2020

Did you know that more than 60 personalities and artists come together in the Puerto Rican Virtual Parade

North America/ Puerto Rico / Puerto Rico

The fervor and love for Puerto Rico have overflowed in the call for the first Puerto Rican Virtual Parade with the aim of not interrupting a 62-year tradition of the great party that is celebrated in New York City.

Dedicated to the great master of the timbal Tito Puente, a large number of personalities of the stature of Hollywood actors Edward James Olmos, who launched a phrase that will last for history, saying present “I was not born in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico was born in me”.

Olmos was also joined by the popular and versatile actor Luis Guzmán, Rodrigo Massa, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Luis Ramos from the Power series and Delilah Cotto from Empire and Hulk, as well as Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player Yadier Molina who will present her daughter Ari D and directors José Javi Ferrer and Virginia Romero, the popular Super Yadira, Vanessa de Roide, Top Model Monique Alexandra and many more.

This year three kings said yes to their people, the Queen of Reggaeton Ivy Queen, who also started the urban movement La Leyenda Vico C and the King of Hearts, Manny Manuel.

Also present at this important event will be the group MDO, the artists Baby Rasta and Gringo, Melina León, Tito Nieves, Daniela Droz, Giselle, Víctor Santiago, Javyy L’amour, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Lalo Rodríguez, The Martínez Brothers, Tito Puente Jr., Tito Rojas, Julio Sanabria, Luis Damon, Hip Hop Jibarito, Grizelle “La Chichi” del Valle, DJ NEGRO, DJ Playero and Michael Stuart.

Among the invited international artists are Soleil from Argentina, Toño Rosario, Fulanito, Yolanda Duke and Proyecto Uno from the Dominican Republic, the Salsa Institution, Adolescents from Venezuela and Ms. Dayana from Cuba.

Darma Diaz, councilor of the 37th district of New York City, stated that she was pleasantly surprised by the response of the artists, the media and the general public, “which represents one more demonstration of what Puerto Rican Pride is and how capable we are of rise up in the face of adversity”.

The Puerto Rican Virtual Parade will be broadcast through the Vivalivetv application on channel 1 “it will be totally free as a way to globalize this project and that wherever there is a Puerto Rican in the world or a Latino, they can enjoy this party” said Jhon Sepúlveda Vice President of Vivalivetv operations.

The artistic production of this event is in charge of the company Miami Talents and the editing and post-production in charge of the three-time winner of the Sovereign Award in the Dominican Republic, Hugo Oscar Chávez Baldera.

Website: https://paradavirtualpr.com/

Press contacts

Puerto Rico:

Jeanette Delgado

+1 787.645.0966

Argentinian Flamenco – Maria Lopez Tristancho

Europe/ Spain / Andalusia / Huelva

María López Tristancho

Since in the summer of 2006, this young singer from Huelva (June 1984) fulfilled the illusion of publishing her first album, artistically, the life of Argentina María López Tristancho, artistically known as Argentinian has taken an absolute turn.

María López Tristancho, Her stage name is personal, inherited from his paternal grandmother. Few record debuts are remembered with such an impact on a flamenco artist, but it seems that this time, talent and luck have taken this young woman by the hand, who is experiencing an absolutely sweet moment, because the following months have only endorse its good start:

Her work deserved the Critics’ Award for Best Disc of Cante Revelation, at the same time that it dominated the top positions in the success lists of the main radio formulas of Andalusian music: number one in Radiolé and Canal Fiesta in several occasions and reissue of the album with remixed songs to celebrate this good reception, which has also been endorsed with television appearances on Quintero’s La Noche or María Jiménez’s Bienaventurados, in addition to its live recording for Radio 3’s Los Conciertos.

María López Tristancho and the orchestra

And in the meantime, Argentina shows that she is not just a singer of a record, reaping enormous success also in her live performances and before such important stages as the Festival De Cajón and the Fiestas de la Mercé in Barcelona, Bienal de Málaga en Flamenco, Festival Flamenco Pa’Tos in Madrid or their concerts in Huelva, Seville or Zaragoza.

Far away, still close in time, are his numerous performances for the Andalusian clubs and his training period at the Cristina Heeren Foundation in Seville. Performances where Argentina has been becoming an artist on the go, waiting for his opportunity, who knows if it has come to him happily.

