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Everything You Need To Know About ABCD Festival In London

Any Body Can Dance Revives The Latin Party In 2022

Couple of dancers dressed casually dancing at the ABCD Festival — Dance classes begin for all levels On Friday at 9 PM

After a long absence as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Any Body Can Dance (ABCD) returns to the arena of major Latin music events in the capital of the United Kingdom in Europe.

ABCD will be the great school for four days of the best dancers with an international projection of the rhythms: Salsa, Bachata, and the musical genre Kizomba.

In this 17th edition, there will be no time or access restrictions. It is calculated for an audience of close to 1,300 people (success achieved in their16th edition), there will be four huge party rooms to dance in a style all night while maintaining adequate space. You will also have air conditioning and ventilation zones in each room to ensure that heat is never a problem. The lineup of artists present will be even larger than their predecessor events with more than 30 dancers on line performances, qualified instructors in each musical genre, and 11 DJs mixing the best and most varied Afro-Caribbean music every night.

ABCD gives you unforgettable moments with your dance family to remember for a lifetime!

Date: Thursday, February 3 – Sunday, February 6

Full Pass: £ 88

Location: Haverstock School. Haverstock Avenue, NW3 2BQ. London, England.

And if you want to practice for the 2022 event now, you can start attending classes on Mondays and Thursdays at the Escuela Haverstock School and the SoHo Bar with the professional dancer Fadi K (organizer, instructor, and DJ of the ABCD festival) and eight of the best instructors in London.

During the lessons every Monday you will do footwork (7:30 PM) and coordinated movements in the couple (8:30 PM) in three levels: beginners, intermediate, and advanced.

While on Thursdays of each week you will practice Cross Body Salsa, Cuban Salsa, and Rueda for beginners.

Address: Bar Salsa Soho. 96 Charing Cross Road WC2H OJG. London, England.

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FK Dance Academy

Fadi K dressed in jeans and a white shirt with red sports shoes — Fadi K. (Dance instructor)

FK Dance Company is a dance school based in London that specializes in a wide range of Latin dance styles and techniques.

It was originally founded by the exclusive dancer and DJ Fadi K, who has evolved the academy by including a variety of expert teachers in each style to the team that has allowed the company to expand its offer to teach, DJ, and performance events such as the ABCD.

An Academy Of Maximum Creativity With A Unique Approach!

Likewise, FK Dance offers several Salsa lessons throughout the UK. Classes and events are held at various locations in London, including the North West London headquarters, Haverstock School.

All FK Dance events, classes, and parties are the ideal combination of professionalism, technique, and fun made by dancers for dancers.

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Dancers dressed in black at the ABCD festival — Enjoy the last Social Dance of the ABCD Festival 2022 on Sunday at 5 PM

At Haverstock School, you are entitled to two free parking spaces.
If you are going to school by car, follow these instructions: Leave the school building on your right, turn right at the traffic light, and then take the third right. At the end of this street, there is a large door to your right. That is the parking lot where you can park your vehicle for free.
But, if you decide to go on foot you can access the school from Chalk Farm Station (2 minutes), Camden Town (7 minutes), and finally, you can also get there through Belsize Park (18 minutes).

Chucho Valdés Returns To The Iberian Peninsula In November

The Most Recognized Pianist Of The 21st Century Comes Back To The Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival After Two Years

Chucho Valdés with folded hands dressed in a floral shirt and blue cap — Chucho Valdés has received the award for Musical Excellence from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Latin Composers

The master Chucho Valdés returns to the stage of the Voll-Damm Barcelona Jazz Festival on November 23^rd, 2021 after two years of absence. The most recognized Cuban pianist of the 21st century will present his most recent musical production La Creación, a suite in four movements that exalts Yoruba-African history and its influences in South America and the Caribbean. A work dedicated to Olodumare and the worldwide celebration of his 80 years of life.

The founder of the Irakere group comes back to the incomparable sound of the Big Band, Afro-Cuban percussion, Blues, and the set of voices that represents his histrionics as a director, composer, and pianist with La Creación.

