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TheMamboRoom
Saturday, February 13
9pm - 1:30am
THE LODGE AT SANTA FE
750 NORTH ST FRANCIS DRIVE, SANTA FE
Dance Lesson with Mambo U @ 9pm
Named 'Best of Santa Fe 2009' Dance Instruction
'Dress to impress' • Invite your FRIENDS and LOVERS.
Admission: $10 before 10pm • $15 after 10pm
Full Bar - 21 & Over (IDs please)
Live Salsa & Latin Dance music by
IVON ULIBARRI & CAFE MOCHA!
DJ AVI SPINNING ON THE BREAKS....
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Cuba's Los Van Van returns to the US
By Suzanne Kayian LiveDaily Contributor
Cuba's Grammy-winning band Los Van Van [ tickets ] will end a long absence from the United States with a Jan. 28 concert in Key West, FL, according to a Reuters report. The innovative salsa band will be welcomed to the country under new, relaxed Visa restrictions that are the result of a quiet resumption of Cuban cultural exchanges under the current US presidential administration.
Los Van Van driving force, band leader and bassist Juan Formell, told Reuters he hopes the appearance will exorcise memories of one of the group's last US appearances—a 1999 Miami gig during which anti-riot police were forced to keep angry Cuban exile protesters from harassing concert-goers.
Formell said the historic hostility against artists from the Communist-run island has eased in the US, specifically in Miami, the center of the Cuban exile community in the United States.
"Miami has changed a lot ... there is a new, younger generation that thinks differently," Formell told Reuters. "I was in Miami recently and nobody treated me poorly. On the contrary, people wanted to have pictures taken with me, they asked for autographs."
Los Van Van, often called the "Rolling Stones of salsa" reportedly will launch a full-scale, 70-date US Concert tour in April.
In related news, a new documentary film celebrating Los Van Van's 40th anniversary recently was released by film director Ian Padron. The film, "Eso que anda" ("The thing that moves"), follows the band performing across Cuba under the guidance of Formell.
Despite Formell's dedication, the 67-year-old band leader, who suffers from diabetes, is gradually stepping back from Los Van Van; his son Samuel is now leading a new batch of musicians as the current musical director of the band.
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Symphony Planning Big Band Ensemble
By Beth Wilberding, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Oct. 25--The Owensboro Symphony Orchestra is looking for musicians to participate in an ensemble that will play big band music.
David Goodwin, education director for the symphony, plans to play trombone in the group, which will hold auditions Nov. 19.
"I've had a lot of experience in big bands, so it's been a passion for me. ... I call it happy music because it makes you smile," Goodwin said.
Though many people associate big band music with the 1930s and '40s, the symphony's group of musicians will play a wide variety of music.
"There's been a big revival today, certainly, in salsa music. ... Salsa tends to use a lot of brass and horns like big bands do. ... All the crooners, all that's fair game and is used a lot for big band music," Goodwin said.
Television dance shows such as "Dancing with the Stars" have also created an interest in the big band style, he said.
The symphony big band will be available to perform at a variety of events.
It will also be an opportunity for talented high school musicians to get involved, said Nicholas Palmer, music director of the symphony. The symphony already has cadet and youth orchestras and also collaborates with the Kentucky Youth Chorale.
"The symphony is interested in adding new groups to our education program and to benefit the community," Palmer said. "This group seemed like a natural because it helps us to branch out into a different style of music than we normally play.
"It's filling a void for us. There's a lot of really talented jazz musicians in the region who are interested in participating in a big band, both students and adult musicians."
Goodwin is hoping to draw musicians from around the region and to perform around western Kentucky.
Beth Wilberding, 691-7307, bwilberding@messenger-inquirer.com
-----
To see more of the Messenger-Inquirer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.messenger-inquirer.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com. call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/latinmusicusa/#/en/wat/01/01
Latin Music USA starts tonight on PBS. Thanks to Producer Elizabeth Deane
and advisors Deborah Pacini Hernandez, Bobby Sanabria, Ned Sublette and
Chris Washburne among others for helping to guide things along as this
project developed over the past three years. Worth watching.
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Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa, dies at 74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qfIxYbDjg
* Story Highlights
* Singer Mercedes Sosa "lived her 74 years to the fullest," her son says
* She had suffered from liver, kidney and heart ailments, Washington Post reports
* "Her voice always carried a profound message of social engagement," her site says
* Viewing to be held Sunday at the Congress of the Nation in Buenos Aires
(CNN) -- Argentine singer Mercedes Sosa, known as "the voice of Latin America" for her songs about the plight of the poor, died Sunday, according to an announcement on her Web site. She was 74.
"On this day, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, we must inform you that Mrs. Mercedes Sosa, one of the greatest artists of Latin American popular music, has left us," the Web site said.
Sosa died at a Buenos Aires clinic, and had suffered from liver, kidney and heart ailments, the Washington Post reported.
Born on July 9, 1935, in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina, Sosa produced 40 albums during her musical career, and performed at places such as the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican and New York's Carnegie Hall. She also served as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for Latin America.
"Her voice always carried a profound message of social engagement through folk-roots music, without prejudice," according to the Web site.
She formed part of the New Song movement in Latin America, which combined folk song traditions with contemporary music that often featured political messages in its lyrics.
When a military junta took over Argentina in 1976, many of her albums were banned, and Sosa left in exile to Paris, France, and Madrid, Spain. She returned to her homeland in 1982.
Sosa won various Latin Grammy awards. Her most recent nomination came last year for her latest album, "Cantora 1."
She was known throughout Latin America and Europe, with one of her most popular songs titled "Gracias a la Vida," the Web site said.
"Her undeniable talent, her honesty and her deep convictions left a tremendous legacy for future generations. Admired and respected throughout the world, Mercedes is recognized as a symbol of our cultural heritage that will represent us forever," the Web site said.
"She lived her 74 years to the fullest," Sosa's son, Fabian Matus, said. "She had done practically everything she wanted, she didn't have any type of barrier or any type of fear that limited her."
A viewing was to be held Sunday afternoon at the Salon de los Pasos Perdidos in the Congress of the Nation in Buenos Aires, according to Sosa's Web site.
CNN en Español's Javier Doberti contributed to this report.
All AboutLatin Music • Argentina • UNICEF • Latin America
Links referenced within this article
UNICEF
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/UNICEF
Latin America
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Latin_America
Argentina
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Argentina
Latin Music
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Latin_Music
Argentina
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Argentina
UNICEF
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/UNICEF
Latin America
http://topics.edition.cnn.com/topics/Latin_America
Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/04/obit.mercedes.sosa
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Yumurí "Cubano Cubano" the great winner at 2009 Cubadisco Award on exclusive interview for Cubamusic.com
The CD CUBANO CUBANO obtained the 2009 Cubadisco Award in the category of Best Salsa Album after competing with the most popular bands from Cuba like Adalberto Álvarez, Manolito Simonet, Pupy y los que Son Son, Giraldo Piloto & Klimax, Maraca Gardi. What’s the importance of this award for you?
