Jaír F. Coll

Documentary photographer

The colombian capital of salsa tries to save itself

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Location: Cali, Colombia

Nationality: Colombia

Biography: Jaír F. Coll (1997) is a colombian visual journalist whose work focuses on culture as a factor of social transformation. His photography, both intimate and colorful, has been exhibited at the Photo Vogue Festival 2021 and was selected in... MORE

A salsa dancer ties his shoela...use of Swing Latino.

1 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

A salsa dancer ties his shoelaces after finishing his performance at the 'Bailatón’, a event to raise funds for around 100 dance schools. The ‘Bailatón’ was carried out in El Mulato Cabaret, house of Swing Latino.

Health officials take the temp...ups had to enter taking turns.

2 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Health officials take the temperature of a salsa dancer who will participate in the 'Bailatón'. The event didn’t allow crowds at the venue, so around 100 groups had to enter taking turns.

Even within the same groups th...up and performances.

3 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Even within the same groups that participated in the ‘Bailatón’, social distancing was a strict rule during the warm-up and performances.

Manuel Calvo, 59, and his wife...e closed definitely.

4 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Manuel Calvo, 59, and his wife Florentina Velasco, 58, are member of the ‘vieja guardia’, artists who dance salsa in the old way, with no stunts nor very fast movements. The couple founded the academy ‘Soneros del son y el ayer’, which has had to survive this months with full savings, waiting and hoping not to be closed definitely.

A resident of El Obrero neighb...arrive even during quarantine.

5 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

A resident of El Obrero neighborhood looks inside The Matraca, a disco that not only specialized in salsa music, but also tango and milonga. Currently the place is closed and is trying to pay the bills that arrive even during quarantine.

El Chorrito Antillano is one t...and steal the sound equipment.

6 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

El Chorrito Antillano is one the most oldest ‘viejotecas’ in Cali: it was founded by Miguel Ángel Giraldo, 69 (right), and his wife Gladys Perlaza Manzano, 82 (center), in 1970 in El Obrero neighborhood. The current administrator of the disco is Miguel’s son Diego Fernando, 42 (left). Recently thieves breaked into the property and steal the sound equipment.

Carlos Molina Castellano, 40, ...e inheritance from his father.

7 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Carlos Molina Castellano, 40, manager of Salsa Museum of Cali, the oldest in the world in the genre with 51 years of existence (it was founded by Carlos’ father). Due to the place depending 100 % on the tickets, they are currently facing a hard economic blow. Carlos must sell orange juice to guarantee the survival of the inheritance from his father.

Jaime Parra Restrepo, La Matra...ten by its visitors.

8 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Jaime Parra Restrepo, La Matraca owner, looks at an LP record that has an anthology of salsa songs. The disco broadcasts online videos about the history of salsa and tango every sunday on its Facebook fanpage with the purpose of not being forgotten by its visitors.

Gabriel Ramos belongs to the &...nment aid through food stamps.

9 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Gabriel Ramos belongs to the ‘vieja guardia’ as a DJ who has worked at more than 40 salsotecas. Currently he is DJ at Nelly TK, but because this place doesn’t operate during quarantine, Ramos has received government aid through food stamps.

A salsa couple practice their ...attached to El Mulato Cabaret.

10 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

A salsa couple practice their presentation for the ‘Bailatón’ in a house attached to El Mulato Cabaret.

Ronald Marín, bette...gners who visit it frequently.

11 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Ronald Marín, better known as ‘Rumbero Loco’, 27, dances for a virtual class organized by La Topa Tolondra, one the most iconic discotheque of salsa in the city and very recognized by foreigners who visit it frequently.

Dancers who work for &lsqu...connected to the transmission.

12 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Dancers who work for ‘Delirio’ project wait for their presentation on 28 june of 2020, day which they achieved a Guinness World Record of most videos of people dancing the same song ('Cali Pachanguero', by Grupo Niche) uploaded during a Facebook Live in a hour. More than 120.000 people connected to the transmission.

At the end of the Facebook Liv...inness World Record.

13 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

At the end of the Facebook Live, ‘Delirio’ dancers celebrate having collected up to 345 videos for the Guinness World Record.

María Nelly Parra, ...o pay the bills for the place.

14 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

María Nelly Parra, NellyTK owner, and Gabriel Ramos pose for a portrait. The night club has been existence for 28 years. Parra plans to sell cleaning supplies to pay the bills for the place.