On this album, Valdés is accompanied on arrangements, keyboards, and conducting by Canadian Juno award-winning Cuban musician Hilario Durán and the Grammy Award winner and Emmy nominee John Beasley. Playing the Drums is Grammy winner and two Latin Grammy nominee Dafnis Prieto. Also, in La Creación stand out Erick Barbería, Yosvany González Franco, and Felipe Sarria Linares (Batá and voices), José A. Gola (Double Bass and Electric Bass), and Roberto Jr. Vizcaíno (Percussion). Former Van Van member Yeny Valdés adds her melodious voice to this production, while two Grammys winner Brian Lynch and “Daring Improviser” (rated by Jazz Times) Etienne Charles do it by playing the Trumpets. On the other hand, Carlos Averhoff Jr., considered one of the new voices in the new generation of Cuban jazz saxophonists, flaunts his virtuosity on the Tenor Sax and Marcus Strickland on the Alto Sax.

So remember…

Enjoy the concert of the master Chucho Valdés & The Yoruban Orchestra in the Iberian Peninsula!

Date: Tuesday, November 23^rd

Time: 8:30 PM

Address: Palau de la Música Catalana. Music auditorium located on Sant Pere més Alt street in the Ribera district of Barcelona, Spain.

Ticket: From 26 €

Chucho Valdés dressed in a floral shirt and yellow cap — Chucho Valdés was born on October 9th, 1941, in Quivicán (Cuba)

In addition to this presentation in Barcelona, the winner of six Grammys and four Latin Grammys, Chucho Valdés has scheduled an autumn tour that will visit the main cities of France and the neighborhood of the principality of Monaco, Monte Carlo. Finishing his tour in the city of Girona – Spain (December 4^th) and Castellón de la Plana – Spain (December 11^th). Tickets can be found from € 15 depending on the location.

You Can Also Read: Pianist Fadi Gaziri Debuts In Salsa Music With Cuba Classic

Currently, Dionisio Jesús “Chucho” Valdés Rodríguez, with more than 60 years of experience, directs a course of group classes that contain 14 recorded chapters lasting one hour. This exclusive virtual academy for pianists was inaugurated on March 15^th, 2021. However, this online study platform already includes live lessons and individualized tutoring with the delivery of certificates for advanced pianists.

“After the experience of the group classes in a virtual way, I realized that the students have different needs, so I decided to start with individual classes for advanced musicians. In this way, the classes will be focused directly on the needs of each one”. Chucho Valdés.

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Chucho Valdés dressed in white with nature in the background — To attend the Festival, minors under 16 must be accompanied by their father, mother, or legal guardian

The Barcelona Voll-Damm Jazz Festival is one of the oldest events and a world reference in Europe. Their first concert was held on November 3^rd, 1966.
In this festival, master classes are offered by the best specialists, conferences with fascinating and current topics, meetings with artists, as well as outstanding concerts (some free) for fans and lovers of the Jazz genre.
For 32 years (1989) The Project has been the Barcelona promotion company in charge of organizing this autumn meeting annually.
The Project was created in 1988 and organizes more than 400 concerts a year with approximately 10,000 musical calls to date.
The Voll-Damm drink became part of the festival in 2002, becoming its main sponsor.

Ray Santos ¨ The last of the Mambo Kings ¨

He was the last surviving member of the glory days of mambo preceding what we know today as salsa.

Ray Santos was a Latin musician, was born to Puerto Rican parents on December 28, 1928, in New York City, attended the Juilliard School of Music where he studied saxophone.

He was a Professor at the City University of New York (City College), where he teaches a Band or ¨performance¨ course.

Ray Santos ¨The last of the Mambo Kings¨

He was a musician in the orchestras of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez. He was also was an arranger and musical director for recordings of Tommy Olivencia, Junior Toledo, Willie Rosario, Lalo Rodriguez, and Rudy Victorino and an Oscar winner in 1992, for the music of the film “The Mambo Kings” starring Armand.

Maestro Santos is a Puerto Rican man who has made significant contributions to Latin music as an arranger, bandleader, and musician.