In 2008 we must highlight, among many others, the great successes achieved in Madrid as part of the Veranos de la Villa Festival in the incomparable setting of Jardines de Sabatini, in the Gran Teatro Falla in Cádiz and in Bilbao’s Semana Grande.

Ivano Zanotti

Europa / Italy / Montefredane

Ivano Zanotti had a noticeably precocious drum groove, since the early age of 8.

Ivano Zanotti had a noticeably precocious drum groove, since the early age of 8. In his teens, he studied with Maestro Mauro Gherardi, learning drum secrets and modern techniques, all while studying at the Bologna Music Conservatory G.B.

Martini, where he earned his degree in Classical Percussion.

After an intense and widespread background with some of Bologna’s finest underground bands including Gli Atroci, Splatterpink, S.I.P.

Tonic, Zois and ART, Ivano toured the United States in 2006 with Manolo Badrena of Weather Report, in 2008 and 2009 with Black Smokers and in 2010 with Hammond Organ legend Brian Auger.

Ivano Zanotti in profile on stage

In the meantime, he started collaborating with Ligabue’s lead Guitar Federico Poggipollini, becoming his live and studio drummer and with former Vasco Rossi guitarist Maurizio Solieri, with whom he’s been playing since 2012.

In 2007, he played with Alan Sorrenti, composer of “Figli dell Stelle”.

Ivano Zanotti has established a solid reputation as one of Italy’s finest drummers, recording for Italian Rock legend Vasco Rossi on his Sono Innocente album, on his song “Cambiamenti” and on Maestro Francesco Guccini’s last album.

In 2016, Zanotti played drums and helped organize a one-of-a-kind concert in the Arena di Verona, supporting the fight against femicide. Gathering many famous Italian female singers, including Gianna Nannini, Fiorella Mannoia, Patty Pravo, Loredana Bertè, Elisa, Paola Turci, Irene Grandi, Alessandra Amoroso and Emma, the memorable event produced a live DVD entitled “Amiche In Arena”.

Ivano is currently touring with Loredana Bertè, I Musici di Francesco Guccini, Federico Poggipollini and LIGABUE.

Ivano uses Alex Acuna Bells , the Red mountable Tambourine, the Daniel de los Reyes Signature Cajon and Tumbao Pro Bongos.

https://www.facebook.com/IvanoZanottiTheBigDrummer/

https://www.facebook.com/ivano.zanotti.5

Salsa Dance TV is always present in the best events

Behind the camera and production of Social Dance TV is Kir Korshikov, videographer for Dance Festivals & Events who told us his story

Social Dance TV Logo

Social Dance TV is a dance video production company founded in 2014 by Kirill Korshikov, based in Rostov-on-Don, Russia ano with presence all around the world. Their mission is to make the magic moment of dance dialogue part of the social dance community heritage by capturing the flow of partner dancing on video and sharing it worldwide through social media.

Social Dance TV is friendly and fully equipped video production team and social media for dance events. Dancing and dialogue through it between people all over the world is their passion. They travel to the most amazing dance events and share what they see with the rest of the world, rising the interest to what is happening where they are and making people going more and more to the dancefloor where they have been.

Kir Social Dance TV Logo

What they do?

Cover all the video tasks – filming the shows, social dancing, making the event’s after movie and production materials

Promote events on their channels – Facebook, Instagram and Youtube

Do promotional videos for dancers, events and live concerts

Do livestream during your events on Facebook and Instagram

Manage social media accounts

Make web design and motion graphics

Write the articles and small texts about the events for promotion

Manage your event because they know how to do it!

Behind the camera, but at the forefront of all this business is a passionate and tireless man who takes care of every detail and every piece of gear. There is nothing Kir Korshikov cannot achieve on Social Dance TV, but … Who is Kirill Korshikov?

Ker Korshikov - Social Dance TV — Ker Korshikov – Social Dance TV

Kirill Korshikov is an entrepreneur and videographer based in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Is known for his work on Shine (2017), Street Dance 2 (2012) and for his project Social Dance TV which became famous among Latin dance community since 2015, this was the first online project that helps people and events to get together and unite the social dance fans all around the world. The innovative approach to the video filming of dances allowed us to see social dances more dynamic, thereby attracting more and more fans to the Latin American culture.

