Latin Music

International Salsa Magazine presents the Dj, Jeferson Flores, triumphing in Europe

Currently, they are known through the abbreviation “Dj” or the term “deejay” respectively, and in previous times, they were called “disc jockey”, to those people, which select and mix recorded music and thus be heard by a certain audience, thus issuing its sound in locations such as: discos, mini clubs, clubs, dances, events, concerts, bars, restaurants and rumbas, demonstrating their versatility, knowledge and bringing joy to their followers, listeners and dancers.

In this issue of International Salsa Magazine, we present a Venezuelan musician, selector or dj, who is currently triumphing outside our borders and extolling the name of our country.

We refer to Jeferson Flores, born in Caracas in 1992, and from a very young age he was inclined to music, because his father, also worked as a professional dj of salsa music rhythm and this somehow influenced Flores to learn the trade and legacy acquired thanks to his father.

Beginning with only 15 years of age to musicalize, using in first place the formats of compact discs “cds” and “cuatromil quinientos”, in the Caracas saraos known as “Picoteros” and in the remembered “Minitecas”, and in second place demonstrates his skill in the “plates”, when using the formats of discs in acetates or vinyl, selecting salsa for the dancer and he also commented us that with the passing of the years and until the present time, he stands out and characterizes himself for being a professional salsa dj; he stands out and is characterized for being a “dj crossover”, that is to say, what it means in the Spanish language, dedicated to “mix” with the use of “controllers” his excellent musical repertoire. International Trajectory.

The performance abroad of our guest of this month in International Salsa Magazine, has been quite extensive and successful, beginning to work in Colombia, where he worked as a “resident dj” for five years in a prestigious nightclub in Bogota, then began his period, musicalizing in Ecuador, Poland, Germany and is currently based and makes professional life in Barcelona, Spain, being described by specialists as one of the “Dj Crossover” more complete and versatile, placing Latin music in their dances. And as a result of his excellent performance in the Iberian country, he was the winner last year of the “Latino de Oro” award, in the categories: Salsa Dj and Dj Crossover, respectively, and by the way, in this year’s edition 2024, he has been nominated again in both categories for this award, considered one of the most important of the music in the European continent.

As for his most recent performances as a “musical selector”, last Saturday, June 28, he was mixing salsa at a location in the city of Marbella, Spain, in an event called “Venezuelan Night”, and next Saturday, July 6, he travels to Madrid to make the rumberos of the “mother country” enjoy, integrating the line-up of the Dj show, the “Fiesta Blanca”, alternating in this opportunity with the musicalizers: Reni Herrera, Ditxon Mercado, Dj Argenis and Dj “El Negrito Caliente”.

Finally – he told us – Jeferson that his work in Spain has been very well liked and he is one of the most requested Djs in the rumbas every weekend. His social networks and contacts are, instagram: jefersonfloresoficial2, facebook: Yeferson Flores, Tik tok: @jefersonflores457, Youtube: jefferson flores.

Email: [email protected], Booking: +34691292564. From International Salsa Magazine in Palo Alto, CA www.salsagoogle.com, we wish Dj Jeferson Flores, the best of success and continue to succeed in Europe for the pride of Venezuelans, always putting good salsa for the dancer …! Until next time and let’s keep on salsaing. Dj. Augusto Felibertt and Carlos Alberto Colmenárez Oropeza.

The first DJ was British radio engineer Ron Diggins.

Contrary to what many may imagine, it was not a bohemian musician in a garage or some friends in a ghetto. The first DJ was British radio engineer Ron Diggins, who in 1949 invented the Diggola, which today is considered the first “mixing desk” in the history of music. The home-built Diggola had two turntables, lights, microphones, amplifier, speakers and was built on a wooden coffin (yes, coffin) base.

With his Diggola at the ready, and like a good DJ, he loaded his equipment into a van and began playing records at the hundreds of UK events where he was hired, causing the crowd to go wild. “I didn’t invent anything, I just put the same things to a different use,” he commented in the magazines of the time, never imagining that his creation would be the beginning of a revolution in music, where DJ’s and beatmakers would take beats to every corner of the planet.

Ron Diggins, throughout his life, played records in more than 20 thousand parties, retiring only in 1995, after 46 years of career in front of the decks. Passionate about music, he passed away in 2011 at the age of 91, leaving an eternal legacy.

In 2020 it will be 25 years since Diggins retired from the dancefloors. And we commemorate it with music, without a minute of silence, because a life with silence is the last thing the first DJ in history wanted.

Article written by @comte_con_eme, member of the Urban Roosters Army.

