Evening star., 1944-12-26

Don't be bashful-it says in large
letters over sprig of mistletoe in
one Of New York's better known
night spots. It's getting results, so
much SO, the club owner says, that
he has had several requests from
patrons to retain the Christmas
decoration permanently.
So far the Spectator has seen no
mistletoe in these parts, but several
of the clubs are sprouting beautifully
trimmed trees which had Christmas
dinner patrons oh-ing and ah-ing
If your date bows politely and says
may have the next samba or zam-
bra, he's not seeing triple. He's not
suffering. In fact he happens to
know what he's talking about.
For those of you like ourself, who
have wondered, and more than once,
just what was coming off in this
rumba- -samba business, we've finally
gotten some first-hand information
The Spectator now has at his dis
posal the historic explanation or,
in other words, can tell you what
the Wiggling is all about.
The zamba, 1t turns out, is nothing
more than a mixture of Spanish
and Indian rhythms danced solely
in Argentina. Danced in Puerto
Rico and Cuba, and known as the
zandbra, are gypsy rhythms which
originated In the caves of Spain.
Now for the samba, the one you
always hope your partner will be
willing to sit out.
Back in 1900 there lived tribe
of native boys called the Lundu, who,
it seemed, liked to indulge in tribal
rituals from time to time. Taken
as slaves to Brazil, round about the
year 1880, to be exact, during the
time of King Don Pedro, the boys
went Brazilian on the Brazilians
and changed its name to Brazilian
Maxixe. From there on it was one
easy step into the samba, all of
which boils down to the fact that
you have the Lundu to thank for
your broken arches.
The rumba-allow the Spectator
to inform you that even Arthur
Murray couldn't hold a candle to
what the Western African tribes
were doing as far back as 1877. Only
they called it a festival dance, not
the rumba
From whom did we CLEAN all this
chorographic information-a very
fine Brazilian dance team, Ramon
and Lucinda now at the Lotus. Last
year Ramon and Lucinda were en-
gagged by the New York Board of
lures on the native dances of South
America to pupils in some $50
schools and colleges.
After the lectures, Ramon said,
we always had l0-minute ques-
ton period"
And the questions we used to
get" Lucinda added.
| What a shame we grew up before
! this progressive education started.
Raymond Echevarria, maestro of
the Madrillon's LaZala Trio, had
Christmas surprise for the GIs on
his regular Stage Door Canteen
stint, Christmas eve. He gave them
Theresa (Terry) Borras singing the
lyrics of his American numbers,
with Marta Navedo carrying the
Latin variations. Terry, teen-age
niece of Host Peter BorraS, favor
! ite on the high school dance circuit
received an ovation of unexpected
"Woo-WooS' (even a few whistles.
The canteen asked for a return en-
gagement and, Terry, flushed with
her first professional success, prom
ises 1t this week
X X y
The Book of the Month right now
at the Wardman Park is Benny Rib /
ble's scrapbook. What career this
boy has had. It's our bet that Benny
can't even remember when he
wasn't playing with a baton. He
was that young when it all started !
Benny explains bashfully that it
was his mother who started the
book when at the age of he en-
barked on his professional career
with his own eight-piece band. The
riproaring outi was we'll known
| throughout the State of Texas as
Ben Ribble. jr., and his Humdin-
gers" During the next few years
! the band travelled from one engage
ment to the other in large private
| bus
Mama sounds like a good press
agent to us!
| x <
The Balalaika celebrated last night
with Russian Christmas carols
Club Merry-Land is really original;
they are presenting patrons with
pretty little 1945 calendars. :.