Events

Women in music: Carmen Laboy tells of a full life, without regrets

Talking with Puerto Rican saxophonist Carmen Laboy is so pleasurable that it becomes a therapeutic experience for the listener as she leads the musical journey that has become her working life.

The enthusiasm with which she talks about her work is contagious. With that effervescence that characterizes her, for thirty years she balanced her work as a teacher with artistic contracts that led her to perform on countless stages. As an educator, until her retirement in 2012, she headed the Music Department at Columbus High School in New York. As a musician she remains active and current, accompanying when hired and conducting when it is her turn

Talking with Puerto Rican saxophonist Carmen Laboy is a pleasure.

She began her story by holding up a book of photographs while laughing out loud at the images that show a life surrounded by music greats at countless concerts.

Neither at the age of nine when she began taking private piano lessons, nor at the age of twelve when she auditioned for a place at the Escuela Libre de Música in her native Ponce, did she imagine that thanks to music she would travel the world accompanied by her inseparable baritone saxophone. Today she reflects and reports a full life, with no regrets.

Graduated from the Interamerican University of San Germán with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and Performance, she obtained her Master’s degree in Music Education and Orchestration from Herbert H. Lehman College in the Bronx, New York; but not before having been awarded a scholarship as an outstanding student by the Vienna International Music Center in Austria.

The woman in music Carmen Laboy gives an account of a full life, with no regrets.

The saxophonist Pete Miranda also connected her to the New York music scene when orchestras on Puerto Rican soil denied her a place because she was a woman, forcing her to leave the island that taught her to love the music she continues to treasure and share with the world.

She decided not to comment on this unfortunate rumor. She preferred to thank that from then on she has not ceased to make music with large format orchestras (big band), delivering Latin music. Colleagues such as Tito Puente, José Madera, Eddie Montalvo, Jimmy Delgado, José Alberto “El Canario” and Frankie Morales have allowed the maestro to play her instrument while accompanying them or when she assumes the musical direction, as the case may be.

The rejection to which she was subjected, which at first glance seems to have been a stroke of luck, did not divert her from her goal. On the contrary, she found in it the strength to blow in other lands. More than five decades of musical work at the helm of her baritone saxophone with the orchestras of Tito Puente, Machito, Ray Santos, Joe Cuba, Frankie Morales, Tito Rodríguez, Jr., The Big 3 Palladium Orchestra, Kit McClue Big Band and Harbor Conservatory Latin Band; as well as having accompanied Choco Orta, Paquito Guzman, Andy Montañez and Cano Estremera -among others- attest that her priority has always been to remain active in the music scene; this while wearing the same uniform as her male counterparts, be it a tuxedo or a tie. Among musicians, Carmen Laboy lets the music do the talking, far from worrying about her gender.

Bella Martínez
Writer, Researcher in Afro-Caribbean music.

How Jacira Castro and Salsa Power changed the Latin music scene

How did Salsa Power start?

Latin culture, specifically the musical part, has had a large group of unconditional allies who have promoted it worldwide through their work and platforms, being Chilean-American Jacira Castro one of the best known. Jacira is a salsa casino-style salsa teacher and web designer who had the dream of spreading the typical rhythms of our countries, but she did not figure out how until she came up with a revolutionary idea: Salsa Power.

Salsa Power was born in 1999 as part of an initiative created by Castro and graphic designer Julian Mejia, who practically became her partner until the moment when the page stopped working. From that year on that the dance instructor began to generate contacts and develop human networks with people inside and outside the world of music, especially from the salsa genre. A particularity of this system devised by Jacira was that it was fed by the information received from people from anyqhere in the world about everything related to concerts, festivals, press conferences, autograph signings and much more.

Jacira Castro - Salsa Power — Dance instructor and web designer Jacira Castro – Salsa Power

How did this project work?

Thanks to the technology that was advancing little by little in all this time, there were many more contact ways and social media came along to facilitate these activities. The website grew to such an extent that it came to have more than 300 correspondents in over 60 countries, many of whom did not even have professions or occupations related to music, but wanted to strive to make the initiative successful and Latin artists and orchestras have a dependable space to promote their work.

Contrary to what many readers may have thought, everyone involved in this project never received a single cent or publicity in return for all the work being done. In fact, it was Jacira herself who had to pay for all the expenses related to Salsa Power such as plane tickets, travel, lodging, food, wardrobe, among other things. Not to mention the website maintenance and other hosting costs for the domain to work properly.

