The wild exciting music, and rhythmical body movements make the
earthy Mambo irresistible. In the 1940's Americans became
fascinated by Latin American rhythms. The original Mambo music,
El Guardia Con El Tolete, had its beginning in 1944 as a Rumba
with a riff improvisation. The Mambo combined American Jazz with
the Afro-Cuban beat. Arthur Murray Studios became famous for
turning out some of the best Mambo dancers of the era. As the
parent of Cha Cha and Salsa, the Mambo is an exciting challenge
for all dancers. Mambo music is written in 4/4 time with each
measure divided into four beats with the important musical
accents occurring on the first and third beats. This dance can
be done over a wide range of tempos. The components of Mambo are
rock steps and side steps and foot styling includes points,
kicks, or flicks. The Latin hip movement in Mambo is an
important aspect of the dance. The overall flavor of the dance
is contained in the translation of the word Mambo which means
"shake it" or "say it". Mambo Bre