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Shoemaker and shoe designer Carlo Farroni
We talked with shoemaker and shoe designer Carlo Farroni
In entertainment, singers, musicians and dancers are always the ones who show their faces to the audience, so they usually take the credit that comes from the final result, but there are many other professionals who also do their part so that a stage performance can be carried out, but unfortunately they do not get the recognition they deserve from the mass media.
Some of those professionals are shoemakers and shoe modelists, who offer absolute comfort and elegance to artists during their shows, especially when it comes to dancers. Today, we are going to bring the story of Mr. Carlos Farroni, who kindly agreed to talk to us and told us how he began in this interesting and important occupation.
How did you start your career as a shoemaker and shoe designer? (título 3)
Carlos Farroni tells us that he started his apprenticeship at the age of 20, namely more than four decades ago. All this training took place at the shoemaking institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Farroni’s native country, but it was not the only place responsible for teaching this man everything he knows today. He also combined his studies with certain tasks in an artisan footwear workshop, something that would be a great support to the knowledge gained within the field of formal education.
A few years later, he enbarked on a trip to Italy, where he worked in various areas of the creation of shoes, such as design and subsequent manufacturing, which was also extremely important for the Argentinean to continue learning how to navigate the world that has made him so well known.
Asked why he dedicates himself to the creation of special shoes to dance, he replied that he was carrying out exclusive footwear for theatre plays for many years, during this time his work started to become known in many parts of the world. After the quality of his products made news in many countries, many dancers started contacting Farroni to design exclusive shoes for them. It can be said that this is how he started the famous brand we know today.
How is your working methodology? (título3)
Regarding the production process, Mr. Farroni has revealed to us that everything is hand-made, which means that the tailoring, design, choice of materials, cutting, sewing, assembly and finished are handmade. In the same way, he ensures that the materials used for his products (most of the shoes are made of leather) are of excellent quality both in tanning and in thickness. This whole process is what makes the shoes look so professional and, at the same time, so comfortable and light as to allow the wearer to move freely.
It is also important to underline that the shoes handmade by Mr. Farroni’s brand can be used to dance every kind of musical genre without an problem. Obviously, tango dancers are the ones who most often seek out and promote these products, but there is no limit with regard to this detail. Anyone who wants the greatest elegance, sophistication and comfort at the moment of dance anything can contact Carlo Farroni, who will be happy to assist them and offer them the best of his work.
Read also: Omar Ledezma Jr talks about his experience at the Tempo Latino Festival
September 22, 2022 marked the 48th anniversary of the Fania All-Stars concert in Zaire, Africa
Last Sunday, September 22, 1974 (On a day like today, Fania All-Stars made history by performing for the first time in Africa in front of 80 thousand spectators.
A magical night that included wonderful moments. This is their story.
In mid-1974, American boxing promoter Don King organized a fight in Kinshasa, Congo, for Muhammad Ali to regain the crown against the then heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman, a bout that was called ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’.
Parallel to the boxing match, musician Hugh Masekela and renowned producer Stewart Levine scheduled a series of concerts at the 20 du Maipara stadium in Kinshasa (Zaire) as part of a 3-day festival (September 22-24, 1974) that would later become one of the most important musical events of the century in Africa, which the organizers called ‘Zaire 74’Unfortunately, an injury suffered by George Foreman while training forced the fight to be postponed for almost six weeks, but the music festival did take place.
The event was attended by 31 groups (17 local and 14 foreign) and featured artists such as James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers, Manu Dibango, Miriam Makeba, Fania All-Stars, among others.
The Fania musicians who traveled to Africa and performed at the festival were: Johnny Pacheco (flute), Larry Harlow (piano), Bass: Bobby Valentin (bass), Nicky Marrero (timbales), Ray Barretto (congas), Roberto Roena (bongos), Yomo Toro (Cuatro), Pupi Legarreta (Violin) Jorge Santana (Electric Guitar), Victor Paz, Kurt Ranno, Luis ‘Perico’ Ortiz (Trumpets), Lewis Kahn (Violin and Trombone), Ed Byrne (Trombone), and 6 singers: Celia Cruz, Ismael Miranda, Jose ‘Cheo’ Feliciano, Hector Lavoe, Santitos Colon, Ismael ‘Pat’ Quintana (vocals and backing vocals).
Everything was ready to return to the Big Apple, New York but a major misfortune forced Johnny Pacheco and company to stay.
Although it may seem incredible, musicians and singers had to stay 11 additional days due to a political and social problem in that country, unable to leave the hotel where they were staying. This is how Bobby Valentín tells it in an exclusive interview to Rafael Vega Curry, journalist of elnuevodia.com
“We couldn’t get out. (Jerry) Massucci had to pay an extra $18,000 because we would gather in the rooms to order food and empty the coolers (laughs). There was always someone who said “tomorrow we’ll play in my room”, says the well-known ‘King of Bass‘.
With the concert in Zaire, Fania All Stars had become the first tropical orchestra to set foot on African soil. The show, held at the Statu Hai stadium in Kinshasa, was attended by more than 80 thousand spectators.
It was part of the “Zaire 74” event held from September 22 to 24 of that year, and also featured R&B and Soul artists such as James Brown, Bill Withers and BB King.
