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| Fiesta Latina is the longest established, |
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| most popular Latin event in Scotland. |
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| Now celebrating its 14th year anniversary, Fiesta Latina runs monthly during the University year, with DJs, guest dance performers and a free dance class at the beginning of the evening. |
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| Fiesta Dates for Your Diary 2005-2006: |
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| Celebrating Fourteen Years in Edinburgh! |
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Fiesta Latina was established in 1992 when Latin music was scarcely known in Edinburgh. Founder Ana Xochitl, who is half Mexican, came up with the idea during her second year at University, when Latin parties in her own flat were becoming overcrowded! Ana was first introduced
to the music by some Colombian friends in Mexico City during her gap year
there. She simply couldn’t go home without hearing their music, they said,
so whisked her off to ‘Antillanos’ a famous club in the City. This was probably
the first time she’d heard salsa though at this stage could not distinguish
it from the Mexican cumbias playing out on the streets. Back in Edinburgh, the first record Ana bought was ‘Cumbia Cumbia’ on Discos Fuentes label. More accessible than salsa to the untrained ear, this music provided the inspiration and soon Ana was hooked! The music collection built up from there. Much to the dismay of her landlord, Latin parties became a regular thing at Ana’s flat. At the time there was simply nowhere to go to dance to Latin music, no regular all Latin club night. (Club Sandino was staged occasionally at the Edinburgh Playhouse, and the Mambo Club in Tollcross mixed some salsa with African rhythms.) Ana decided it was time to look for a venue and get something started. |
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A Latin Club Night. "Will it work?" they asked! With a hand full of tapes bought in Mexico, countless recordings from Latin friends and records on loan from ‘Azteca’ in Edinburgh, plans for a fiesta were soon well under way. Despite the shoestring budget, quality was not compromised. In a burst of creative energy, Ana hand painted over a hundred posters which she designed herself! With the dedicated help of a few Latin friends (including dancing at the unions at lunchtimes) weeks of hard publicity work finally paid off when an overwhelming 700 people attended the first fiesta! Ana had done it all simply for the love of it (much to the detriment of her studies!) and had certainly never anticipated the event would be such a success. |
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Fiesta Latina
has consistently attracted large crowds of
people of very different ages and backgrounds for tenyears now. The record
was 800 on one night. (Though not all once!) Numbers vary depending on
the time of year. The event succeeded in the first place because of an
extraordinary amount of initiative, perseverance and hard work on Ana's
part. She created the initial interest and demand. For Latin events and
clubs that followed, the hardest part had already been done! Our Choice of Music Ana's vision was to capture the atmosphere she had experienced at clubs and parties in Latin America and to play classic, quality son cubano, salsa, cumbia, merengue, and a host of other rhythms that represented the best in the tropical Latin music genre. Quality music endures and is not susceptible to changing fashions in the music industry. This is a vision Fiesta Latina aims to remain true to in future. Dedicated salseros take note -we know there is only so much merengue house you can take! |
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It is impossible and certainly not wise to try and please everyone, especially
when you are dealing with 500 people. Most people who are bold enough
to get up on stage and demand what they want to hear do not represent
the expectations of the remaining 450. However, at times they can be particularly
persuasive! It is not unknown for someone to show up with a CD that
is the latest thing in x country and demand persistently that we
play it. They assure us this will cause a frenzy on the dance floor! It
doesn't sound too bad on the headphones, but the track goes on and 498
people clear the dance floor, save our enthusiast and his or her friend.
The ultimate DJ's nightmare! At most fiestas some homesick Spaniards will do just about anything to hear sevillanas that, let's face it, nobody else can dance to except them. (We don't mind though!) Sometimes very young Latin American teens will descend upon us expecting chart merengue or Latin pop, a group of Brazilians will tell us that nobody wants to hear salsa, or worse still, a crowd of drunken rugby players will demand techno or 'the one from the Guinness advert'. Where else though would you find such an assortment of people having such a good time in the same place? |
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One of the main reasons for the continuing success of the event has to be its authenticity. Many Latin people are drawn to the event and partying is something they know all about! For new Latin students in particular, the fiestas are a meeting place. They treat the events like a party back home and are friendly enough to make anyone feel welcome. This is their music and they are genuinely happy to share it with anybody. The atmosphere is friendly, relaxed, fun, and people are drawn to this. If you see how much heart and soul Latin couples put into their dancing, and how much fun they’re having, you can’t help wanting to join in. It’s contagious! As Fiesta Latina
is organised and promoted at Edinburgh's |
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Fiesta Latina is Edinburgh’s most popular and longest established Latin event. Since its beginnings in 1992, Fiesta Latina has done a great deal to promote and popularise Latin music in the City and has created a huge demand for it. Many clubs have since joined the scene. For information on Latin club nights, bars, and other events in the City, take a look at the salsa scene web site at www.salsascene.co.uk. It’s well designed, comprehensive and updated regularly. Fiesta Latina runs three times a term at Teviot Row. If you’ve supported us over the years, we’d like to thank you. If you’ve yet to experience a fiesta night, you can’t afford to miss the next party! |
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| Information and Feedback | |||||||||
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If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about our event or related topics, please contact us. We always welcome your feedback. Please let us know if you wish your comments to remain anonymous! Email us at: fiestalatina@yahoo.com Phone Myrna Tel: (0131) 454 9283 ©Ana Xochitl 2000-2005 All rights reserved. |
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F
Non the less, it all began here.
Despite
many claims that an event featuring ‘just Latin music’ wouldn’t work (it
had to be mixed with more familiar reggae, calypso, and mainstream sounds
to have wide appeal) Ana loved the music and believed in enough to persevere.
Ten
Years Later...
University, many students are drawn to the event. Students are usually
open to trying out something new, however you wont find your usual heavy
drinking, Friday night Freshers at Fiesta Latina!
(In all the years we've bee operating, there's never been any trouble!)
Most students are undergraduates who are well traveled, or postgraduate
and mature students. This means that 'non-students' do not feel out of
place. There are always 'professionals' who would never dream of
stepping into a student union. To them we'd say that our event is free
of the usual associations. We've had people with disabilities, parents
with their children (over 18!), pensioners, and fabulous looking women
who say they wouldn't feel so at ease anywhere else! Once a ship
of Latin American sailors docked at Leith and somehow they found their
way to the fiesta (white uniforms and everything!) People come from Glasgow,
Stirling, St Andrews, Newcastle and beyond. All dance venues in the City
have their shortcomings (and there are not enough in Edinburgh.) Teviot
Row can at least boast the largest sprung wooden 
Edinburgh’s
Most Popular Latin Event