In Saltillo, Mexico, Colombian cumbia (also known as “La Colombia”) has become a bridge between rival gangs to “solve their problems through dance, not violence.” This video by AJ+ Español shows how this music has changed the lives of many young Mexicans.
Danzas de la Calle (Street Dances) is a group of young people from the marginalized areas of El Saltillo. This group has helped many young people.
“You join ‘Danzas’ and you forget about everything. You forget about gangs. You forget about drugs. You forget about all that stuff,” Fernando Luna said in the video. Luna, also known as “DJ Babis,” is one of the leaders and DJs of the group.
At an early age, Luna witnessed violence and drugs in his neighborhood. He started dancing when he was eight years old. “I met my wife through dance. I asked her to marry me through dance. I became a DJ through dance, and because of dance, I now have my own business,” Luna said.
One of the requirements for teenagers to join the group is to have good grades in school.
“I invite everyone to listen to it [Colombian cumbia], to dance to it, and if you have that urban essence, to feel La Colombia,” Luna said.
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María Camila Montañez is a journalism student at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism’s Spanish-language program. She is originally from Colombia and tweets from @mariacmontanez.