A homeless person sweeps in fr...and even foreigners.

15 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

A homeless person sweeps in front of the Libaniel nightclub in Alameda, a neighborhood that local authorities transformed last year as a meeting point for salsa lovers and even foreigners.

Florentina Velasco, 58, someti...e coronavirus arrived in Cali.

16 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Florentina Velasco, 58, sometimes puts her dance dresses in the sun so that they do not deteriorate, because she has not used them for any presentation since coronavirus arrived in Cali.

Parra cleans a gramophone that... at least six hours every day.

17 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Parra cleans a gramophone that is over 100 years old. Even when the place is closed, Parra visits it from monday through friday to clean it up for at least six hours every day.

After seven months of no party... reference of salsa.

18 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

After seven months of no party in Cali, the city organized an event called ‘Aguaelulo’ that gathered dozens of citizens to dance in the streets of the Alameda neighborhood with biosecurity measures. In the photo, some assistants are dressed as dancers from the 60’ or 70’, years in which Cali began to stand out as a reference of salsa.

A couple dance at the &lsq...sa industry in Cali.

19 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

A couple dance at the ‘Aguaelulo’. This event reactivated more than 1000 jobs related to the salsa industry in Cali.

Brando Pérez, 28, p...nancially during the lockdown.

20 of 20 © 2024 Jaír F. Coll

Brando Pérez, 28, practices a few steps of salsa behind the tent of the Delirio show. According to the artist, teaching virtual classes on Zoom and being part of a dance broadcast on a national television channel has helped him sustain himself financially during the lockdown.

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Thumbnail of A salsa dancer ties his shoelac_ouse of Swing Latino.

Thumbnail of Health officials take the tempe_oups had to enter taking turns.

Thumbnail of Even within the same groups tha_-up and performances.

Thumbnail of Manuel Calvo, 59, and his wife _be closed definitely.

Thumbnail of A resident of El Obrero neighbo_ arrive even during quarantine.

Thumbnail of El Chorrito Antillano is one th_ and steal the sound equipment.

Thumbnail of Carlos Molina Castellano, 40, m_he inheritance from his father.

Thumbnail of Jaime Parra Restrepo, La Matrac_tten by its visitors.

Thumbnail of Gabriel Ramos belongs to the &a_rnment aid through food stamps.

Thumbnail of A salsa couple practice their p_ attached to El Mulato Cabaret.

Thumbnail of Ronald Marín, better_igners who visit it frequently.

Thumbnail of Dancers who work for &lsquo_ connected to the transmission.

Thumbnail of At the end of the Facebook Live_uinness World Record.

Thumbnail of María Nelly Parra, N_to pay the bills for the place.

Thumbnail of A homeless person sweeps in fro_ and even foreigners.

Thumbnail of Florentina Velasco, 58, sometim_ce coronavirus arrived in Cali.

Thumbnail of Parra cleans a gramophone that _r at least six hours every day.

Thumbnail of After seven months of no party _a reference of salsa.

Thumbnail of A couple dance at the &lsqu_lsa industry in Cali.

Thumbnail of Brando Pérez, 28, pr_inancially during the lockdown.

Public Story

The colombian capital of salsa tries to save itself

Copyright Jaír F. Coll 2024

Date of Work May 2020 - Jun 2020

Updated Jul 2022

Location Cali

Topics Art, Celebrations, Documentary, Music, Personal Projects, Portraiture

Dancing in Cali, the capital of salsa in Colombia, was not the same in 2020: instead of the choreographies in which physical contact was required and the 1500 nightclubs that gathered hundreds of strangers every weekend, the salsa party in Cali began to be carried out with social distancing and biosecurity measures.

A virus that stopped the entire world did not find it difficult to transform more than 60 years of tradition in just few months, when Colombia government decreed lockdown between March and September.

More than 600 nightclubs -also known as salsotecas- went to bankruptcy. It’s not only an industry whose economic losses reached US$2,5 million every month during the Covid-19 emergency, according to Association of Night Establishments of Cali, Asonod, but also the opening of a path towards a new normality in the life of the salsa community in Cali, whose name shone at the Super Bowl in February 2020, when Swing Latino danced with Jennifer López.

The photo essay narrates the resilience of an industry that is the essence of a city of dancers and music lovers.

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