Fortunately, all that effort and money were worth it because Salsa Power rose to become the largest salsa website on the internet and a true reference for any independent media planning to do anything remotely like that. Much of the fruits harvested by this beautiful project can still be found on the internet and consist of articles, interviews, event coverage, videos and many other things.

The name Salsa Power was so respected that you could not talk about the Latin salsa scene in the United States without mentioning it, especially in South Florida, a place where competition for the first places was at its higuest. This competition was not only between artists and musical groups, but also between media, associations and academies, triggering some inconvenience and regrettable situations like the one experienced by Jacira and Julián a few years ago.

Jacira paid for all the expenses related to Salsa Power

Controversies

Jacira has had run-ins with some important personalities of the Latin music community in Florida because of her political positions, which went against the current of a large number of Latin artists and dancers at that time, especially those who are part of the Cuban exile. Her attitudes towards the political situation in Cuba have been highly controversial, mainly those related to the U.S. economic embargo on the Caribbean country and the limitations on free cultural exchange between both nations. Both Castro and other leaders of the entertainment industry were opposed to the decades-old blockade, which has been maintained until today.

This caused the dance teacher to make some enemies in the Miami music scene, which led to the hacking of Salsa Power with the caption ”This is a communist website” in big red letters along with a message whose author calls Jacira ”communist” and ”pro-Fidel Castro”. Obviously, she got worried and immediately called Julian to bring down the page.

As they began to diagnose the issue and its possible causes, they concluded that those responsible were part of an association composed of a dozen dance schools in Miami and its sorroundings called Salsa United. Around the same time, this organization had just created its own website, which published content very similar to that of Salsa Power, so much so that its principal spokesperson Jolexy Hurtado and Jacira came to have some arguments and run-ins due to how much alike the interviews were in both websites. The conflict reached at such a level that Jacira states that Hurtado told her she was messing with the wrong guy.

Undoubtedly, this whole situation was a big headache for the web designer, but has never let any of this daunt her or make her feel inadequate. On the contrary, she has grown before adversities and has faced them with the gallantry that has always characterized her, since she knows what her work is worth in terms of quality and globality.

However, there comes a point when the effort and time invested are not enough, so it is time to be realistic and assume that everything has its end, as the great Héctor Lavoe would say.

Jacira and Larry — Jacira Castro with producer, composer, and pianist Larry Harlow

Farewell to Salsa Power and Jacira’s current life

After 22 years of operation of the Salsa Power project, many of the correspondents who provided information for the page got married, had children, studied, moved and pursued other professional opportunities that did not allow them to continue their work. For the same reason, Jacira had no choice but to terminate the project that was her life for more than two decades and publish a farewell message thanking all her readers for their support over the years and assuring that she will continue to travel and enjoy salsa and dance.

In spite of abandoning her duties as administrator of Salsa Power, the great impact of the Chilean-American’s work on those who have come to know her and collaborate with her cannot be denied. On her LinkedIn profile, there plenty of favorable reviews about her professionalism and commitment in every activity she makes.

From International Salsa Magazine, we wish her the greatest success in every project she undertakes and that she enjoys all the stages that are to come.

Get Through March With Latin Atmosphere And Sound

France is ready to enjoy Latin events during the third month of the year

Covid-19 and its multiple variants have already ceased in France and that is why this European country is ready to start enjoying Latin events during this third month of the year. So don’t miss the details of each of the Latin parties that we bring this month dedicated especially to you.

Mulatason & Alfredo Buendía Y Los Picaflores

(Salsa / Mambo)

The 5 Mulatason singers dressed in white — This event will comply with current health measures.

Join and enjoy the end of this winter in the country with the Latin concert of the female group Mulatason and the band with the singular joy of Mambo Alfredo Buendía y Los Picaflores, this Saturday, March 5^th at 9 PM at 3 Rue Ferdinand Buisson, 82000 Montauban, France Association Le Rio. Try to pre-sale tickets for € 20 because the price at the door will be € 24 per person.

And for those who still don’t know Mulatason, here I make a summary of their history. This orchestra formed in September 2013 by its director Yarelis Martínez Chávez is made up of five women with harmonious voices, and their music is a mixture of dance rhythms that range from Salsa through Timba and ending with the traditional melodies of the island of Cuba. Their popular and peculiar choreography called “Rikiti” has been their hallmark that they have managed to spread across large national and international stages.

