Search Results for: Salsa Fest
Cajiao, says he always had a taste for good music: the tangos and ballads of the 50s and 60s
Danilo Cajiao was born on February 9, 1969 in Cali Colombia son of Marina Munevar and Antonio Cajiao family with three siblings Walter, Patricia and Raul.
From my father I inherited the musical taste for Afro Antillean rhythms, we listened at home to the Sonora Matancera, Benny More, Arsenio, Daniel Santos and many more.

There was always a taste for good music: the tangos and ballads of the 50s and 60s.
When I was a student I participated in several music festivals at school and I was part of several dance and Andean music groups.
I always liked salsa and my favorite artist of the genre will always be Angel Canales.
After the appearance of the program “YO ME LLAMO” in Colombia I was motivated to start the process to achieve the perfect imitation of Angel Canales.
I began my presentations in small salsa bars with a dance floor and I did about 4 songs of Diferente, as I went along the character was being perfected and the public and the owners of the bars were asking for something more.
I then created “the Orchestra SON DE LA 8″ in 2013 with the purpose of making the accompaniment and mount all the music of the different Angel Canales.

The market was opening and the support of the salseros was very large, We have had much acceptance in the salsero environment in Colombia.
Participating in major events locally, nationally and internationally:
Leyendas Vivas De la Salsa in Medellin Colombia,
Salsa al Parque Cali, Salsa al Parque Bogotá, Homenaje a la Salsa, Tributo a los salseros and Noche Blanca.
I have alternated and shared stages with several national and international artists and orchestras.
Orquesta Brodway, Orquesta Colon, Nelson y sus Estrellas, Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Henry Fiol, Adalberto Santiago, Luisito Carrión, Papo Cocote, Cano Estremera, Moncho Santana, Orquesta Zodiac, Luigui Texidor, Frankie Vásquez, Tony Molina, Orlando Marín, Orquesta la Inmensidad and Orquesta la 33.

International presentations:
Guayaquil Ecuador and Caracas Venezuela.
Endorsed and supported by the family of ANGEL CANALES and by him I have taken my tribute to the most recognized places and salsa clubs in Colombia.
Apart from accompanying the Diferente Angel Canales with the orchestra Son de la 8 we have made our own music always keeping the line of heavy salsa and with good taste.
Angel Luis Canales “El Diferente”.
There were nine record productions by Angel Canales between 1975 and 1987, twelve productive years.
By 1970 Angel Luis Canales had put his voice on an album by African-American pianist Mark Dimond, and five years later Dimond’s orchestra was renamed “Angel Canales y Sabor”.
The immense musical freedom of Ángel Luis Canales Canales has much to do with the determining influence exerted on him by Rafael Cortijo, Ismael Rivera and the irreverence of the Combo de Cortijo as a whole.
The difference was that those two masons did not have enough money to support their ideas economically (discographically speaking) while Canales had enough because of the money he earned from his profession as a jeweler and diamond cutter.
That’s why he didn’t lower his head to anyone, that’s why he didn’t give in to any advantageous record contracts and made his own record label, that’s why he never paid or bribed radio producers, and he dressed the way he wanted.
That’s why the conservative salseros kept a CIA-like eye on him. And Canales revolutionized everything in his path: from his clothing to his vocal and orchestral arrangements, his presentations and his choice of repertoire.
By 1970 Angel Luis Canales had put his voice on a record by the Afro-American pianist Mark Dimond, and five years later Dimond’s orchestra was renamed “Angel Canales y Sabor”, and with it he would make a mark like few others in the world of salsa, from his total independence, to the freedom for the musicians, his revolutionary shaved head, and a wardrobe that had nothing to do with the salseros, in addition to his voice, repertoire and arrangements. Ángel Canales recorded in 1979 the album “El sentimiento del latino en Nueva York”, and an exquisite version of “Dos Gardenias”, by Cuban composer Isolina Carrillo.
“El sentimiento del latino en Nueva York” was a clarinada similar to “Imágenes Latinas”, the song by Argentine Bernardo Palombo presented a year earlier by Conjunto Libre, in terms of its contents of denunciation and clamor for justice. “Es el sonido que el americano oye/ y no entiende” (It’s the sound that the American hears/ and doesn’t understand).
Musical childhood
Ángel Luis Canales was born on June 29, 1950 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, son of Ángel Luis Canales and Ana Ilda Canales.
At the age of 8 he was already in New York with his parents, who liked to listen to romantic music and also to Cortijo y su Combo.
The Puerto Rican country song was also among his favorites; it was the jíbara song of his people. In time Canales would indicate that Cortijo and Ismael were determining influences in his musical and social journey.
Much has been said that his current retirement is due to Parkinson’s disease, but Ángel Luis Canales is there, he attends private invitations of his friends and remains in the battle line of salsa and life. He is currently 73 years old.
In those years and in school he was more inclined to practical workshops than books and that is why he went to work, recommended by one of his teachers in a jewelry store where from being a messenger he would learn all the secrets of the art of cutting, polishing and mounting diamonds. He became a professional, solvent, and with an extraordinary clinical eye that would serve him a lot later.
Vista larga, his new friends did not speak Spanish, his native language, but fortunately Angel Luis had peers of his generation, and Latinos like the Lebron brothers and Willie Colon himself.
He also took a long view of his internship in the U.S. Army and later assimilated the new trends that emerged in the music being made in New York.
He started out firmly, as we have already mentioned, with pianist Mark Dimond (Markolino), who had been linked to Willie Colón. With Mark he added his voice to some of the songs on the album “Brujería” and later, with the departure of the pianist, the orchestra was renamed “Ángel Canales y Sabor”.
With this band he would record “Sabor” in 1975 and other albums until “El Sentimiento del latino en Nueva York” in 1979.
Two years before the recording of this album, in 1977 Angel Canales made his first visit to a Latin American country, Panama, and the reception he received was such that he would later write a song dedicated to that country.
The same happened during his visit to Venezuela on November 13 and 14, 1981, which became a musical commotion of great proportions at the Poliedro de Caracas.
Likewise in Colombia and Peru he felt the devotion of the public of those nations. Perhaps he did not know the scope of his work and the projection he already had.