Yumurí: Well, it’s so much easier to express myself through singing or with an improvised "Cuban tumbao", but I can tell you that this prize has brought me a lot of emotions and it is a significant moment in my career. I’m very proud because Cubadisco is a prestigious musical contest and particularly in the category of Popular Cuban Music (which I consider the most relevant and representative of our music) we competed with the Cuba’s leading salsa bands. I proudly received the prize, but I’m very aware of the commitment that it represents.
I will always be grateful for this recognition, not only because it means the acceptance of the experts, but also because CUBANO CUBANO is a consequence of the permanent musical work that I have done with my orchestra for almost 17 years representing the authentic Cuban music, singing in direct connection with the demands of the everyday Cuban dancer and visiting each of the Island’s towns during carnivals and popular parties. There is a powerful communication between the orchestra and its fans, because we have been part of the Cuban people daily life. On the other hand we feel a deep sense of belonging about our land which is at the same time our main source of inspiration to create new songs, refrains and "tumbaos".
Cubamusic.com: Did you feel the album was to be a success?
Yumurí: We worked on this album not in search of awards. During the recording process I had the desire to create a strong piece of work able to captivate the heart of the people. I know it is the usual answer on these occasions but I’m not very sophisticated, I’m just a Cuban sonero who enjoy music.
The priceless award for any artist is the support and the respect of the public and I'm very lucky because the Cuban people have given me this privilege. This year I earned the CUBADISCO Award, but beyond prizes I think that the major winners are the Cuban music and the Cuban people, in a moment which anyone could think that the Cuban popular music is declining.
However the music that made us an especial piece of the universal culture is alive today more than ever.
After several nominations, this is the first time that I receive the CUBADISCO Award, as a challenge to continue forward defending the Cuban identity and the authentic cultural legacy to the new generations. I wish to thank the jury made up of prestigious experts and to share the award with the rest of the nominated bands in the same category. I have great respect and appreciation for their work.
Cubamusic.com: Tell us about the CD "CUBANO CUBANO", we know you are also the musical producer…
Yumurí: CUBANO CUBANO was made for dancing; full of joy and energy it shows the contemporary Cuban sound, melanged with some other Caribbean rhythms, always preserving the contagious flavour and the particular sonority of my band.
This is our seventh album; we waited four years to return to the recording studios but it was worthwhile waiting for. During this time we kept working hard on national and international tours, in permanent contact with the dancers and it gave us new ideas to shape the concept of the album.
I'm the musical producer with the collaboration of prestigious musicians, such as Lázaro "El Fino" Rivero, Emilio Vega, Orlando Valle "Maraca" and Juan Bárbaro Pompa. The album's special guests include the pianist Rolando Luna, the trumpeter Alexander Abreu, the trombonist Amaury Pérez, Coco Freeman (choirs) and Cándido Fabré's very special performance in a duet closing the album.
The repertoire includes five of my own songs and also works by skilled composers like Cándido Fabré, Osnel Odit, Pedro Pablo Núñez and Cruz Isaac.
I'm very pleased with the work of the technical staff and the musicians of my band during the recording process and also with the excellent and original design of the product. BIS Music, our record label, has been an important support and I appreciate it very much.
The single "Pegaito a la tarima" from CUBANO CUBANO is already a radio hit and has been rocking audiences at live shows around the country.
This song has taken on a life of its own.
In my opinion, the awarded CD in the category of Popular Dance Music should find the balance between the musical and technical values and the impact among the dancers; in other words: quality and popularity hand by hand. It is a coincidence very hard to achieve but this year Cubadisco and the Cuban people demonstrated that is possible.
CUBANO CUBANO has conquered the most demanding publics in Cuba and abroad in a very short period of time.
You can enjoy these songs without getting bored, because they have the beat of the genuine dancing music, then my recommendation is: A GUARACHAR!
Cubamusic.com: You are celebrating this year the 17th anniversary of Yumurí y sus hermanos. What are your plans for the near future in Cuba and in other parts of the world?
Yumurí: I will keep singing and performing with strength and passion in every Cuban town and anywhere around the world.
This is our mission in life because music is a gift and a privilege.
CUBANO CUBANO has received a great acceptance in different countries. This summer we'll travel to Japan in order to promote the album and we'll return soon to our beloved Island to perform during the traditional carnival parties.
Cubamusic.com: Congratulations and thank you very much.
Yumurí: Thanks to Cubamusic.com for this wonderful opportunity.
Yumurì Premio Cubadisco 2009
Yumuri CD "Cubano Cubano"
Yumurì y sus Hermanos
Yumurì y sus Hermanos
Yumurì y sus Hermanos
Yumurì y sus Hermanos
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PBS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With a Documentary Recognizing the Latino...
Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:26pm EDT
PBS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With a Documentary Recognizing the Latino Contribution to American Music
PBS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With a Documentary Recognizing the
Latino Contribution to American Music
The Latin Music USA Four-Part Documentary to Launch During Hispanic Heritage
Month on October 12th and 19th
BOSTON, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Did you know Salsa came from New
York? That the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" is a cha cha cha? How did rap meet
reggae to make Reggaeton?
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, PBS will premiere Latin Music USA, a
four-hour documentary series celebrating the Latin rhythms at the heart of
jazz, rock, country and rhythm and blues and highlighting the great American
music created by Latinos. Revealing the Latin sounds that have influenced the
music of great American artists from the Drifters to the Isley Brothers to
Santana, the documentary aims to reach lovers of music everywhere, along with
fans of American history and everyone who loves to dance.
Airing in primetime on Mondays, October 12 and 19, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS,
the documentary series is narrated by acclaimed Golden Globe and Emmy-award
winning actor Jimmy Smits and features the stories of Latino artists Celia
Cruz, Carlos Santana, the Fania All-Stars, Shakira, Gloria Estefan and Ricky
Martin, along with exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage.
The life experiences of the artists featured in the documentary reveal how
Latinos have reinvented their music in the United States and forged new
identities within this country, while never losing sight of their own rich
traditions.
"LATIN MUSIC USA is a cornerstone of PBS' celebration of Hispanic Heritage
Month this year," said John F. Wilson, PBS Chief TV Programming Executive.
"It's a program for everyone who loves to explore music, dance and American
history and their fascinating connections to our overall culture."
PBS' celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month extends beyond the broadcast and
onto pbs.org. PBS' video player (pbs.org/video) -- where viewers can watch
hours of free PBS programming online and on their own time -- features an
extensive lineup of programs honoring and exploring Latino culture in
"Nuestras Historias | Our Stories," a special Hispanic Heritage Month
collection. LATIN MUSIC USA will premiere online on October 13 (English) and
14 (Spanish) as part of this collection. "Nuestras Historias | Our Stories" is
at www.pbs.org/nuestrashistorias.
