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Mexican Holidays
and Cuisine
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Cuba and Puerto
Rico-
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Salsa Music: This
is a diverse and predominantly Spanish Caribbean genre that is
popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad. salsa refers
to a particular style developed in the 1960s and '70s by Cuban
and Puerto Rican immigrants to the New York City area, and stylistic
descendants like 1980s salsa romántica. The style is now
practiced throughout Latin America and abroad; in some countries
it may be referred to as música tropical. Salsa is essentially
Cuban in stylistic origin. Salsa is the primary music played at
Latin dance clubs and is the "essential pulse of Latin music"
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Salsa Dancing: This
is usually a partner dance form that corresponds to salsa music.
In some forms, it can also appear as a performance dance. The
word is the same as the Spanish word salsa meaning sauce, or in
this case flavor or style. Salsa music is a fusion of traditional
African and Cuban and other Latin-American rhythms that traveled
from the islands (Cuba and Puerto Rico) to New York during the
migration, somewhere between the 1940s and the 1970s, depending
on where one puts the boundary between "real" salsa
and its predecessors. There is debate as to whether Salsa originated
in Cuba or Puerto Rico. Salsa is one of the main dances in both
Cuba and Puerto Rico and is known world-wide.
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Spain-
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Geography: Spain
is bounded to the north by the Bay of Biscay, France, and Andorra;
to the east by the Mediterranean Sea; on the south by the Mediterranean
Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Portugal and the
Atlantic Ocean. In the south west the 13km wide Strait of Gibraltar
separates Spain from Africa. Much of central Spain a plateau surrounded
by mountain ranges. There are some low-lands along the coast.
For much of this century, most Spanish people lived in small villages
and towns. Today, tourism and industry are bringing people to
the larger cities and coastal areas.
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Food: Cuisine
in the Iberian peninsula echoes the cooking of the Middle East
(honey and cumin) and that of the Americas (dishes combining meat
with chocolate). Yet, essentially, it is family cooking, comparatively
simple to prepare and characterized by fresh ingredients. Besides
meat, poultry, game, and fish entrees, there are a wealth of dishes
featuring beans, rice, eggs, vegetables, and savory pies that
make a meal. Tapas -- small morsels or appetizers in great variety
-- play a role in meals throughout the day.
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