The orchestra is made up of nine talented artists residing in Havana (Cuba) who graduated from higher art schools. Each member of the band is no older than 25 years old and they have a repertoire of original compositions.

Mulatason “Las Princesas de la Salsa” returns to Europe to present their new album No Vale Rendirse celebrating almost nine years in the art scene.

The 7 members of Alfredo Buendía and the Picaflores dressed in blue and black card — Seven musicians with a good dose of humor and passion for Afro-Latin music and Jazz make up the Mambo band, Alfredo Buendía y Los Picaflores

On the other hand, and for those who have not heard before about Alfredo Buendía y Los Picaflores, below I will tell you a little about them. This project of seven musicians was born on an afternoon in December 2016 in order to have fun on stage, make a type of music that injects energy into the audience, and transports joy and light madness to the spirit.

Alfredo Buendía (Lead Vocals – Trumpet 2) was returning from three years as a Jazz crooner in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), he wanted to bring something new, interesting, and different to the artistic scene in France since he had become accustomed to the type of show that it’s made in America. Also, he wanted to play rhythmic and deliberately festive music like the one he had been listening to for a long time-El Mambo by Pérez Prado-with its history from Cuba in the 1950s to Mexico.

This bewitching goal materialized with Pierre Levy (Tenor Saxophone), Jonas Chirouze (Drums), Clément Lefèvre (Trumpet), Hugo Lebeau (Congas), Guillaume Pique (Trombone), Youssef Ghazzal (Double Bass), and Alfredo Buendía managing to create El Mambo a novel concept between Afro-Latin music and jazz little explored on the French scene.

Le Balajo

(Salsa / Bachata)

Le Balajo nightclub open since 1936 brings Salsa and Bachata classes every Tuesday from 7:30 PM to 2 AM for beginners and intermediate level dancers. Salsa lessons for amateurs start at 7:30 PM while intermediate level classes begin at 8:30 PM followed by a Latin party hosted by DJ Karim until 2 AM.

Remember that to access the club you must present a Vaccination Certificate (Required) and an identity document.

The fees to attend this weekly event of joy and good humor are €8 and include non-alcoholic drinks and €12 if the drink is alcoholic, but if you just want to enjoy the bar and its atmosphere, the admission is €5.

La Pachanga

(Salsa)

The Bar/Restaurant/Club La Pachanga is a place of reference for Salsa lovers, it is located in Paris at 8, rue Vandamme 75014. This club is designed with a cozy and Caribbean style. At the bar, you can enjoy different types of cocktails, Mojitos, Caipirinha, or Cuba Libre, just as they offer only Latin American dishes at the restaurant.

At Pachanga, you can attend classes for beginner and intermediate levels from Tuesday to Saturday from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM with different instructors who will make you live an hour of Salsa Cubana and Salsa Puertorriqueña dance.

Latin Music Bonus In France

Dancing couple dressed in black — The Latin Party at Bar Le 3 is back

On Friday, March 18^th, you can enjoy the Soireé Mix Latino “La Calle” event from 4 PM to 9 PM at Bar Le 3 located at the French city and commune Valence at 4 rue André Lacroix. This bar has a tropical atmosphere with living rooms with sofas and armchairs as well as a cozy and warm decoration. It also has a selection of 30 cocktails and a permanent musical atmosphere with a selected playlist of Jazz and other genres.

And the last Latin Music Bonus in France that I bring you for this edition is the Fiesta Latina Metz to be held on Friday, March 26^th. This festival will offer you two workshops (Salsa and Bachata), in addition to having fun with the rhythm of Cuban Salsa, Dominican Bachata, Sensual Bachata, Kizomba, and other Caribbean melodies. There will be big parties with DJ Will, DJ Papy Culio, and DJ Kylian starting at 9 PM and ending with seven shows from 11 PM to 3 AM. Fiesta Latina Metz will have three rooms (Salsa/ Bachata/ Kizomba) and the prices to attend vary by combo: one workshop + evening: €12, while two workshops + evening: €20, and if you just want to attend to enjoy the shows the ticket has a value of €7. Fiesta Latina Metz will take place at the Quai Sablon Social and Cultural Center at 1 bis rue Castelnau 57000 Metz.