Latin Music USA was produced by a team led by WGBH, in co-production with the
BBC. The documentary series anchors a comprehensive multimedia project -- on
air, online, in print and in the community -- that explores the vibrant
musical conversations between Latinos and non-Latinos that have helped shape
the history of popular music in the United States for more than five decades.
"We are thrilled to have Latin Music USA showcased during Hispanic Heritage
Month," states Executive Producer Elizabeth Deane. "This is a groundbreaking
series, a fresh take on our musical history, reaching across time and across
musical genres to tell the story of music created by Latinos and embraced by
all."
As part of the project's multimedia and multicultural approach, Latin Music
USA has partnered with the Spanish TV network V-me to premiere the series on
two consecutive Tuesdays, October 13th and 20th at 10 p.m., fully translated
and narrated in Spanish by Leila Cobo, one of the world's foremost experts in
contemporary Latin music.
Latin Music USA is comprised of four 60-minute episodes featuring a fast-paced
mix of music and interviews:
-- Episode One, BRIDGES (10/12, 9-10 p.m. on PBS): The first hour traces
the rise of Latin jazz and the explosion of the mambo and the cha cha
cha as they swept the U.S. from East to West and looks at how Latin
music infiltrated rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll through
the 1960s.
-- Episode Two, THE SALSA REVOLUTION (10/12, 10-11 p.m. on PBS): The
second
hour explores how Puerto Ricans and other Latinos in New York
reinvented
the Cuban son and the Puerto Rican plena by adding elements from soul
and jazz to create Salsa, which became a defining rhythm for Latinos
the
world over.
-- Episode Three, THE CHICANO WAVE (10/19, 9-10 p.m. on PBS): Mexican
Americans in California, Texas and throughout the Southwest created
their own distinct musical voices during the second half of the 20th
century. This episodes shows how their music played an important role
in
the struggle for Chicano civil rights and ultimately propelled them
from
the barrio to the national stage.
-- Episode Four, DIVAS AND SUPERSTARS (10/19, 10-11 p.m. on PBS): The
final
hour focuses on the Latin pop explosion of the turn of the 21st
century
and the success of artists like Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and
Shakira
in the English-language market. As studios concentrate on star-driven
pop, Latino youth gravitate toward urban fusions like Spanish rap and
Reggaeton, as well as Rock en Espanol.
Funding for Latin Music USA is provided by the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting and public television viewers.
About PBS
PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans -- from every walk of
life -- the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television
and online content. Each month, PBS reaches more than 124 million people
on-air and online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history,
nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front-row seats
to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been
consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions.
Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital
content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier
children's TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are parents' and
teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love
of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at
www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.
About WGBH Boston
WGBH is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of fully
one-third of PBS's primetime lineup, along with some of public television's
best-known lifestyle shows and children's programs and many public radio favorites. Its production menu is diverse, including Nova, Frontline, American Experience, Antiques Roadshow, Masterpiece Theatre, Arthur, and Curious George on PBS and The World and Sound & Spirit on public radio. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont Columbia Awards,
even two Oscars.
About V-me
Already reaching 60% of all US Hispanic TV Households via broadcast, cable and satellite, V-me entertains and informs Latino families in Spanish with primetime drama, music, sports, current affairs, and Latin cinema, along with world-class kids, food, lifestyle, and nature programming. The 24-hour network, partnered with public television, is America's largest Spanish digital channel. V-me is the first venture of the media production and distribution company, V-me Media Inc. To find out more visit VmeTV.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Edelman WGBH
Vanessa Tartak Ann Petruccelli
323.202.1453 617.300.5331
vanessa.tartak@edelman.com ann_petruccelli@wgbh.org
Willy Villarreal
323.202.1464
willy.villarreal@edelman.com
SOURCE PBS
Vanessa Tartak, +1-323-202-1453, vanessa.tartak@edelman.com. Willy Villarreal,
+1-323-202-1464, willy.villarreal@edelman.com. both of Edelman for WGBH; Ann
Petruccelli of WGBH, +1-617-300-5331, ann_petruccelli@wgbh.org
*************************
August 20, 9:50 AMLatin Music ExaminerIan Malinow
Ruben Blades sings his way back into the limelight
Times have certainly changed since Rub�n Blades took his proverbial mailroom job in New York City's Fania Records in the mid-'70s, but the visionary man and the thought-provoking artist remain charting their own destinies in this Twitter age.
As a young and aspiring singer-songwriter, the "Poet of Salsa" started writing insightful protest songs about Latin America's turbulent socio-political and economic woes while mingling with the likes of Ray Barretto and Larry Harlow in the hallways of the famed salsa label.
True, social injustices and financial uncertainty still reign in much of Latin America today (like in most parts of the world), but gone are most of the region's dictatorships; gone are the all mighty and powerful multi-national record labels that controled the careers, lives and pockets of musicians and gone are the �organic� days when recording and playing live was the nature of the business.
Still, the fabled Panamanian artist � who'll kick off the first leg of his 2009 international concert tour on Friday in Puerto Rico � is firm on continuing making music that matters, music that transcends generations, music that speaks to the soul and the masses or �barrios� to connect with people.
For him, meaningful and creative songwriting � not YouTube, Facebook, MySpace or Twitter � is what has thrust his music beyond cultural and generational boundaries, despite the fact that 'salsa gorda' skyrocketed to stratospheric musical heights and then crashed head-on to the ground, opening the door for �salsa rom�ntica� and then merengue in the '80s and '90s.
�The lyrics, the message, the story. . . those things are of utmost importance. I believe that young generations are discovering my music because they can identify themselves with the story. If you write objectively and honestly, without clich�s, and if you speak to the hearts and minds of persons, people will adjust to your work,� the 61-year-old singer-songwriter, Harvard lawyer and Hollywood actor told the Latin Music Examiner on Tuesday during a one-on-one interview in a San Juan hotel, three days before kicking off a two-day concert series on the island.
�Many of the songs that I've written throughout all these years have touched on the urban reality of an era, whether it was in New York City, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, Mexico or anywhere else. And when you do that, you connect with people, just like Calle 13, Don Omar, Tego Calder�n and many others from the urban scene are doing today in Puerto Rico,� he added.
Blades' tour, dubbed �Todos Vuelven,� marks the 25th anniversary of his landmark 1983 album �Buscando Am�rica,� a salsa masterpiece steeped in incisive social commentary and poetic lyrics.
Joining him on worldwide stages will be Seis del Solar, with whom he traveled the world between 1982-1990, featuring celebrated timbale player Ralph Irizarry, Oscar Hern�ndez (the founder of the Spanish Harlem Orchestra),Jimmy Bosch, Robby Ameen, Reinaldo Jorge, Richie Marrero, Arturo Ortiz, Mike Vi�as and Eddie Montalvo.