Born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Korshikov studied at the Taganrog Technological Institute of Southern Federal University and graduated in 2012. Kirill was one of the best graduate students of 2012. When Kirill was a student, in 2010 he organized a dance school in the University Student Club, which was popular among students and where dance events were held.

Which later became known as Baila Rico Dance Studio Technical education helped him to set up the finest tools in order to create uniquely video content. Nowadays Kirill goes for broadening the supply for dance event makers and widen the world Social Dance TV map (over 35 countries on it now) in order to make the dancing community strong, varied and united through the videos that he creates. Kirill was a videographer for several movies in Bollywood too.

Know the story behind Social Dance TV

Kirill Korshikov opened the doors of his project to us and told us in an incredible way, the history of Social Dance TV and how he came to form a community that admires him and has made him part of the Social Dance family.

In this story you will discover how an ordinary Instagram account became a world covering media for the whole wide community of social dancers. Also the story tells how it was made possible to gather tens of thousands of viewers on recent anti-corona-aid live airs. Now, more than ever, Social Dance TV’s feed captures sights of most dancers round the globe as the only way to keep connected during anti-COVID restrictions. These days together with millions of dancers I long for a fine party just for the whole world to see!

Through the last 20 years social dancing not only has changed by way of new fancy moves and styles as it always does, but evolved into a huge global community and cultural industry thanks to social media. Save for local parties, now a whole new world of dance festivals up to 10 000 people with its own icons, maps and mass media offers you best shows, parties till dawn, and a constant news feed. Social dance has become probably more of a life background than it has ever been.

Kir invites us to compare: in 2000, when “Salsa” cult movie came out, “salsa festival” format was in its founding. The biggest events gathered up to 1000 people. Now, after twenty years, around 15 events are held every weekend. Hosting over five thousand people is a tradition for Warsaw Salsa Festival and Croatian Summer Salsa Festival, as an example. And 10 000 people come to Euro Dance Festival in Germany. It’s hard to imagine a place where salsa and bachata festivals are somehow missed.

Back in 2014 social dancing issue representation in social media was rather disjoint: dance schools, festivals and dancers themselves charged their channels with diverse content to appeal to a wider audience based on their activity. So it was pretty hard to get some aggregated content wide and deep enough to explore any distinct topic. Oh, wait! It’s clear now, but then it was OK!

“While I was totally in that number of newsmakers I had some overlapping background. I had done a lot of filming for many years by then, I took part in shooting several dance movies and made tons of wedding videos and all that, so I had an eye for fine things to shoot. Plus, I am a dancer since the age of 4, so it made no trouble for me to fit the social dance community and to know a good dancer from a bad one.”

And the brighter idea that came to Kirill was to create an Instagram channel with just dancing videos in order to unite visuals like himself, who could spend hours consuming that kind of content. Also it seemed convenient to have one link to send to people who constantly ask “what’s that social dancing you keep talking about?” Thus, on Jan. 13 2015 the Social Dance TV channel was started. In the beginning he aired stirring dancing videos from different sources and of course he started to make his own videos, intending to show the dancers to themselves in the way he could do that, in the way he see them.

“In a half a year it came clear that that my videos had way more engagement, so SDTV became an author’s channel.”

And it also came clear that all dancers needed dance videos as a detached easy-access root of their dance web inquiry. Virally, SDTV became a mandatory part of the subscription of every self-respected social dance community member.

“I mean it, I realized that my Instagram channel actually brought the vast majority of dancers together and I felt how huge it was. When you realize something is huge, don’t deny it. So, I quit filming weddings (for it was too few fine dancing there), widened my channel on YouTube and Facebook and started to work full-time as a social dance event videographer, as SDTV occurred to be a perfect platform for festivals’ post production release.”

And it became a fine platform for dancers’ communication thanks to button “show translation”, leaving dance as the main language of the messages.

When Kirill is on the party, he originally think of himself as a dancer, he feel himself a part of the flow. He do what everybody else does, dance and watch. The only difference is he watch through the camera.

“Watching people dancing is, in my opinion, the best way to observe people. Those who have eyes must see how sincere even the showiest move is. And a couple dance is the most exciting way for people to communicate, being so in-the-moment, so to-each-other and to-the-music, I’m never tired to watch. At last, the most thrilling experience to me is to capture that wonder into a box to show to those who missed it, to make them see what I’ve seen.”