You Can Also Read: Enjoy 4 Latin Events In Prague

News “En Clave”

The Latest News From The Salsero Movement In Germany

We begin the section News “En Clave” that will be dedicated in this edition to Germany. Here, you will see the latest in the Salsa movement in this Western European country during March 2022. Are you ready? Let us begin…

a couple of dancers at Havanna Club in Berlin — Havanna is your Latin getaway in Berlin

We open with the Havanna club located at Hauptstr.30 10827 Berlin. Here you can enjoy Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and other rhythms on four dance floors with resident DJs. You can also try the mojitos in one of its seven bars and before opening the venue you can participate in Salsa lessons with qualified instructors to advanced and amateur levels.

This club that opened its doors in 1997 and since then has been dedicated to Latin night entertainment in the German capital offers Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata classes (No registration or dance partners required) every Wednesday (7 PM – 8 PM ), Friday (Salsa / Merengue from 9 PM to 10 PM), and Saturday (9 PM to 10 PM) with a cost of € 6 that includes admission and the after-party.

At Havanna, you will find nice people and a great atmosphere on every dance floor. On the first floor (Lower Floor) you will have the purest Salsa every Saturday until dawn, while on the second floor (Upper Floor) on Saturdays there will be a mix between Bachata and urban rhythms. The third dance floor (Basement) is dedicated to the fusion of Anglo-Saxon rhythms, and the fourth dance floor (Big Room) will be available on Wednesday and Friday nights for those who love Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata. And as additional information, I recommend you arrive at 10 PM because at that time and until 11 PM the ladies have free admission.

conexion band dressed in black — Mayelis Guyat (Lead Vocals), Jörg Bücheler (Trombone), Daniel Stawinski (Piano), Sergio Gómez (Bass), Robby Geerken (Congas), and Hardi Barnewold (Timbales, Conductor)

We continue with the second recommendation that I bring you to enjoy Salsa orchestras live in Germany and this time I am talking about La Fiesta de la Salsa with the band Conexión feat. Mayelis, this Saturday, March 12th at 9 PM. This legendary band of six musicians from Cuba, Colombia, and Germany returns to Berlin nights playing live the hottest Salsa, Son Cubano, Cha cha chá, and the most popular singles such as “A Dios Le Pido” included in their most recent record production Felicidad released on February 25th on all digital platforms.

Likewise, La Fiesta de la Salsa will also feature Salsa and Timba sets along with dance classes starting at 8 PM with DJ FISMO brought directly from Cuba.

The event will take place at Casa Pfefferberg 13 at Calle Schoenhauser 176 and the cost of admission ranges from €14 – €18. The permanence in the place will remain under the 2G regulations, that is, you can dance without a mask and without keeping a distance, and consequently you can only attend if you are fully vaccinated or verifiably recovered.

a couple of instructors dancing at euro-dance festival — The Euro Dance Festival will have more than 50 individual workshops and seminars daily

And finally, I recommend the largest festival in Europe, Euro Dance Festival to be held from Tuesday, March 1st to Sunday, March 6th at the Europa-Park facilities located at Straße 2 77977 Rust. During these six days, they will give more than 370 workshops in a wide variety of dance styles, from standard to Salsa, Argentine Tango, and many more. The program of the Euro Dance Festival culminates with four unforgettable evenings of world-class shows.

The ticket cost at the box office is worth €620 and anyone who has not reserved a seat at the table will be assigned a fixed seat (theater seat) on-site (no surcharge). During the show (approx. 60 minutes) an FFP2 mask must be worn in the seat, and no drinks or food can be brought. Masks are mandatory (FFP-2, no cloth or surgical masks) in all areas and at all times. The only exception will be during workshops and when practicing at night, only while actively dancing.

33 actors on stage in the Cuban musical Havana Nights — Cuba’s hit musical, Havana Nights, has been touring in Europe since March 2018

I end this edition by bringing you this Cuban Salsa bonus. The musical Havana Nights will be presented on Sunday, March 20th at 7:30 PM at Europaplatz 12, 26123 Oldenburg, and the cost of admission in category 1 is €72.49.

In this musical, you will listen to live Caribbean rhythms performed by a band of 9 girls accompanied by the Havana Nights Dance Company, with its impressive performance in which Salsa & Merengue, as well as urban dance and hip-hop, merge harmoniously in a fiery choreography.