Ray Santos was a Latin musician, born on December 28, 1928 in New York City to Puerto Rican parents. — Ray Santos ¨ The last of the Mambo Kings ¨

However, beyond the circles of mambo lovers and Latin music big bands of yesteryear, not much is known about his distinguished professional career in Puerto Rico.

Part of it, happens because of the nature of Ray Santos himself. This is a literate person but with an amiable and accessible character, totally devoid of vanity, presumption, or ostentation exhibited by other music personalities with attainments less than him.

For instance, unless he is asked directly, Ray Santos is not going to say that he participated with three arrangements on the compact disc “Palo Pa’ Rumba” CD of Eddie Palmieri, which received a Grammy Award from the Recording Academy in 1985.

Nor will he say that he also arranged for Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente on the CD “Obra Maestra” which received a Grammy Award in 2001.

For Linda Rondstat he wrote all the arrangements and was the conductor for her CD “Frenesí”, which received a Grammy Award in 1993.

He was a musician in the orchestras of Machito, Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez, also was as arranger and musical director for record productions of: Tommy Olivencia, Junior Toledo, Willie Rosario, Lalo Rodriguez and Rudy Victorino and winner of an Oscar Award in 1992, for the music of the movie "The Mambo Kings", protragonized by Armad. — Cynthia DeCure y Ray Santos

In the movie “Mambo Kings” he was a mambo director and arranger, including the arrangement of “Beautiful Maria of my Soul”, a song that was nominated for an “Oscar®” as “Best Song from a Motion Picture” at the 65th Academy Awards® of the Academy of Picture Arts and Sciences.

In other words, this is a person who has reached a seat of honor in the world of Latin music, is Puerto Rican, and is practically unknown by his countrymen.

On the one hand, the album “Mi Luz Mayor” celebrates the legacy of Machito, Puente, and Rodriguez. And on the other, The great contribution of Ray Santos to Afro-Caribbean dance music.

We would like to present the outstanding professional career of Maestro Ray Santos after he suffered a recent health problem.

Ray Santos passed away at his home died on October 17, 2019, at the age of 90.

Facebook: Ray Santos

Sources:

By Ewin Martinez Torre

[email protected]

Latin Heritage Contributor

San Juan – Puerto Rico

Jaime Torres Torres

National Foundation for Popular Culture

El eterno ‘swing’ de Ray Santos

Articles of Interest: Ralph Irrizary, a well-known percussionist, is considered one of the most “Swing” timbaleros in the world

Pianist Fadi Gaziri Debuts In Salsa Music With Cuba Classic

A Studio Album That Reflects The Multicultural Sound Of Western Europe And Latin America

Cuba Classic album cover with colored houses and a red car — Cuba Classic was released in August 2021

The son of medical parents and the grandson of a passionate pianist, Fadi Gaziri ventures into the Salsa world with the album Cuba Classic, independent record production in collaboration with his German colleague and great friend Fritz Wengler.

Cuba Classic fuses the incredible universe of emotions that classical music transmits with the passion, conventional melodies of Jazz, and the rhythmic base of the Caribbean that characterizes Latin culture.

“Arranging classical pieces to fit a Salsa vibe was surprisingly easy… The melodies can be rhythmically changed to suit the Latin vibe while keeping authenticity…” Voiced by the talented British pianist.

This masterpiece with hybrid two-language titles strikes a perfect balance between the original title of a classic work and the sensation of the indicated awakening of a Latin melody. “I always liked Salsa for its quality to make people dance, so naturally and with such confidence.

As for the music itself, I love the colorful brass arrangements and Latin percussion. It’s a lot of fun to listen to and to play… ”. Fadi indicated.

The 13 songs on the album are El Capo (Zarathustra, R. Strauss), 5 Sinfonía De Salsa (Beethoven’s 5th Symphony). “I had a lot of fun with this one. …The Reorganization, the phrasing, using repetitions, increases, and the complete brass arrangement to make it sound like a proper Cuban track”. Fadi added recalling his experience with the production of this theme.

