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Apparently no one ever told Latinos that disco is dead. Because
disco remains alive and well in this land. At night San José
gets into its stride with discos hotter than the tropical night.
On weekends rural folks flock to small-town dance halls, and the
Ticos' celebrated reserve gives way to outrageously flirtatious
dancing befitting a land of passionate men and women.
Outside the dance hall, the
young prefer to listen to Anglo-American rock, like their counterparts
the world over. When it comes to dancing, however, they prefer
the hypnotic Latin and rhythmic Caribbean beat and bewildering
cadences of cumbia, lambada, marcado, merengue, salsa, soca, and
the Costa Rican swing, danced with sure-footed erotic grace. Bars
and discos don’t start rocking until 9-10 PM, but the action
lasts until 2 AM
 Infinito
Disco is the most well-known and glitziest, with a young crowd
that parties all night. The entrance is on the outside, in front
of the parking lot next to Friends. The party often lasts until
dawn, though El Pueblo closes at 2 AM. (Other discos also party
all night.)
The Coco Loco, also decked out with a spacious
dance floor but more subdued in ambiance, attracts a slightly
more mature crowd. (But after a few shots of guaro, suddenly they
can get just as wild as in the other discos.) In addition to meeting
tourists from around the world, you will also have a chance to
drink and party with plenty of young locals dancing and drinking
the night away here.
 On
the Caribbean coast music is profoundly Afro-Caribbean in spirit
and rhythm, with plentiful drums and banjos, a local rhythm called
sinkit, and the cuadrille, a maypole dance in which each dancer
holds one of many ribbons tied to the top of a pole: as they dance
they braid their brightly colored ribbons.
Many dances and much of the
music of Costa Rica reflect African, even pre-Columbian, as well
as Spanish roots. The country is one of the southernmost of the
"marimba culture" countries, although the African-derived
marimba (xylophone) music of Costa Rica is more elusive and restrained.
The guitar, too, is a popular instrument, especially as an accompaniment
to folk dances such as the Punto Guanacaste, a heel-and-toe stomping
dance for couples, officially decreed the national dance.
A number of folkloric dance
troupes tour the country, while others perform year-round at such
venues as the Melico Salazar Theater, the Aduana Theater, and
the National Dance Workshop headquarters in San José. Of
particular note is Fantasía Folklorica, a colorful highlight
of the country's folklore and history from pre-Columbian to modern
times
 Costa
Rica's biggest cultural event is the International arts festival
held annually in San Jose for about two weeks in March. The festival
features theater, music, dance, film and a variety of art shows
with participants from many countries. Performances include the
Costa Rican Chamber Orchestra, a Brazilian chamber orchestra,
a string, woodwind, and harpsichord sextet, and Costa Rican music
for two guitars. Also important are the Monteverde music festival
and the South Caribbean music festival, held in Puerto Viejo.
Much
of the information on our site as it relates to Costa Rica is:
 Courtesy
of Christopher P. Baker and Avalon Travel Publishing.
© 2004 Christopher P. Baker. All Rights Reserved.
Spanish Abroad, Inc. highly
recommends Christopher P. Baker's book: Moon
Handbooks Costa Rica. Click on the image to visit
his website where you can purchase this book or find out more
about the author.
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