At their side will also be the technical precision of the artists of the National Circus of Cuba, winner of multiple awards at circus festivals around the world, including Monte Carlo, China, Italy, Spain, and France.

The stage is made with authentic decoration of Cuba and lights with 3D projection. The 33 artists on stage will impress you with their great production and warm Caribbean sounds that will transport you directly to the heart of Cuba.

You Can Continue Reading News “En Clave” of previous editions.

Enjoy 4 Latin Events In Prague

The capital of the Czech Republic becomes the most Salsera in Europe during the month of love and friendship

Every month Prague becomes the center of the Salsero movement in the country. Latin music clubs are currently open, a traditional festival is scheduled to take place at the end of February, and a piano concert with a Venezuelan artist will take place on Monday 21^st. So, continue reading this article created especially for you and find out about the details of each event related to Latin music.

La Bodeguita Del Medio

The most emblematic Restaurant / Bar in Havana (Cuba) located in “The City of One Hundred Towers” for two decades keeps its doors open and its hours this month.

La Bodeguita del Medio is designed in the colonial style of 20th century Havana and at the bar, in addition to the mojitos, you can also try more than 150 types of short and long drinks. Regarding the menu (in Spanish) you will find the typical Havana specialties, as well as seafood, fish, vegetables, and a variety of meat. Also, you can attend every day at noon and enjoy the European international menu.

This Restaurant/Bar features a live Cuban band (usually trios) and performances by Latin dancers every night. La Bodeguita del Medio is located at Kaprova 19, 1 10 00 in the Old Town, Prague.

La Macumba

Every day (except Sundays) is a day of continuous festivities lasting eleven hours, and the cost of entry is around five euros.

Saturday nights are more crowded, so it is recommended to go before 11:00 PM to dance on the dance floor with a large space. Also, to order your favorite cocktail you don’t need to know the national language because the waiters are Cuban and speak Spanish.

To attend La Macumba it is recommended to dress casually and not to carry excess belongings. The recommended minimum limit to have fun inside the bar is two hours due to a large number of activities, the best DJs in Prague mixing the greatest hits of Latin music (DJ Alejandro, DJ Chocolino, DJ Lázaro, DJ Mário, and others), Theme parties with programs and demonstrations several times a week, and various instructors who teach fans and enthusiasts to move to the rhythm of Salsa. This bar is located at Štefánikova 230/7 150 00 Prague 5-Anděl, Czech Republic. So, enjoy La Macumba in the month of love and friendship.

Prague Bachata Festival 2022

Couple dancing at Praga Bachata Festival — Prague Bachata Festival has not been held since 2019

Prague Bachata Festival was created together with Bachata Souls (Pavel & Eli), two professional dancers who stand out in this Dominican rhythm. This Latin festival will take place from Friday, February 25^th to Sunday, February 27^th after a two-year break due to the pandemic. Here you will have the opportunity to enter the international dance scene in the Czech Republic, as well as meet new friends and gain progress in the current level of dance.

Prague Bachata Festival 2022 will take place at the Olympik Hotel, and the Full Pass is around 142 euros. There will be five international couples that will show their execution and perfect mastery of dance in shows and workshops with the combination of DJ Alejandro (Spain), DJ Husky (Israel), and DJ Dim5nsions (United Kingdom) doing their best mixes. Prague Bachata Festival 2022 is preparing this event for you.

Gabriela Montero In Concert

Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero is one of the most virtuous Latin women of classical piano. This exceptional artist has great improvisational skills and has performed with the world’s leading orchestras including New York, Los Angeles, Royal Liverpool, Rotterdam, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestras, the Canadian National Center for the Arts Orchestra, and many more.

This famous pianist released her most recent album “Latino” in the fall of 2019, and also she got the Latin Grammy for Best Classical Music Album for her first orchestral composition “Ex Patria”.

Gabriela Montero will offer a classical piano concert this Monday, February 21^st at 7:30 PM, and you have the opportunity to enjoy it at the Rudolfinum located in Alšovo nábř. 12, 110 00 Josefov. This cultural center dates back to the 19th century and has concert halls, an art gallery, and exhibition spaces.

You Can Also Read: Why Does Everyone Know La Bodeguita Del Medio In Prague?