Much has been said that his current retirement is due to Parkinson’s disease, but Angel Luis Canales is there, he attends private invitations of his friends and remains in the battle line of salsa and life. He is currently 73 years old.
Source: TeleSurTv
Oskar Cartaya “My Music, My Friends, My Time” He counted with the collaboration of illustrious friends such as Eddie Palmieri, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Valentín and Justo Almario.
Friendship and personal relationships seem to have always played a key role in Oskar Cartaya‘s recording career.
This was demonstrated Cartaya in his first recording, “My Music, My Friends, My Time” (2004) in which he had the collaboration of illustrious friends such as Eddie Palmieri, Giovanni Hidalgo, Dave Valentín and Justo Almario.

This is also demonstrated by the second one, “Lifetime Friends”, which he co-led with trumpeter Humberto Ramírez and which was chosen as one of the best Puerto Rican productions of 2015.
For the bassist, arranger, composer and producer – born in New York and raised in Bayamon – connections with other people are a vital element for the development of any musician.
Those connections coupled with the tenacity Cartaya has always shown to continually improve himself as a musician allowed him to be part of the legendary progressive jazz-rock group Spyro Gyra for five years, produce albums for Willie Colón or Herb Alpert, and play with a long list of stars including Jennifer López, Christina Aguilera, Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, Tito Nieves, Tania María, Arturo Sandoval, Steve Winwood and Randy Brecker, among others.
To all of them he has lent the sound of his electric bass, able to insert itself with total naturalness in modern jazz, Cuban rumba, Spanish flamenco or Brazilian cadences, but without ever losing its funky essence, which gives rhythmic impulse to the musical genre before him. For Cartaya, music is not a profession, but a passion of life.
That passion manifested itself at a very early age, when he told his Cuban-born father that he wanted to be a musician when he was just 10 years old. He completed his initial studies at the Escuela Libre de Música de San Juan, which he remembers with pride and affection.