For his Puerto Rico shows, Blades said that he'll perform a full array of his hits, including the songs he recorded with Son del Solar, Seis del Solar and the legendary Puerto Rican trombonist and bandleader Willie Col�n, with whom he's currently involved in a legal battle over an alleged breach of contract.
With a tone of voice that denoted Blades' frustration and angst over the issue, he explained that �he [Willie Col�n] filed a suit against me so I'm waiting for that issue to be resolved in court. I have great respect for Willie Col�n. I will never speak badly about him to others. We made salsa history together with the album 'Siembra,' but I will never play with him again. I'm reacting to a legal action that he filed against me. He's an excellent musician and bandleader, but this is really an unfortunate situation,� he added.
In 2003, Blades and Col�n reunited for the �Siembra� 25th anniversary concert tour on the island.
In early May, Col�n told the Latin Music Examiner that Blades owes him $115,000 for alleged breach of contract, but then said that �the current legal battle against Blades has nothing to do with money.�
�If it turns out that I don�t have a case, so be it. But this is not about money,� said Col�n.
�This is about respect and keeping one�s word . . . the business was conducted through his management office, and he doesn�t want to talk about it, a total blackout. Nobody has picked up the phone and called me to explain things, and that�s insulting . . . for some reason he doesn�t feel responsible, did I do something? I don�t know. And he�s calling me frivolous? It is not fair and respectful.� he added.
Col�n added that he was saddened by the fact that they have a long history together.
�As many people know, we go way back, and that�s not the kind of behavior that I expected from him. I would be willing to work things out of court and to play with him again, but all that depends on him now. We need to talk.� he concluded.
Less than two months after wrapping up a five-year term as Panama's Tourism Minister, Blades is also in town to promote his new 11-track album �Cantares del subdesarrollo,� a musical tribute to Cuba and its people and the spirits of many Puerto Rican 'salseros' and composers like Tite Curet Alonso,Ismael Rivera and Jos� �Cheo� Feliciano.
Recorded six years ago in his Los Angeles home garage, it features Blades playing a myriad of instruments, from bongos, la clave and acoustic guitar to cowbell and maracas.
Blades' new release � which boasts the tracks �Las calles,� �Pa�s port�til� and �Morir� (among others) � went on sale on his Web site on Monday, www.rubenblades.com.
�Cuba is the root of the music that I make . . . Cuba is an heroic country because it has suffered from within, with the system, and from the outside, with the embargo . . . it's incredible what that island has gone through . . . I admire its fighting spirit,� said Blades, adding that his concert tour will be recorded to eventually launch what it will be his first official DVD.
�It's a musically simple album, driven by Cuba's traditional son rhythm. Some of my friends told me to keep it simple because it would give strenght to the work and so I did and I'm truly satisfied with the result,� he added.
One aspect of the tour that has Blades baffled is the productions's state-of-the-art spin.
�This is the first time that I do such a technically complicated tour. I come form the school of music that taught musicians to just step on the stage and start singing,� mused Blades, adding that he doesn't even know all the details of what the producers of the event, C�sar Sainz of Rompeolas and Ariel Rivas, have in store for the audience.
�It's going to be all about the music, but there will also be videos, photos and more,� he added.
Meanwhile, Blades said that his experience as a public service official in Panama only made him grow spiritually and as a human being.
�I think I'm less selfish today than what I was five years ago before becoming Panama's Tourism Minister, and I think that I'm also a better musician because I grew spiritually . . . not all is fame and money,� he said.
Although he's been away from worldwide stages for five years, Blades admitted he's a tad nervous about returning to perform � especially about forgetting a song's lyrics � but he assured that his excitement over making a comeback will overcome his fears.
�You have to be prepared, both physically and mentally. But the thrill of singing again in a stage is what pumps me up,� he said.
�The toughest part, though, of returning to the music scene is to bump into some of the emotive lyrics of my songs, which can still affect me deeply emotionally,� he added.
After closing his tour, Blades has in store plans to record an album with Feliciano on the island before the end of the year. Blades' next stops include Mexico, Per�, Miami and other US cities.
When traditional salsa flourished in the �70s, the �Pedro Navaja� interpreter was a pioneering figure in the development of the genre, along with many of the Fania All-Stars clan.
A landmark period in Blades� professional life came when he teamed up with Col�n to create some of the most memorable salsa music ever recorded. Timeless hits like �Pablo pueblo,� �Pedro Navaja,� �Buscando guayaba,� �Tibur�n� and �Pl�stico� � to name a few � all define an era and speak for themselves, not to mention �Siembra� (the best-selling salsa album in history).
Yet for the past two decades or so, Blades has partially distanced himself from salsa a bit to forge a new musical path based more on global folk music than salsa.
Case in point was his 2002 eclectic album �Mundo,� which won a Grammy for Best World Music album.
Essentially, Blades has always been in a league of his own. He has succeeded in seamlessly merging musical styles while at the same time making strong political, philosophical and existentialist statements.
And his humbleness has only helped him push his career forward.
�I'm more of a writer who ended up singing.�
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Salsa Music Artist Marino Luis' New Album Hits Every Note
In his latest release 'Viento en Popa,' salsa artist Marino Luis blossoms to reveal a bolder, more musically stimulating sound that simultaneously charms loyal Latin music listeners and salsa neophytes alike. With more than 14 years as an industry insider, Luis is out to introduce music fanatics worldwide to the authentic sound of Colombia's Pacific coast.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 29, 2009 -- From the intensity and vigor with which salsa crooner Marino Luis belts out harmonies on his latest project 'Viento en Popa,' one would think he was vying for a shot in the spotlight. But, in reality, he's been there for a while.
'Viento en Popa' by Marino Luis
'Viento en Popa' by Marino Luis
A former backup singer for world renowned salsa legend Yuri Buenaventura, Luis has been leaving his musical mark for decades. With his second album, 'Viento en Popa,' the songster graduates from vocalist to producer, having orchestrated musical arrangements for 10 of the CD's 12 tracks.
In creating 'Viento en Popa,' Luis drew from his multitude of experience as a salsa musician and songwriter in order to craft a wide-ranging yet musically thorough album. Well represented on the disc is the tropical, classic salsa of Colombia's Pacific coast for which Luis is widely known; but "Viento en Popa' reaches across musical aisles to borrow sounds from close genres like bachata, bolero, and even reggaeton.
Everyday life influenced Luis to assemble the collection of singles found on 'Viento en Popa.' While many salsa compilations rotate around the universal themes of love lost and love found, 'Viento en Popa' explores beyond such topics to touch a far-reaching audience with 'Obama: El Cambio,' 'Mi Lindo Regalo,' and other singles.
