MUMBAI: Popular Latin dance-based exercise program, Zumba, is proving to be not only beneficial for health but also giving new Latin artists much needed boost in the charts.
Latino stars such as Pitbull, Daddy Yankee and Don Omar are riding high because of the music’s increasing fan base.
Omar’s ‘Zumba’ has remained high on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for nearly a year, peaking at No. 2. In Greece, Daddy Yankee’s “Limbo,” currently in the Top 10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, report say.
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Another proof of the music popularity was the Latin Billboard Awards held in April. Show opener Daddy Yankee performed ‘Limbo,’ and Don Omar closed the show with the song ‘Zumba.’
“Daddy Yankee texted me five days ago and said, ‘I wanted you to know that ‘Limbo’ is as much your hit as it is my hit,'” said Zumba Fitness co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman. “It was perfect for Zumba. When he showed it to us, he said, ‘I said Zumba nine times in the song and it’s because you guys have inspired me,'” Zumba Fitness co-founder and CEO Alberto Perlman told media.
Zumba, a dance-based fitness program created by Created in 2001 by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto”Beto” Perez, the dance has expanded worldwide, creating new fans of dance styles such as Perez’s native Cumbia and new fans of Latin music.
According to report, some 14 million people in 185 countries are now dancing and singing to the songs. Up to 8,000 Zumba instructors from around the world have now attented the Zumba Instructor Convention in Orlando, Florida.
Explaining the difference between Zumba and other dance music, Founder Perez says: “The music is treated differently in Zumba than in traditional aerobics classes. In the aerobics world, it’s very cheap music. It’s ‘boom-shh-boom-shh-boom-shh,'” The music is in the background. We need to put the music in front because it’s a party. How do you enjoy the party if the music’s no good?”
“Zumba has these captive audiences at 160,000 locations around the world, 14 million users every single week, so you get in this room and you’re dancing and you’re getting healthier and you’re listening to this music – you can’t change the radio dial. It’s a captive audience, and you’re building these endorphins so you feel even better about the music, “former chairman and CEO of MTV International and consultant for Zumba Bill Roedy said.