However, he has affirmed that his first real musical school were the records of Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe, which he listened to at full volume in his room.
At the Escuela Libre de Música he was able to meet teachers and classmates who today are great masters of Latin music and colleagues of his, such as Humberto Ramírez himself. He also studied at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico.
Cartaya recalls that, although he studied chamber music in school, his real passion was Latin music…until he discovered jazz, thanks to an album by the great bassist Stanley Clarke. A new world opened up to his ears.
“I found a freedom in jazz that I didn’t find in Latin styles,” the musician said in an interview. “In salsa, for example, the maximum is when you are playing as part of a unit. Unlike jazz, whose pinnacle is when all the musicians improvise and go crazy playing, but everyone knows what they are doing.”
At 18, Cartaya moved to Los Angeles, where he began studying at the Musicians Institute of Technology. There he practiced for 15 hours a day, a devotion that brought him his first recognition: being accepted as a professor at the prestigious institution, two years after graduating from it.
However, his restless spirit and continuous desire to improve led him to make what he has described as the best decision of his life, moving to New York City. In the Big Apple – the place many consider the jazz capital of the world – he had the privilege of playing and recording with the late Argentine pianist Jorge Dalto; with Willie Colón and Rubén Blades; Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and Dave Valentín.
“I learned a lot, matured and saw firsthand what it was like to be on my own,” the bassist said in an interview about this period of his life. “If the opportunity was going to be given to me, it wasn’t going to come to my house. I would have to look for it.” And so he did.
At that time he also had the opportunity to meet the late rock icon Prince, at his Paisley Park, Minneapolis studios, and to become a member of Spyro Gyra. By being accepted into that group over 10 other bass players auditioning for the position, Cartaya realized that success belongs to those who work hard and have faith in themselves.
“I was able to show a lot of people that there’s nothing worse than feeling bad about yourself if you don’t try,” he said in an interview. “All the nights I played for free or for five bucks to earn a chance were well worth it.”
In 1997, the bassist produced the “Passion Dance” recording project for veteran trumpeter Herb Alpert, an experience he has described as a new learning experience in his career, as well as a chance to expose himself to a wider audience.
“My Music, My Friends, My Time,” released in 2004, is a fusion of Latin, Brazilian, American and Flamenco rhythms that was very well received by critics.

“I wanted to do a project that would fill that gap that exists between Latin music and the world. I truly believe that the world needs to know that Latin musicians can do countless things within music, without throwing away their roots,” Cartaya said of the recording.
“Lifetime Friends,” produced alongside Ramirez, was described upon its release in 2015 as “an album of a cohesive and jubilant band,” in which all participating musicians – representatives of the new jazz generation in Puerto Rico – have a chance to stand out. “It’s the album we always wanted to make… to describe almost 40 years of friendship,” Cartaya and Ramírez indicated.

In 2017, Oskar presented the production “Bajo mundo” in tribute to the great Cuban bassist Israel “Cachao” López. This intense, exuberant album, with a multiplicity of rhythms, colors and guest musicians was distinguished as one of the most outstanding productions of the year by the National Foundation for Popular Culture.
It also won a Latin Grammy Award nomination in the category of Best Latin Jazz Album.
Source: Rafae Vega Curry
National Foundation for Popular Culture
“This biography is part of the archives of the National Foundation for Popular Culture. In our interest to disseminate knowledge about our great figures, it may be cited as a basis for research studies or as an assignment for pedagogical purposes, as long as credit is given to the Foundation and its author, if indicated. All rights reserved. The reproduction of the same in any printed, technical or mass media, with or without commercial purposes, is not authorized without prior written request to the Foundation and its consequent approval”.
Also Read: “The Sun of Latin Music” the first Grammy Award for Salsa Eddie Palmieri’s historic album
North America / April 2024
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Nahití Ortega. Dance is her Passion and Life
Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas
Nahiti Ortega, is a Venezuelan with exceptional talent, more than 25 years as a performer of traditional Venezuelan dances, this time International Salsa Magazine has the privilege of conversing with this artist of international stature.
She began her Dance studies in the Popular Culture workshops of the Bigott Foundation, taking classes in different regions of the country.