Not only did Luis lend his vocal and production skills to his latest album, he is also responsible for writing six of the CD's tracks. While 'Viento en Popa' is only Luis' second solo disc, he has already garnered a strong following in his native Buenaventura, Colombia as well as Spain and the United States. Thanks to more than 10 years of touring worldwide with first-rate salsa groups, Luis' ripened musical talents are on full display throughout 'Viento en Popa.'
Produced by Washington, DC-based Acuario Productions, 'Viento en Popa' has already been hailed as a hit with listeners in Cali and Buenaventura, Colombia, up and down the east coast of the United States, various cities in Europe, and salsa hotspots through Latin America. A tour is in the works and is projected to kick-off in early fall 2009 with stops in North and South America as well as Europe.
About Marino Luis
As a child in his native Buenaventura, Colombia, Marino Luis' greatest musical influence was his grandfather, a talented Marima folkloric musician, singer, and composer. At the age of seven, Luis began playing the guitar with the support and encouragement of his parents who recognized an undeniable ability and love of music.
During adolescence, Luis and his brothers formed a musical group, which served as a singing foundation and practice for much bigger things to come. After moving to Bogota for university studies, Luis returned to Colombia's Pacific coast to re-energize his musical career, teaming up with groups such as Orquesta Sandunga and Suprema Corte. Famed musical maestro Andres Viafara plucked Luis from a crowd of talented musicians to become his disciple, on whom he imparted his musical knowledge. Thus began Luis' ascent in the music industry within Colombia, a country lauded worldwide for its rich musical history and responsible for producing many of Salsa's greatest legends.
Today, Luis is one of the most recognizable and celebrated voices in Colombia's Pacific region. During his career, he's toured worldwide with some of Salsa's biggest names, gaining fame and an ever-expanding fan-base along the way. He's currently represented by US-based Acuario Productions under whom he released his debut album in 2006 as well as his latest record.
About Acuario Productions
Based out of Washington, DC and Cali, Colombia, Acuario Productions is a music and event production company representing a myriad of musical artists and genres. From salsa to hip hop, Acuario Productions has its finger firmly on the music scene on the east coast of the United States as well as Puerto Rico, Colombia, and beyond.
In addition to representing artists, Acuario Productions specializes in parties, events, and concerts. The six-year-old company has steadily developed a reputation throughout the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia metro areas as the premier salsa music network. With weekly events and parties, Acuario Productions draws upon its hundreds of devotees and supporters as a fan base for promoting local and international musical artists.
Together with such artists as Marino Luis, Acuario Productions is on its way to creating bigger and even more enjoyable international projects.
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Salsa musician Ruben Blades visits Harvard archive
Associated Press Writer
Published Thursday, Jul. 16, 2009
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Salsa musician and actor Ruben Blades celebrated his 61st birthday with a nostalgic visit to his archive collection at Harvard University.
The seven-time Grammy winner holds a master's degree in international law from Harvard and recently left his post as Panama's tourism minister to return to recording music.
His visit Thursday was the first time he'd been to the archive since he agreed to give his personal papers, rare recordings and other memorabilia to the university last January.
Blades, who also has appeared in more than 30 feature films, says he's looking forward to getting back to his music and plans to tour with Seis del Solar, a group of salsa musicians who are his longtime friends.
The tour includes scheduled stops in Puerto Rico and Miami later this year.
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A New Venezuelan Cafe In Town
I discover a new Venezuelan Cafe " Cafe Choroni " , We real Cachapas y Arepas Venezolanas.
What is an Arepera? An eatery that makes and sells Arepas. What is an Arepa? Unlike breads, Arepas are made with corn instead of wheat, and molded into a flat patty which can be baked, grilled, or fried. The Arepa is split after cooking, and filled with your favorite ingredients like, cheese, beans, avocado, shredded beef or chicken, pork, and deli meats. Both Venezuelans and Colombians view the Arepa as a traditional national food, and has a long tradition of local recipes. The predecessor of the Arepa was a staple of Amerindian tribes that lived in the northern Andes. After the Spanish colonization, the sensation that would become the Arepa flooded into the region we know today as Venezuela and Colombia. 3120 San Mateo Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 505.554.3311 STORE HOURS:Mon-Sat 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM Closed on Sundays. www.cafechoroni.com
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By Marcus Crowder
Latin jazz and a dip of hot salsa
Published: Sunday, Mar. 8, 2009
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra maintains an unparalleled reputation as one of the world's great salsa dance bands.
The musicians don't have a problem with that, but they want everyone to know that it's OK to just sit and listen.
The 13-piece band comes to the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium on Thursday as part of Capital Public Radio's 30-year anniversary celebration. The show will be a dance and a concert.
SHO pianist and musical director Oscar Hern�ndez promotes the idea of people listening to the band as well as moving to its relentless grooves. The group features three singers, a five-piece horn section, three percussionists, a piano and a bass.
Hern�ndez spoke from his home in New York where the orchestra was playing a week of gigs at the Blue Note nightclub.
"It's a great venue here, not dance-oriented, so we get to just showcase the band at a very artistic listening level," Hern�ndez says.
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra has been playing performing arts centers and jazz festivals around the world, but at sit-down concerts, there is a recurring problem.
"People complain they can't dance, and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra is a great dance band," the pianist says.
And there should be plenty of room for dancing at Memorial Auditorium.
Such is the duality and conflict for a band of great instrumentalists who are known for playing old-school salsa which at its core remains dance music. The group also has a Latin jazz element which Hern�ndez likes to explain.
"Latin jazz for me is basically instrumental music � usually not vocals. Salsa is songs, and ultimately the focus is dance. There is a distinction," Hern�ndez says.
He adds that Latin jazz is jazz improvisation over Latin rhythms, and his players can do both salsa and Latin jazz.
"Sometimes the dance aspect trivializes what we do. We do have instrumentals where we showcase the band in that light � songs where the singers walk off the stage and just the band plays," Hern�ndez says.
"People understand we are musicians who are tapped into the tradition and essence of this music which was forgotten. There's a certain audience who knows what we're about and the importance of what we're doing," Hern�ndez says.
However, the band is coming to town because KXJZ musical director Gary Vercelli sees it as a great party band. Vercelli should know, since he's been programming jazz for the various incarnations of Capital Public Radio since nearly the beginning.
Vercelli has been with the station for the past 29 years, starting out in converted studios on the second floor of the Theater and Arts Department at Sacramento State. It has moved twice since then and now has its own dedicated building on campus.
"In all my years of promoting jazz (concerts), I noticed whenever we presented Latin jazz, the park was more full than when we did straight-ahead," Vercelli says.
Vercelli has promoted jazz shows all over Sacramento during his tenure with the radio station.
"I've had promotional bones in my body which started when I brought Lou Rawls to my high school in Glendale, Calif., of all places," Vercelli says.