The next track on the album is Mambo Loco Nórdico (Grieg’s Piano Concerto in LA minor), resembling Havana at its turbulent peak and with great determination. Continues, the fourth track Mambo Austriaco (Mozart – Symphony No. 40 and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik), and the exquisite mix of Calipso Alemán (Beethoven’s Symphony 9).

In addition, you will also find in Mambo Classic: G-String Bossa (Air on a G string, JS Bach), Salsa Húngara (Brahms Hungarian Rhapsody) thought for the Latin ballroom dance competition tracks, due to the grace of the exuberant exposure of the horns.

Funeral De Che Guevara (Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor), Havanera (Carmen Bizet) is another of the themes that stand out on this album. “It was inspired by the character of Che Guevara and his revolutionary spirit. Along, with a trumpet blast from Mariachi… Fernando’s lyrics and voice also add to the overall feeling”. Gaziri commented to us.

Rumba Rusa (Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky), La Toccata Loca (Bach Toccata in D minor), Green Leaves (traditional Greensleeves), and finally the piece Lambada A La Luz De La Luna (Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven) beginning with the funeral march played with a trumpet solo intervened with a joyous lambada, ending in a Latin urban sound.

Fadi’s main idea with Mambo Classic is to simplify the music on this album for use in schools across the country and have children perform it by simply playing percussion with the backing tracks.

Similarly, Gazziri hopes to present this record production live in 2021 on the big stages of Berlin and the rest of Europe.

Why The Fusion Of Latin Rhythm With Classical Music?

Fadi Gaziri in black and white playing the piano — Fadi Gaziri can handle musical instruments alongside cinematographic elements, folk, and ambient electronic sounds

This talented artist since his return to Hamburg in 2017 has been involved in teaching music to children and teenagers in schools in this port city located in northern Germany.

Gaziri showed signs of concern every day as he observed his students’ reluctance to learn classical music, a feeling already developed as a famed behavior among young people today. But why don’t German students like to learn about their cultural heritage? The main reasons that Fadi realized were that his students were not motivated to continue with their studies due to the complexity of the music and the difficult handling of the instruments that did not allow them to master them quickly.

Realizing this, Gaziri began to devise the fusion of the Latin genre with classical music and thus seek to reverse the discouragement of his students. “I wanted children to learn classical music in a fun and interactive way. Something that would not take long to learn and that could involve all participants, regardless of their age, nationality, or musical ability. Most schools have Latin percussion that sits on the shelves and is rarely used.

So, I thought it would be a great idea to put in some classic melodies and accompany them with this Latin percussion. Wouldn’t it be fun and a good learning experience at the same time? Fadi told us.

Currently, this prodigious pianist is evaluating the possibility of continuing to teach in German schools full-time by 2022.

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The Story Of Fadi Gaziri

Fadi Gaziri in his recording studio with pianos around — Fadi Gaziri played the piano first time at the North Pole in August 2021

Fadi Gaziri is a natural music producer and composer for audiovisual media, film, and theater. He was born in Moscow and began his musical studies of piano and violin at the famous Gnessin Music Academy.

At age 12, he moved to Sweden with his family and later to England (1998) where he continued his musical training.

This extraordinary producer studied Music Composition, Piano, and Languages at Durham University in 2004 graduating with great honors and passing his ABRSM piano exams with distinction. Two years later he entered Bournemouth University to study for a Master’s in Film Composition.

That same year (2006) Fadi moved to Hamburg and started working on music for commercials, films, and sound branding. At the same time, he began touring the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Germany accelerating his musical career.

In 2014 Fadi released his first solo album titled Northern Lights, a mix of cinematic and folk sounds that he combines with electronic texture. He used his technological knowledge to loop while playing piano, violin, and adding subtle voices that he performed himself.

Over the next three years, Gaziri released his second EP “The Jump”, founded a music supervision company, and has been dealing with song placement, and licensing for film and television ever since. He assumed a permanent position as an in-house music producer at TUi Cruises in Berlin and composed, and arranged music for more than ten theatrical productions performed on board the ships.