It also conducts courses in other international dances such as: African, Colombian, Cuban, Argentine, Dominican, Bolivian, Brazilian, Chilean, among others.
She expands her knowledge by taking other workshops on dance accessories, body expression, rhythm, dance analysis, theory of popular culture, anti-stress elements of music and singing, vocal technique, artistic makeup, stage costume design, organization of special events, corporate image, online tradition, training of teletrainers, pedagogical resources of a virtual classroom: moodle among others.
Augusto: What does dance mean to you personally?
Nahití: Dance is life…
Life begins with a dance, since we are conceived, we dance when a child is inside his mother’s womb, when the earth turns on its own axis, when the waves of the sea reach the shore, when the wind blows and moves the leaves of the trees… in all those movements a beautiful dance is produced, as well as life itself.
“The Dance is so important that the celestial heroes created the world with the power of the dance, and the whole earth is the magical work of the first dancers. The very existence of human beings is the result of the dance. Therefore, dancing is ensuring the continuation of existence” (Morela Maneiro)
For me, dance is a way of life that connects me with the depths of my being and allows me to undress and show myself as I am. My movements are the physical expression of everything intangible that happens to me. By moving I highlight the relationship I have with myself and with my surroundings.
Augusto : Is there or was there any guide that inspired you to this art?
Nahití : My father has always been my inspiration and my guide; Since I was little I always wanted to dance, one day he asked me, do you really want to dance? and I said yes, it was then he who took me by the hand to study dance and introduce me to this wonderful world.
Throughout my career I have had incredible teachers, which I must mention Professor Freddy Medina who, due to his discipline, demand and dedication, I learned to differentiate and perform a large part of our traditional dances and Omar Orozco who taught me that dance, beyond if interpreted, it serves us for life itself.
Augusto: Name me the best anecdote in your career, nationally and internationally
Nahiti: Hahaha… Woow! Throughout my career I have had many anecdotes, I can tell you a few:
One of the ones I remember right now was in a presentation with Master Cheo Hurtado where I had to show the difference in the execution of the Venezuelan Joropos, when I got to the dressing room and took out the costumes I realized that I had two shoes on the same foot, namely; I had two right shoes, you can imagine my frightened face, after this I had a fit of laughter and my friend Rossmary Rondón, also a dancer, seeing the situation and my reaction, asked me if I was crazy, why was I laughing?…
? and I replied “because I still have to solve it and I don’t do anything to bother myself”. Finally I danced with my two identical shoes and nobody noticed that detail, only she and I knew. And everything went well.
Another was on a long tour of Asia, we were in Korea and we did 3 shows a day, I remember that on the third of the day we did the monkey dance, in this piece we invited the public to join in, in the performance we threw ourselves on the ground and then we couldn’t stop quickly due to fatigue and it made us laugh a lot, the public had to act by imitation and since they didn’t know what was happening, they ended up getting our laughter.
Augusto : Was your father an influence on your work?
Nahití : Undoubtedly yes, I greatly admire my father, he is a great artist one of the best in his style, he has always been a reference in the musical field, I have learned that with discipline, perseverance, dedication and love for what you do you can achieve the proposed goals, my father currently has more than 50 years of uninterrupted artistic career, which shows that his formula works.
Augusto : Tell us a little about your career as a teacher
Nahití : In my classes I usually teach the origin of the dance to be worked on, the main body movements, basic steps and choreographic sequences, depending on the level, as well as breathing and physical preparation for each dance. I also introduce the student to the personal search so that he can achieve his own style and projection.
Augusto : We express, how was your work as Artistic Director of Vasallos de Venezuela?
Nahití : I like to stimulate the members mentally, we create a world together with some characteristics and rules. For me, each body has a story to tell, each one has particular movements acquired through their experiences that they can contribute, so I try to find ways in which the members can identify with the motivation, get involved and feel willing to propose. What I seek is to find during the process, movements that adapt to what I propose.
I also like to work a lot on muscle memory through repetition, to make the movements non-robotic. We work deeply, the gestures and the staging is important for each one to take out and project their personal style.

