite expensive because they are always limited edition, as I've heard. Depending on the school, you can even take a shower after the party :)
Since there are so many Zumba parties, they need to find ways how to stand out. So our friend Claudia who's an aerobic and Zumba teacher came up with the idea of live percussion. I'm not sure if she was the very first person who has thought of it but she was the first around our area. She asked Julio to come and try it out. He eventually did and now he's invited to play about every month. Different schools and locations but always the same concept...
So anyway, here's a video, we've made a couple months ago.
Even though I don't really like Zumba, I like Julio's percussion and I can imagine these parties to be lots of fun, especially if you like Zumba. Since I dance a lot of hip hop, salsa and lots of other things, I don't find it challenging. It's like warmup... But anyway, I do understand the appeal - fun music, easy steps, different sets of choreographies. It's like aerobic but more interesting. That's why it's probably going to last a while in the fitness community.