Vercelli and the station have sponsored artists with local and international reputations including McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey and Joe Williams. The concerts have been in the courtyard at the Pavilions, in Old Sacramento, at the zoo and at the Crest Theatre.
"I've always thought of KXJZ and Capital Public Radio as more than a radio station. I felt we could be an agent for positive change in the community," Vercelli says.
Certainly the station's growth and expansion from a late-night, music-only stop at 90.9 on the FM dial into a 24-hour National Public Radio affiliate has become an essential local cultural element.
For Vercelli, the focus has always been the music, and his early show "Jazz International" on what was then KXPR remains influential to a grateful generation of music lovers in Sacramento whose horizons were broadened by Vercelli's expansive playlists.
Now Vercelli has Arbitron ratings to deal with as he programs music for an increasingly varied and demanding audience. He hopes a band like the Spanish Harlem Orchestra can bring people together in a celebration of Capital Public Radio's legacy.
Hern�ndez sure feels it's the right group.
"I think the Spanish Harlem Orchestra is one of the finest music ensembles you'll hear playing any kind of music," he says.
"We have great musicians and we feel great about what we're doing and how we're doing it."
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Nearing 60, salsa singer is a study in contrasts
By Agustin Gurza
Los Angeles Times
HOLLYWOOD - The publicity photos for the new album by Alonso Brito have that air of Havana hipness that has cloaked many contemporary artists coming from the island of Cuba. It's a mystique derived from that incongruous juxtaposition of stylish fashion against drab communist gray. There's Brito, sporting a leather jacket with a dashing red scarf and thick, horn-rimmed glasses, gazing out a window onto a Havana street frozen in time. The image, however, is a digital illusion. Brito left Havana in 1960 when he was 10, a year after Fidel Castro took power, and he has never gone back. But while the photo was faked, the sense of sorrow and nostalgia it projects is very real for this artist-in-exile who, approaching his 60th birthday, has reconnected with his roots and released the debut album that has eluded him his entire career.
"A lot of people ask me, 'Why did it take you so long to make it to Hollywood?' " he says, his flyaway silver bangs hanging over his eyebrows. "It's natural, because society for a long time has been telling us, 'Oye, at 60 - whoosh - retire!' At 40, start waving goodbye. And it's like, no, no, no! You know how we talk about reinventing life nowadays, and staying with it, and persevering and doing what you want. I think people of my generation, the baby boomers, need to hear that story, because it's almost like a philosophy for us to continue living."
Still, it's late in the game for Brito to be reinventing himself. He was virtually unknown in Los Angeles until a few months ago and remains a bit of an enigma. He suddenly appeared in town with those publicity photos and the grand vision of galvanizing the local salsa music scene, which has a flourishing club circuit. The push is to brand Brito the recognizable face of LA salsa, which unlike New York and Miami has produced no big-name stars. He and his producers envision him as that urbane persona representing the multicultural salsa set.
Yet, like the picture of the artist who wasn't there, it's hard to know who Alonso Brito is. In Miami, he was always known as Dennis Britt, an eclectic musician, charmed nightclub manager, and all-around bohemian who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Barry Gibb and Donald Fagen. He's also a respected songwriter, who moved to Nashville in the mid-'90s to help write songs for Raul Malo and the now-defunct Mavericks, including the country band's heartbreaking "Things I Cannot Change."
In a single sentence, he can switch from Spanish with a strong Cuban accent to colloquial English peppered with "dude" and "champ" and "baby." He was raised Catholic but dabbled in Buddhism as well as Afro-Cuban Santeria. But perhaps most improbable for someone being groomed as a salsa star, he had to take lessons from a local dance teacher to learn that authentic Cuban sway instead of those skittish, helter-skelter steps that seem to suddenly possess his skinny legs like a trance, frenetic but on beat. In the end, he dumped the teacher and kept the crazy feet, which reminded a bandmate of moves by old Afro-Cuban "rumberos" back home.
Brito is like no other contemporary salsa singer - part Mick Jagger, part Caetano Veloso, and part Desi Arnaz on acid. His recent performances at King King in Hollywood, a well-attended four-week stand, showcased the magnetism of his quirky stage presence and the powerhouse talent of his backing band with its piercing horns, edgy rock guitars, and dense percussion. The thunderous live versions, however, tend to drown out Brito's hoarse, tremulous baritone, which comes through more clearly on the album, "Santo Bueno" (Good Saint), available for download on music sites by Sept. 4.
You believe him when he says that writing these songs helped him overcome the heartache of broken dreams, a failed marriage, and near financial ruin. And that he had to learn to trust again to get back on stage in a city that he had once left in failure.
"I've got a score to settle with this town," he says, a glow in his green eyes that change color with the light. "You didn't let me give you the love I wanted to give you, so I'm going to give it to you now."
Dennis Alonso Brito has been haunted by a fear of failure since his childhood in Cuba, where his father was an executive for Colgate with a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The demands of orthodox Catholicism and corporate capitalism wreaked havoc on the psyche of a boy who secretly harbored dreams of being a musician.
"If you walk up to some of these Cubans and say you want to be a piano player, you're going to get smacked across the face," says Brito with that tobacco-smoked voice that makes his singing sound at times so dissolute.
Brito's first instrument was the drum, which he played in psychedelic rock bands while attending an all-boys Catholic prep school in Miami. But soon he would abandon what he called "the hippie thing" for a job in local television and the chance "to be normal." He started selling local TV ads, using his charm to open accounts with car dealers and mom-and-pop bakeries.
By 21, Brito had married his childhood sweetheart and become a full-fledged yuppie. He had a four-bedroom house in Coral Gables, Fla., with a Porsche in the driveway, but he also had ulcers. "You know what, man, all these accouterments, the 18-karat Cartier, was just not going to do it," he recalls. "I wanted to create."
He exchanged the suburbs for a bohemian life, living in hotels, "me and my guitar," and working at menial jobs. During the '80s and '90s, he became a fixture of the Miami music scene. He fronted hard-working bands such as Watchdog and Beat Poets, dabbling in styles from smooth jazz, reggae, and British pop to a Latin-tinged style dubbed "troparock." He was so good at writing in so many styles that he was hard to pigeonhole - and to market. Despite accolades from peers, the backing of wealthy supporters, and interest from the industry, he never got a record deal with a major label.
His collaboration with Malo of the Mavericks ended with a dispute over publishing rights to the title song, "Today," used in Disney's 2002 film "Snow Dogs." Brito says he was tricked out of his share, a charge Malo emphatically disputes, claiming Brito still owes him money from those years in Nashville.
Right or wrong, Brito's financial problems had started undermining his second marriage. He says his ex-wife, a fashion designer like his mother, persuaded him to move from Nashville to Los Angeles so she could pursue her career. They arrived on the eve of Sept. 11, 2001, he recalls, and awoke to watch the twin towers falling, along with their hopes for a new life. The couple split, and Brito returned to Miami in 2003. He had just turned 54. He was broke, alone, and suffering from writer's block. Within a year, he was working at his old haunts again, singing and playing guitar, "trying to enjoy that little village life in South Beach." He started thinking he would die there, in some nightclub with his guitar in hand.