By now SDTV has grown into a production studio with recruited staff to shoot more, to post faster and to film concomitant events. They film up to 50 festivals every year all over the world. They’ve been to 36 countries. Their capacities allow them to support dancers and organizers who work in the dance industry full-time, which is more professional and more uncertain. They promote online classes, do live airs, volunteer for a charity, make trends, and they can confidently name themselves mass media.

“It would be sly to say I never thought it would be this way, but even now it’s sometimes hard to realize how a video dance channel can affect lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

The issue of the day makes them try harder: in March they shoot a charity festival, all funds of which were donated to COVID relief, they made several on-line classes with famous dancers to gather donations to medical centers.

“Dancers can be surprisingly compassionate, when they’re left with nothing but TV. Social Dance TV.”

Social Dance TV Logo

Their goals for the future are to keep aggregating a still rather disjoint massive of social dancing content in the Internet, to shoot even more, to post even faster in order to widen the world Social Dance TV map. And by broadening the supply for dance event makers their aim to enhance the dancing community as a beautiful, strong, varied and united world that we live in through videos that they create.

So, that’s a brief story of how Kir’s passionate startup became a full-time job as a mass media holder.

Social Dance TV have deep roots in the social dance community so they know how to present the dance in a most attractive way and remind everybody how thrilling it is to watch everything with their own eyes.

They help people and events to get together, help the dancers to make their dances to be seen, help the dance world to be united and open minded to every dance style they have.

Magical moments of events be captured and saved forever by them. Everybody around the world see those brilliant moments of dance. Social Dance TV and Kirill Korshikov contribute to make the Social Dance more and more popular… They do what they love.

Follow Social Dance TV on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube! This community covers more than 600 thousand people with a common passion: Social Dance

Luis Conte: A great percussionist respected all around the world

Luis Conte is recognized as one of the most respected and prolific percussionists in contemporary music. Famous and respected around the world, this Cuban artist has backed acts such as James Taylor, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Shakira, Aretha Franklin, Céline Dion, Selena and hundreds more.

The Grammy winning musician Luis Conte known for flawless technique and an unparalleled ability to seamlessly incorporate Latin percussion and world drumming into popular music. He is a master of percussion instruments such as the cajon, congas, timbales, bongos, clave, cowbell, shakers, maracas, pandeiros, and guiro. In addition to Latin and World rhythms, Luis teaches Hip-Hop, Electronica, Jazz, Reggae and many other styles.

Conte is originally from Santiago de Cuba, where he grew up surrounded by the most authentic traditions of traditional popular music and the strong rhythmic presence of the music from Santiago. Living in Santiago he could see and hear the Santiago conga, the carnivals, the street rumbas. His father took him to events. He also remembers the Santiago trova. There was always music in his house and his father’s troubadour friends played. To all this he attributes a lot of his way of playing and interpreting all forms and styles of music.

Very young he emigrated to Spain and then to the United States, there he settled in Los Angeles. In this city he began his musical career as a guitarist in various rock groups. Later he developed his talent on drums and percussion at Los Angeles City College, he quickly became one of the most respected percussionists internationally.

Conte proved himself versatile musically, at the age of 18 he began to move in the musical circle, and by 1973, he was playing regularly in local clubs. He quickly became a busy studio musician, and throughout the 1970s, he played in the Latin Jazz band Caldera. His first tour was in 1974 with The Hues Corporation, they had a hit titled “Rock the Boat”. From there everything continued, always making new contacts and relationships with musicians and, since then, he has worked with countless artists and recorded on more than 2,000 albums.

Some of Luis’ musical influences :

All the drummers that play in Carnival in Santiago
Tata Guines
Mongo Santa Maria
Papin
Patato Valdez
Armando Peraza
Francisco Aguabella
Airto Moreira

His live performance and touring career took off when he joined Madonna’s touring band in the 1980s. To date, Conte has built an extremely successful career including a run composing and playing in ABC TV’s Dancing with the Stars band, among dozens or hundreds of other tv and film projects.

His debut as a bandleader came in 1987, when he released La Cocina Caliente, which included a Latinized version of Chopin’s “Susarasa”. Conte also played percussion on the Pat Metheny Group release ‘We Live Here’, in 1995, on the Pat Metheny ‘From This Place’, in 2020 as well as I Mother Earth’s first two albums Dig (1993) and Scenery and Fish (1996).