Also Read: Djane Shina una Pasión Convertida en Realidad

Yari More Latin Band, the orchestra that accompanied Celia Cruz

Yari More Latin Band is one of those groups whose history shows us that dreams do come true and that there is always the possibility to meet our greatest idols. Today, Yari More, with whom we were able to talk a little about his history as an artist and his band, is an example of what Latin artists in general have achieved over the past decades.

Yari posing for the camera — This is Yari More posing for the camera

How Yari More first became interested in music

Juat like most musicians, he became interested in music when still a child. He remembers getting together with his friends from the block to play with makeshift instruments, moments that he keeps in memory and that marked the beginning of what would become his great adult vocation.

Some time later, he joined the army in his native Colombia, specifically the navy, but that was not the only thing he devoted his time. It turns out that he found a great taste for several of the songs from acclaimed Spanish singer Raphael and started imitating his voice in musical events of the armed forces. He was so good that he began to be called as ”El Rafael de Colombia” by his acquaintances, but the event that would make him see music as a serious profession was yet to come. That came later.

A night where he was celebrating a friend’s birthday in a night club, another boy in the group asked the orchestra director to let Yari sing with them. The audience liked his performance so much that he started going to the same place every weekend to continue delighting those present with his melodious voice, eventually leading the orchestra he was performing with to offer him the position of singer on an ongoing basis.

Never in his wildest dreams did Yari imagine such an offer, but he accepted it, so he began to balance his activities in the orchestra with his daily work in a factory at that time. Since both jobs took up so much of his time, he eventually had to decide on just one, which was, of course, music. It can be said that this was the official beginning of his career.

From then on, he was in several groups both in Colombia and in the neighboring country Ecuador until he was given a great job opportunity in the United States, more specifically in Los Angeles. After some time with the orchestra that hired him there, he decided it was time to pursue a solo career with romantic music.

Yari with Celiz Cruz — Yari More Latin Band playing live with ”La Guarachera de Cuba” Celiz Cruz

Yari More Latin Band

In the 1990s. he decided to form his own orchestra which he named Yari More Latin Band. Since he already had plans about undertaking such a project, he visited universities and talked to many friends in the industry in order to hire the best musicians he could find for his band.

His success earned him the possibility of signing with the company RMM Records & Video owned by the popular Latin music promoter Raphy Mercado. This label was the same one that signed ”La Guarachera de Cuba” Celia Cruz, with whom they shared the stage, since Yari More Latin Band was the orchestra that accompanied her in her performances on the West Coast.

In addition to Celia Cruz, he has also accompanied other musical luminaries like Rubén Blades, Willie Colón, Eddy Santiago, Tony Vega, Tito Nieves, El Grupo Niche, El Gran Cobo de Puerto Rico, Oscar D’ León, Joan Sebastian, Las Chicas del Can and many others.

Yari says he has learned a lot from each and every one of the aforementioned singers and groups, details that he has added to his own orchestra in order to improve it every day more and more.

Yari with Oscar D’ León — Yari More next to ”El Sonero Del Mundo” Oscar D’ León

Private Events

Yari More Latin Band offers its talent for all kinds of private events such as weddings, quinceañeras, corporate parties, charitable activities, award shows, festivals, Latin nights in clubs, among others.

Yari told us that those interested in hiring the orchestra simply have to contact him through his official website, Instagram and Facebook. These are the channels he uses to agree with the client on the conditions, the place, the date and the economic arrangement.

‘‘Fortunately, we have a lot of work here in the Bay Area and many events of all kinds for the rest of the year” said Yari on this subject.

Bolivian guitarist Gabriel Navia and his love for music

We have had any number of Latin music artists of various nationalities in this section, but we are pleased to announce that, for the first time, we will tell the story of a Bolivian who brings pride to his flag with his great talent.

We are talking about Bolivian producer, composer and guitarist Gabriel Navia, with whom we were fortunate enough to talk by Zoom about the most important details of his fruitful career. In the following lines, some of the most important issues addressed in the conversation.

Bolivian guitarist Gabriel — This is Bolivian producer, composer, and guitarist Gabriel Navia

How Gabriel’s love for music began

Gabriel tells us that the love he has always felt for music was instilled in him by his parents, especially his father, who was professionally dedicated to it to the point of having his own band. In the 70’s, Eddy Navia, Gabriel’s father, was in an iconic Bolivian band called Sal Y Andina that played instrumental music, much of which was composed by him at the time.

In his mother’s case, she had a great sense of rhythm and a beautiful voice, so she did her best to make her son learn as much as possible about the fundamentals of music and how to play various instruments. This shows that she was also a key piece in his training as an artist.

Gabriel also points out that, at home, he and his family listened to music of all kinds, but New York salsa was very important in the path the young man would later take.