Then, the songs started coming again. He tapped into his roots and that capacity of Cuban music to find joy in expressing - and releasing - sorrow and heartache.
"I was able to start giving thanks for something I had lost, instead of being angry for the loss when all you can see is remorse and rancor and bitterness," says Brito, who returned to Los Angeles in 2006. In the weeks ahead he plans to promote the record while making more local club appearances.
"In Cuban music, I found like an illusion at the end of the road. There was a moral. There was a vindication. . . .
"I discovered I don't need 30,000 people applauding every day to get an identity. I know what I'm about. And I'm not doubting my stuff anymore."
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Let's zumba
High-energy fitness class moves to a Latin beat Latin dance exercises really deliver with fun workouts
By Jennifer Rundell | Daily Herald Correspondent
Published: 9/1/2008 12:03 AM
Whether you dance for fun or exercise, it's rare that you won't feel a hard-core sweat when you are done shaking your hips.
So what do you get when you put Latin, dancing and aerobics together? You get Zumba, which is one workout that is sure to leave you gasping for breath when you are finished.
Zumba is a Latin-infused exercise program that combines international music and easy-to-follow dance steps with interval training. How many people out there have wanted to get into Latin dancing, but have always felt that they needed a partner? Not with Zumba, this current Latin phenomenon.
Not only do you get to experience all the sultry and sexy moves of a Latin dance, but you are also burning 180 calories every 20 minutes. That means at the end of a one-hour class you will have burned over 500 calories. Just think of the possibilities if you Zumba three to four times a week.
As an added motivation, Julie Russell, owner of Latin Flair Fitness, dresses up in colorful clothing and stands on a high stage when she teaches her classes.
"Each class is an hour long and we start with a warm-up of basic moves," Russell said. "Then for the cool down we work with soft music."
In between, the heart of the workout is what will keep you coming back w more. Each Latin dance - cumbia, regaetone and salsa, just to name a few - gets your body pumping in different, unique ways while still giving you a sweat-infused workout. Cumbia focuses mainly on one side of your hips, and regaetone is a high-intensity cardio workout, while salsa dancing works your stamina and leg strength. The rhythm for each routine changes from slow to fast depending on the song and dance.
Although it's your hips that are getting the constant workout, Zumba ultimately focuses on the core muscles, especially the abdomen as well as the arms and legs. At the same time, each muscle group is being used with each routine, while giving you a looser, more relaxed kind of training.
Participants are always being challenged due to the multitude of movements. A Latin dance instructor took Russell's class to help build his endurance before a dance competition.
"You don't need a partner while doing Zumba because its focused for fitness," Russell says. "You are in a fitness format, but still feel like you are dancing. People who don't know how to dance, but are somewhat familiar with a high-low aerobic class will do just fine."
Zumba got started by Columbian aerobics instructor Alberto Perez. He forgot to bring his regular music to his aerobics class one day so he ran out to his car, grabbed all of his favorite music and improvised.
The rest is history and a new fitness craze. It first hit big in Florida's South Beach, where Russell got the opportunity to take two training courses with the legendary Perez.
The Columbian slang for Zumba pretty much says it all: "To move fast and have fun."
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Newsday.com
'Tito Puente: The Complete 78s is a complete treat
ED MORALES
E-mail Ed Morales at sonidoslatinos@edmorales.net.
August 10, 2008
Back in the late 1940s, big-band jazz was all the rage in New York, and people danced late into the night to the great orchestras that played the many dancehalls around town.
But at home and on the radio they listened to big, heavy 10-inch pressed wax records that spun around at 78 revolutions per minute, maybe the only thing that moved faster than the dancers themselves. They danced to Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, and when they wanted a Latin beat, they put on some Tito Puente.
Puente was in his mid-20s then, and between 1949 and 1955, he recorded 156 two-sided 78-rpm records.
This week, Emusica's revived Fania Records will be releasing "Tito Puente: The Complete 78s," the first two-CD volume of these rare recordings, which have the ability to transport you back to another era. Featuring appearances by such legends as Mario Bauz�, Graciela, Mongo Santamar�a, Vicentico Vald�s and Manny Oquendo, the recordings document Puente's early evolution as a bandleader.
Undiscovered gems such as "Mambo Macoco," - the A-side of the more widely available classic "Abaniquito," - were first released by Tico Records, a company that original Fania Records impresario Jerry Masucci bought in the 1970s.
The CDs do reproduce the scratchy "surface noise" of the records since there were no masters available for digital transfer. But the "Glenn Miller sound" of clarinet and sax on the boleros, the electricity of the percussion jams and the cool ethereality of rare Puente vibe solos are all worth the adventure.
Joe Conzo, Puente's confidant since the mid-1960s, produced the entire series, which will feature three more volumes.
"I got [Fania] to see the light, because people are only going to buy so much '70s salsa," he said in an interview. "You gotta do what jazz companies do, which is bring out stuff that's never been heard before."
Conzo, a self-described "frustrated conga player," grew up in Puente's Spanish Harlem, listening to everything from folkloric Puerto Rican music to mambo to Glenn Miller to doo-wop.
"Tito's argument, and mine, was that you can't play salsa," he said. "I mean, what is salsa? It's just a term that makes it easier for people to identify the music."
If you listen to Vald�s, perhaps the most beloved Puente vocalist ever, improvise over the syncopated drive of the orchestra on "Mi Guaguanc� (New Guaguanc�)," you will hear the roots of the salsa music that Masucci and Fania so successfully repackaged 20 or so years later.
"Tito Puente: The Complete 78s" helps you imagine a time when the East Village's Webster Hall was a recording studio, and the stars of Latin music were part of the thread that bound communities together.
"Machito lived on 111th Street and said hello to you like he was everybody's uncle," Conzo said. "If you saw him on the street, or in a club, Tito was just as approachable. There were no entourages then."
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Bad Dancers?
There aren't any BAD Dancers!!
Often times, I listen to people make comments such as, "he has no rhythm .... or she can't follow". Sometimes the comments are even more harmful, "what do they think they're trying to do - that looks simply awful", or "he can't dance at all, he's just bopping - maybe he should take some lessons"!!
Have you ever thought this? Ever voiced this to your friends? What's really important about dancing anyway?
I've attended many social dances and many ,,, , , , , competitions and must admit there is one dancer that I always enjoy watching on the floor. Have you ever seen the dancers that dance every dance (even if they can't Dance?) but they're always smiling - always having fun. I watch these dancers in fascination, they are actually having a great time.
When I watch people on the dance floor, I often wonder, Why are they dancing - they look like they're in pain? I am truly amazed that anyone would go out for an evening of torment and painstaking work - there is a time and place for everything in life.