Conte has toured as part of James Taylor’s “Band of Legends.” He has also played alongside such famed musicians as Alex Acuña, Jaguares, Larry Klimas, and David Garfield, both as a bandleader and a sideman.

Luis Conte was part of Phil Collins 1997 “Dance into the Light” tour and 2004 “First Farewell Tour”, performing in both of them Afro-Cuban percussion and adding more depth into the concert songs. He also performed during The Phil Collins Big Band tours in 1996 and 1998 and again during the Phil Collins Not Dead Yet tours 2017/2018. In 1999 Conte collaborated in Maná MTV Unplugged project.

The cinema has also had the collaboration of this great artist who has participated in the recording of the soundtracks of well-known titles of contemporary filmography such as Transformers (1 and 2), The Lost City (Andy García), Hankock, Rain Man, Mission: Impossible, The Italian Job, among others.

He transmits his knowledge

Knowledge is nothing if it is not shared so that more people can progress and grow music, and Luis Conte knows it. For this reason he began the following initiatives.

Luis Conte has created an extensive repository of world percussion lessons. Students in the percussion course have unlimited access to a collection of guided, high quality percussion lessons and an extensive library of play-along tracks.

In addition, it has its own line of drumsticks and instruments supported by Meinl Percussion and the company of instruments of Zildjian. Has launched its line of congas, drums and shakers that was unveiled at the NAMM Show (2005).

Conte has the Guide to Latin Percussion Vol. I in its 2nd Edition, with the aim to help you become a well-equipped percussionist capable of performing comfortably in the most common musical situations within the Afro-Caribbean/Brazilian spectrum.

Proud to be Cuban

Luis Conte has always shown a deep love for his country. He carries his name with pride wherever he goes. In 2009 he had the opportunity to return to Cuba and it was a dream come true.

In an interview he stated: “When I returned to Cuba I realized that it had not been complete, my heart was missing something and that was to be back in Cuba, I am already whole.”

Conte listens and always tries to be aware of what is happening musically in Cuba. Cuba is a source of music.

He eagerly awaits the opportunity to travel to Cuba and be able to play with the great interpreters of the island.

For him, the Cuban is in the field with its royal palms, the sea breeze, the beaches, the mountains of the East, cane, tobacco and rum… the rumba, the changüí, the danzón, the mambo, the son, the tres guitar, the tomb, the bongo and the harpsichord… the maracas and the güiro. Always affirms: “Cuba is Cuba!”

Luis Conte’s Discography

In addition to having participated in countless albums for various artists, many of them worldwide success, Luis Conte has his own discography, among which is:

La Cocina Caliente, Denon Records (1988)
Black Forest, Luis Conte, Denon Records (1978, Realización 1989)
The Road, Luis Conte (1995)
Cuban Dreams, Luis Conte, Rounder Records (2000)
Dvd Luis Conte Signature Congas, Meinl
Dvd Live At Pas, Luis Conte
Dvd Studio Percussionist, Luis Conte (2003)
Dvd The Latin Jazz Trio, Luis Conte, David Garfield, David Carpenter.
A Coat Of Many Colors, Wolds Drummers Ensemble, Summerfold (2006)
Marímbula, Luis Conte, (2007)
Dvd The Ultimate Drummers Weekend, 10th Anniversary, Dave Weckl Band (2010)
En Casa De Luis, Luis Conte Bmf Jazz (2011)
Our World in Song, Wu Man, Luis Conte Y Daniel Ho. Wind Music International (2014)

Deserved awards

Luis Conte’s genius stems from his ability to integrate the powerful rhythms of his native Cuba with the American necessities of American pop music. His long and varied career has included numerous awards.

“Percussionist of the Year” – Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)

“Percussionist of the Year” – Drum Magazine (2007, 2008, 2009)

“Studio Percussionist of the Year” – Drum Magazine (2007, 2008, 2009)

Nominated for the 2015 Grammy Awards in the category of “Best Music Album in the World” for Our World in Song, Wind Music International (2014).

From 2018, is the Cultural Ambassador of Instituto Latino de la Música (ILM).

New plans are coming

For this 2020, Conte had a tour scheduled with James Taylor, but the dates have been postponed and are being rescheduled to 2021, so no one will be left wanting to see his magnificent presentation

” I really don’t know how I got started playing. As far back as my memory will go, I owned a drum. It’s like asking someone how long they’ve been breathing.”