Gabriel and the charango

When reading a little of Gabriel’s history, we found that he played with his father in the group Sukay, with which he experimented a lot with the charango that, as he explains, is a five-stringed instrument very similar to the banjo. It was the first instrument he played in his life and the one that would inspire him to play the guitar later on.

After his parents split, his father went to live in the United States and met his second wife, with whom he runs Sukay. That is when Gabriel began to visit the country and, soon after, he was playing in a theater for more than 2000 people. Then, he knew that this was what he wanted to devote the rest of his life to.

Gabriel played the charango — Gabriel started his career by playing the charango with the group Sukay

Multi-instrumentalist

While it is true that the instrument for which Gabriel is best known today is the guitar, it is not the only one he is dedicated to.

The artist can be defined as a multi-instrumentalist, that is, someone who plays a considerable number of musical instruments with excellence such as piano, saxophone, quena and many others. ”I have always been curious to learn how to play new instruments and learn new things every day. That’s how I’ve managed to specialize in so many at the same time” Gabriel said about this.

He has become more dedicated to playing the guitar since, during his time with the group Sukay, he had to replace the guitarist who was not available at the time, which makes him feel a special affection for the instrument as he used it.

Not to mention that some of his instruments were robbed in his native Bolivia and one of the stolen objects was his charango. This event left him so depressed that he put the charango aside for years and devoted himself fully to the guitar, during which time he studied it in detail at a theoretical and practical level. He also began to listen to jazz and flamenco records in which the guitar is widely used, making him experiment with new styles. In this sense, an artist who inspired him a lot was Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia.

Gabriel playing live — Gabriel Navia playing his guitar live

Music education

Gabriel has had the opportunity to study in several of the most important musical institutions in the world, which have been fundamental in the professional training of the artist.

The first thought that came into his head was the Instituto Eduardo Laredo in Cochabamba. He described it as an arts school that has a very traditional style during the mornings, while the afternoons its teachers focus on the musical part. It is here where Gabriel learned all about theory, solfege, harmony, scores and many other important details.

Some time later, in the United States, he entered the San Francisco Conservatory, where he studied with the famous classical guitarist Scott Tennant. In the same country, he won a scholarship to study some courses at Berklee College of Music.

In Barcelona, he also received a scholarship to study a master’s degree in flamenco at the Conservatori del Liceu thanks to Fundación Carolina, whose main beneficiaries are Latin American applicants without the resources to study there.

”I feel very fortunate to have been able to study in all these institutions which have been very important in my career, but I believe that a musician learns the most important things on stage. You can learn all the theory in the world, but if you haven’t had street experience and gone to practice, you will be an incomplete artist” Gabriel remarked on this subject.

”In fact, I believe that many of the most prodigious musicians in the world have not been trained in academies, but in the streets, because they have had to make themselves from the beginning. Academic education is important, but the main place where music is born is in the heart” he continued.

Navia Productions, LLC

Gabriel had always worked as an independent artist, but there came a point in his career when he realized he needed something more to level up.

Given that the best way to do business in the United States is through registered companies and brands, Gabriel created his own music company which he named NAVIA PRODUCTIONS, LLC, so that his project could be identified with a legally registered entity and avoid any legal problems.

The company was basically created with the purpose of giving a legal basis to Gabriel’s work to stand on, but he still considers himself an artist as independent as the first day.

Yes, I speak the ancient African Lucumi toungue: The second language of salsa

Many Latin Americans have left the name of their culture very high around the world, making people from other nationalities and even continents feel fascinated by these elements and end up adopting them as their own. Such is the case of Nigerian Oluwakemi Odusnya, better known as Kemi, who has been kind enough to share with us a little of her story, her knowledge of the Lucumi language and her relationship with Latin music.

people practicing Yoruba — A group of people practicing the Yoruba religion

Kemi’s coming to the United States

Kemi tells us that she was born in Nigeria, but moved to the United States when she turned 18 in search of a better future for herself. That was more than 10 years ago, so the young woman already had a good idea of how things are handled in her country of residence.

Taking advantage that this is the land of opportunity, she studied computer science and graduated as a software engineer, the profession she is in now.

Additionally, she discovered other passions and hobbies such as Latin music and dancing, especially tango, but we will talk about that a little later on.

In his country of origin, he learned to speak English, which is the official language of Nigeria, and Lucumi, which we will talk about in the next section.

Lucumi and its relationship with Latin music

After talking a little bit about her personal life, Kemi went on to explain what the Lucumi language was and how it was perceived today. Contrary to what many online sources might say on the subject, the Nigerian explained that Lucumi and Yoruba were pretty much the same thing, but with a different name.