Augusto: Do you have future projects?
Nahití: Many projects, tours, concert that I won’t tell you details for cabal hahaha…
Augusto : Explain your experience as manager of Coco y su Sabor Matancero
Nahití : It is really wonderful, seeing how successful my father’s career has been and now his Manager, it is a great commitment, all the years of experience in the artistic world made me worthy of this responsibility. In this short time we managed to record his new record production entitled “Con Todo” in which we managed to bring together great artists such as: Mariana “La Sonera”, Wilmer Lozano, Rodrigo Mendoza and El moreno Michael, and we have already visited several countries for its promotion. , United States, Chile, Peru and Panama, we have just performed a concert in one of the best venues in Venezuela, just as we performed its baptism.
Nahití Ortega, has a long history at the National and International level, has an extraordinary personality that transmits joy, good vibes, harmony, feeling for what she does that comes straight from the heart, taking into account her particularity and professionalism of the teachings of her dad.
He began his activities in the field of Popular Culture by participating in the Agrupación la Patria y su Gente led by Professor Freddy Medina for three years; In 1994, she participated as a special guest of the Agrupación Autochthono de la Vega in the “Barcelos Festival”, belonging to the CIOF – UNESCO circuit, in the countries of Portugal and Spain.
In 1995 he joined the group with Venezuela directed by Professor Oswaldo Lares in which he worked for four years, participating in the “Caribbean Festival 95” in the cities of Cancun, Cuzumel, Playa El Carmen, State of Quintana Roo – Mexico, in 1996, he carried out the Afro-Venezuelan percussion workshop in the Popular Culture workshops of the Bigott Foundation, dictated by Professor Jesús Paiva, with a duration of three years.
She participated as a dancer in the Oscar D´ León video clip “Mírala Como se Menea”, as well as in the Venezuelan film “Juegos Bajo la Luna”, directed by Mauricio Walerstein.
In 1995 he joined the group with Venezuela directed by Professor Oswaldo Lares in which he worked for four years, participating in the “Caribbean Festival 95” in the cities of Cancun, Cuzumel, Playa El Carmen, State of Quintana Roo – Mexico, in 1996, he carried out the Afro-Venezuelan percussion workshop in the Popular Culture workshops of the Bigott Foundation, dictated by Professor Jesús Paiva, with a duration of three years.
She participated as a dancer in the Oscar D´ León video clip “Mírala Como se Menea”, as well as in the Venezuelan film “Juegos Bajo la Luna”, directed by Mauricio Walerstein.
In the teaching area, he has taught traditional dance workshops at a national and international level.
As well as accessories for dance, body language, dance therapy, clothing, basic stage makeup, artistic makeup, staging, among others.
Among the institutions in which he has given workshops we can mention some such as: Popular Culture Workshops of the Bigott Foundation – Venezuela University of the Arts in Lima – Peru.
Simon Rodriguez University. Nucleus Barquisimeto -Venezuela
She has done work as a dancer, choreographer, image consultant and producer for various groups.
In 1993, he joined the group “Vasallos del Sol” of the Bigott Foundation under the direction of Professor Omar Orozco.
In 2000 she joined Danzas Itanera, as a dancer, costume designer and image consultant for the group.
He has shared the stage with artists such as: Serenata Guayanesa, Un Solo Pueblo, Francisco Pacheco y su pueblo, Simón Díaz, Cruz Tenepe, Vidal Colmenares, Cristóbal Jiménez, Gurrufio, El cuarteto, Caracas Youth Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the Armed Forces , Coco y Su Sabor Matancero, Oscar de León, Guaco, Invisible Friends, Aquiles Báez among others.
He has toured the entire national territory, appearing on countless stages with participation in international festivals. In 2009, she participated as a dancer and workshop facilitator at the X Meeting for the promotion and dissemination of the intangible heritage of Ibero-American countries “Fiestas and Rituals” in Lima, Peru. Currently Manager of Coco y Su Sabor Matancero and dance and artistic director of the Vasallos de Venezuela group.

Photos courtesy of Nahití Ortega









