Heyzer Cabrera, brilliant and virtuoso Venezuelan percussionist

International Salsa Magazine / www.SalsaGoogle.com and its correspondent, Professor Carlos Colmenarez from Barquisimeto, Venezuela have the privilege to present one of the most important bastions of our Latin music in the Caribbean.

In this opportunity we honor in our salsa column, the Venezuelan percussionist Heyzer Cabrera, born in the city of Caracas, on May 3, who already has more than 30 years of musical career, because at the age of 7 years old he was part of the Venezuelan Children’s Choir, directed by Professor Raul Cabrera, his uncle.

At the age of 15 he began his interest in percussion, with the help of his great friend and also percussionist Juan Pablo Barrios and at 17 he began his career as a professional musician with the “Orquesta Canela” in 1994 and since then he has been part of many groups of the salsa genre, such as: “El Combo de Venezuela”, “La Negramenta” and accompanying international artists such as Andy Montañez, Van Lester and Pedro Arroyo.

At the age of 15 he began his interest in percussion, hand in hand with his great friend and percussionist Juan Pablo Barrios and at 17 he began his career as a professional musician with the "Orquesta Canela" in 1994 and since then he has been part of many groups of the salsa genre, such as: "El Combo de Venezuela", "La Negramenta" and accompanying international artists such as Andy Montañez, Van Lester and Pedro Arroyo. — Heyzer Cabrera, brilliant and virtuoso Venezuelan percussionist

In 2013, he began his project to make a recording studio, which is called “A Tempo Récords” and in parallel he studied sound engineering at the academy (Audio Place), under the guidance of Jesus Sanchez and Jean Sanchez. In his career as a sound technician he has participated as a producer of several orchestras and in 2019, he gets his first recognition by being nominated in the production “Con Todo” by Coco y su “Sabor Matancero”, for Record of the Year, Salsa Genre, at the Pepsi Music Awards in Caracas.

Heyzer, at the international level you have had presentations? Indeed Professor Carlos, in 2018 I had the pleasure of being in Cali, Colombia, with the orchestra “La Negramenta”, in La Topa Tolondra and the reaction of the public was of great emotion, chanting all the songs of the orchestra; later in 2019, I returned to Cali, but with the orchestra “Noche Caliente” and soon we will return to the neogranadino country.

And with Juan Pablo Barrios, you were part of his wonderful jazz-salsa band? Hey, yes, I was part of that wonderful orchestra for 8 years.

Heyzer, with which of the percussion instruments do you feel better for its execution? My friend Carlos, with all the irons equally, that is: timbales, congas and bongos.

Also, Heyzer Cabrera has just become part of the musical project “Ritmo Caliente”, the group formed by the musicians: Cheo Navarro, Alfredo Naranjo, Jhoán Muñoz, José Soto, Miguel Urbina, Rodrigo Mendoza on vocals and of course, Heyzer on percussion and also the first personal single entitled “Mi social”, was recorded in Cabrera’s studios.

For those who wish to contact and hire the excellent percussionist Heyzer Cabrera, you can do so at 0412-9782696, through Instagram: heyzer_drums, atemporecords. Facebook: Heyzer Cabrera and A Tempo Récords.

with all irons equally, i.e.: timbales, congas and bongos. — Heyzer Cabrera has just become part of the musical project “Ritmo Caliente”.

From Salsa Escrita, International Salsa Magazine / www.SalsaGoogle.com and all its staff, we wish the greatest success to this bastion of Venezuelan percussion.

Facebook: Heyzer Cabrera, brilliant and virtuoso Venezuelan percussionist

Everything prior to the 20th century is in the History of Salsa, since what happened in the Caribbean is common to mankind.

As in the rest of the world, salsa in Venezuela entered in the 60s from the new sounds created in New York, and driven by musicians like Federico Betancourt (Federico y su combo latino), or radio programs like La hora de la salsa, although rumba and Cuban son were already rooted since the 40s and 50s.

Article of Interest: Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez Jr.