Social dancing is people moving together on the dance floor and enjoying themselves. We don't all have to dance the same way. Even if you just get up and sway to the music, that's your way of expressing pleasure in dancing. Did you ever think to yourself, "They're not bad dancers - JUST DIFFERENT".
A dance floor will always have people with different styles and knowledge levels about dancing: which doesn't mean they are good or bad dancers, just people enjoying themselves for an evening. Maybe if you take dancing so seriously that you're losing your ability to laugh at yourself over a mistake it's time to take a, , ,, , l,, , , esson or two from a social dancer that doesn't perform ballroom steps but actually moves to music for FUN!
By: Karen Kiefer
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Getting the Most from Your Dance Lessons
Dance students naturally want to get the most they can from their lessons, but often lack a clear understanding of how to do so. In fact, any student's progress depends mostly upon how they approach and use their lessons. Fast, complete and efficient progress will result only from a logical and structured approach to learning.
1: Set a Goal - Quite simply, unless both the instructor and the student have a clear understanding of the skills and abilities that are to be developed, then progress suffers. A frank discussion of goals and the formation of a solid teaching plan are essential.
2: Correct Frame of Mind - The student-teacher relationship is one of both physical and mental participation. Knowledge can only be gained through focused attention and a willingness to learn. Students should take care to apply themselves to the task at hand, and to do their best to perform the new elements according to their instructor's direction.
3: Concentration and Focus - Sometimes students, in a desire to "do everything right", will focus on one facet of dancing while the instructor is attempting to work on another. The experienced instructor will not expect their students to correctly perform all of their old skills while learning something new. The student should direct their attention only to the topic which the instructor has chosen, and the instructor will later amalgamate the new knowledge with the old.
4: Allow the Instructor to Teach - The, , s, tudent is wasting their instructor's skills if they do not allow the instructor to exercise their own judgment and abilities. Many students, who would not dream of telling their doctor what medicine to prescribe or their mechanic how to repair their car, wi, ,, , , ll not hesitate to tell their instructor which part of their dancing most needs attention, and how they should be taught. Instead, the instructor should be given rein to teach as they see fit, so long as they are working to the best of their abilities towards the student's goals. If this path does not yield the desired results, then another instructor should be found.
Remember also that learning to dance is different from learning pure mental skills - sometimes understanding comes only after correct performance, instead of the other way around. The student should always try to allow the instructor to complete a presentation, since quite often full understanding dawns only when the presentation is complete and a "feel" for the action is obtained. If at that point the student does not understand, then they should ask for clarification. Otherwise, they should try to allow the instructor to exercise their professional skills - after all, that is what they were hired to do in the first place.
5: Practice - Practice is probably the most under-rated aspect of a student's learning. Those students who apply themselves to their practice invariably show more consistent progress than those who do not. Students of tennis, skiing, martial arts, music, golf, or most other physical pursuits consider practice an integral part of their learning, but all too often students of social dance do not. The human mind can consciously demand only so much of the body at one time, and is not capable of simultaneously monitoring or directing more than one or two aspects of the body's movement. In order to correctly perform several different dance elements, the body must be able to function independently of concentration - in other words, good dancing skills must be habitual. Habits can only be formed through repetition. This can also be a pitfall, since a repeated action will become habit whether that action is desirable or not! Care must be taken to ensure that CORRECT performance is practiced AT LEAST 50% OF THE TIME, since the body will "remember" those actions which it has performed MOST OFTEN.
6: Regularity - Regularity also has a bearing on progress, since too much time between lesson, s,, , br, , , e, , aks up the , , co, , ntinuity of the learning progress, allows the student to forget too, , ,, , ,, much of any lesson's instruction, and forces the instructor to unnec, , ,, essarily repea, ,, , , , ,, , , , t topics.
7: Variety:
A - Instructors - Just as a single sculpture may be described in different ways by observers with different points of view, so may many dancing elements be described or approached in many different ways, serving to develop a more complete and thorough , understanding. However, one instructor should be chosen to be the main guide to a student's progre,, ss, serving as a "manager" for that student's overall learning. (Beware of instructors who advise you only to take,, lessons from themselves!)
B - Lesson Types - Smart students also participate in different types of lessons; private lessons, group class, es, , , , practice sessions, coaching lessons and workshops all serve to strengthen, reinforce, and diversify the student's learning.
C - Partners - A variety of partners serves to broaden dancing skills. Dependence upon a single partner can lead to the formation of weaknesses, since when a certain aspect of dancing is not challenged or used, it atrophies. A variety of partners tend to challenge a student's skills in a larger number of situations than most single partners can provide.
By: Dan Pittman
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The Beat
Most dance music is based on 2/4, 3/4, or 4/4 music time. In 2/4 and 3/4 time the first beat of a bar is emphasized and can be clearly heard in the bass = drum, bass or bass guitar. This is the beginning beat of the music and is the beginning step of the dance.
In 4/4 time the most emphasized beat is the first beat and there is then less emphasis on the 3rd beat. Again this can be clearly heard in the bass instruments. As always, the first beat is the beginning step of the dance. In some music the bass instruments will play every beat in the bar. Listen to the music - you can hear and feel the beginning beat of the,, , bar and go from there.
The most important thing to remember is to move to the beat - listen for the bass instruments an,, ,,, , ,, , ,, , , d , they will show you the way. Remember there is nothing worse when dancing than to be "off the beat" - so listen and enjoy!
By: Eldene Heikkila
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Feb 12 &13
Cafe Mocha Ivon Ulibarri @ The Hilton Hotel Abq (Dj Pedro @ 8pm)
Cafe Mocha Ivon Ulibarri @ TheMamboRoom Santa Fe
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Latin Tinge Thursday's
New Salsa Dj Show Latin Tinge Salsa @ One Up On Central Ave Down Twon Dj Pancho
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www.realtimesites.com
Go,go,Go Calendar go
"Escuche Salsa Sabrosa como de costumbre en KUNM 89.9 FM todos los Viernes.Every Friday Salsa Sabrosa Show 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (MT)
www.KUNM.org (live)
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Recuerda Mi Mambo es tu Mambo
E-mail you events to; mimambo@mimambo.com ,
mi.mambo@yahoo.com
Nobody Knows Salsa
Like Mi Mambo in Albuquerque,
New Mexico. Simple.
Salsa Elevation: 5,220 feet And Hot..
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Wellington Guzman
MI MAMBO
EMAIL TO:
Email your comment, information or events to
mimambo@mimambo.com
mi.mambo@yahoo.com
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Salsa Elevation: 5,225 feet
Nobody Knows Salsa Like Mi Mambo.
Last update 2/8/2010
Copyright (c) 2010 Mi Mambo Latin Music Entertainment,
Albuquerque, NM From August 15 2003
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