The group of people who spoke Locumi are no longer called that way because many Nigerians have moved to other countries, so there are other terms to define them today.

Kemi moved on by explaining that, in her country, there are about 300 languages in general, but the official one is English. This in order that the speakers of the other languages can communicate with each other without any problem. Among these native languages, we can mention the ”Pidgin English” which is the result of mixing English with elements from local languages.

In the specific place Kemi grew up, villagers speak Yoruba, which was formerly known as Lucumi. The name change of the language and many terms used in it have been the direct reault of the immigration of many Nigerians to other countries, especially to the West.

In Kemi’s particular case, she was pleasantly surprised to discover the lyrics of Celia Cruz and to find many of the words of her own Lucumi language.

Lucumi and Latin music

For Kemi, the relationship between Lucumi and a part of Latin music is more than evident. Something that particularly caught his attention was that several songs by Cuban artists constantly made reference to the Yoruba divinities: Oshun, Yemayá, Changó, Elegguá, Oggun, Oyá and Obbatalá.

”For me it was very impressive to see the extent of our culture, since there are many Africans who have had to leave their lands in search of a better place to live, but they do not want to distance themselves emotionally from their country. On the contrary, they want to be as connected as best they can to their country and Latin music, specifically Cuban music, is an excellent tool to stay bonded to their roots” said Kemi on the subject.

”Many just like me who have come to this country find in Latin music and dance a way to stay connected to our traditions. Sometimes, even we feel that we and Latinos have the same ancestors,” Kemi says with a laugh.

How new generations perceive Yoruba culture and its elements

Something Kemi pointed out is that the new Nigerian generations no longer perceive Yoruba culture in the same way. In fact, a large portion of the immigration from the African country no longer feels a real connection with the customs of their own country because they became ”westernized” in some way, especially the younger part.

Another important detail highlighted by Kemi is that, in today’s Nigeria, Santeria and other religions like that have begun to be perceived as dark, so many people no longer feel comfortable practicing these cults. In fact, there has been a rise of Christianity and Islam in the country, so not a few locals ended up designing their own ritual by mixing these religions with Yoruba culture so that the latter is not seen as impure.

Those who practice the Yoruba religion in Nigeria are aware that their worship is a mixture of Yoruba culture and Christianity, but they can not say it openly because it looks bad,” Kemi says about this.

To close, Kemi also said that she is neither a Santera nor a practitioner of any religion. Her family is Muslim and she grew up adhering to Islam, but that changed when she moved to the United States. Today, she has a great deal of respect for these aspects of the Yoruba religion, but does not perform any of these practices.

Kemi in our interview — Kemi during our interview via Zoom

Kemi’s love for tango

Kemi has a great love for tango, to the point that she practices it two or three times a week for entertainment and physical activity.

Initially, Kemi enjoyed dancing salsa because it reminded her so much of the music of her homeland and Yoruba culture, but after some health complications on her hips, she had to opt for something slower and calmer. That’s when she started to try tango and ended up liking it very much.

After the pandemic, she found that there was a dance academy near he rhome, which motivated her to dance tango to the point where these lessons have become a very important part of her life. She also sees dancing as a way to connect with others and be on the same page.

Learn to dance to the rhythm of Son Rumbero

Latin America / Colombia / Bogota

The Son Rumbero academy dresses up with the grand opening of its offices in Bogotá in Colombia and Santiago in Chile.

They offer dance classes based on 3 profiles, for the youngest and adolescents of the “Kids” house, the fitness line and Latin dances, join the dance trend, give your body health and distraction, it’s been 15 years of experience and consolidation, they have been one of the distinguished schools of Salsa in Venezuela, now, they dedicate hard work in giving improvements and innovations to the dance of the capitals of Colombia and Chile.

In Bogotá they will begin to offer salsa tourism, if as you hear it, you could have 5 days of tourism in Bogotá under an innovative and very formal proposal. This tourist proposal begins with more than 24 hours of formal classes in the disciplines of Afro-Cuban music, learn rumba, cha cha, son, salsa, mambo and many more, together with the tourist tour of the city, closing every night in local and spaces destined for enjoyment, dance all night without stopping with the dancers taxis assigned for this great experience. To learn more about this great proposal, be sure to visit www.sonrumbero.com in our SALSERO TOURISM section soon to be published.

Photo of Jose Perez teaching in Son Rumberos

Everything is in the hands of lovers of good music and dance, do not forget to give yourself the opportunity to do a different tourism, full of experiences that you hardly get in the world, study, dance and get to know the best tourist sites. Follow the social networks of the academy by @sonrumbero on Instagram, Facebook and twitter.

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