In 1974, salsa was at its peak in New York. However, its top representatives were confined within four walls.
Among the musical geniuses were Johnny Pacheco, Ray Barretto and many others who made this orchestra the most important salsa orchestra in its history. Héctor Lavoe could not be missing in that directory.
Important Note:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, also popularly known as D. R. Congo, Democratic Congo, Congo-Kinshasa or Eastern Congo, and called Zaire between the years 1971 and 1997, is one of the fifty-four countries that make up the African continent. Its capital and most populated city is Kinshasa.
Between October 27, 1971 and May 17, 1997, the African country currently known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as the Republic of Zaire (in French, République du Zaïre).
The name Zaire was given to it during the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled it with an iron fist during a long dictatorship, and from whom emanated the political system and the characteristic ideology of the State.
The instability and rebellions that plagued the Congo until 1965 culminated in the seizure of power by Lieutenant General Mobutu Sese Seko, then Commander-in-Chief of the Congolese Army.
Mobutu proclaimed himself president for five years and in 1970 consolidated his power by being elected president without opposition.
In 1971 the new name of the State was adopted, with the official proclamation of the denomination: Republic of Zaire. This name and the new national symbols would remain until 1997, when at the end of the First Congo War Mobutu was overthrown and fled the country.
Upon assuming the presidency of the country the guerrilla leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Congo, recovering its own name.
Sources:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaire
You can read: Fania All Stars
Sweden Will Live November With Swing
3 events that will warm your days during winter
Going out on winter nights in Sweden (the fifth coldest country in Europe) can be a truly daunting task. Temperatures during the eleventh month of the year are around 5 °C during the day and 1 °C at night. Most people yearn for the scarce two hours of radiant sunshine a day, however, we bring you three Latin music events that accompany the beautiful northern lights that cover the sky during this date and that will make you vibrate and get warm during these days of lively freezing.
We begin with a weekend full of Salsa parties with Hot Salsa Weekend, the largest Salsa and Bachata festival in Sweden will be celebrating its twentieth edition from November 4th to November 6th.
This festival will bring together dancers from the US, Italy, Mexico, Norway, and Stockholm. It will also feature inspiring workshops in Salsa L.A Style, Salsa On2, Salsa Cubana, and Bachata, impressive shows, and nightly parties accompanied by seven international and national DJs.
The workshops will take place on Friday from 4:30 PM at SSD Studio (Adolf Fredriks Kyrkogata 13, Stockholm) while on Saturday (11 AM) and Sunday (11 AM) they will take place in the beautiful building located in the heart of Stockholm Norra Latin (Drottninggatan 71b).
The themed parties (White Gala Party, Glitter & Glamor Gala Party, and Farewell Party) will take place from 10 PM to 5 AM on three dance floors (Salsa, Salsa Cubana & Bachata) at the Norra Latin a short distance from the central station Stockholm. Tickets for the three days of learning and fun are worth 2000 SEK. So get ready to be a part of Sweden’s biggest weekend party, Hot Salsa Weekend 2022. https://hotsalsaweekend.com/
We continue with the Cuban band La Liga Habanera. This group formed 15 years ago in Havana (Cuba) has toured Europe and mainly has infected every corner of Sweden with its music. Its melody lies in a mixture of modern Cuban Timba with elements of traditional Son, Salsa, Soul, and Funk. The voices create a nuance that adorns the brass section that, together with the bass and the piano, recreates the Son montuno. The Havana League will be presented at the emblematic Fasching Club https://www.fasching.se (Kungsgatan 63, 111 22 Stockholm) on Friday, November 11th at 9 PM, and tickets are now available for 260 SEK (standing places). The age limit is 18 years.
We end with the free dance party with Swing, Salsa, and Tango at the Merjeriet cultural center https://g.page/Mejeriet (Stora Södergatan 64, 222 23 Lund). This great event on Sunday, November 27th will now be free and open to all those over 13 years. The dance rhythms will range from an intense Salsa set through Lindy Hop (Swing) to Tango with surprises on stage and on the dance floor with three different DJs.
The evening will begin with workshops for each rhythm and three rounds of courses so you can try the three dance styles and choose the one you prefer. The party will be from 5:30 PM until 7 PM while the courses for beginners will be gradually every hour starting at 2:30 PM.
The Dance Party with Swing, Salsa, and Tango is organized in collaboration with the extensive program of new and recurring events in the center of Lund known as vinterlund https://vinterlund.se/
The main objective of this vast program is to fill the inhabitants of this city in the province of Scania with joy through cultural life during the dark winter months.
Xiomara Laugart, nicknamed “La Negra” was born in Guantanamo, Cuba
For Xiomara Laugart, the past never goes away; she likes to hide in music. “My faith, I believe in you, you won’t go away,” Alberto Tosca wrote to her in that song and Xiomara seems to have decided to live by those lyrics, to this day.
Her loud laughter filled my kitchen this afternoon, while Omar brewed coffee, many times, and my mother cooked pumpkin flan. She evokes her mother in the sweet, comes back to life and tells.
She tells with astonishing naturalness that she never studied music and goes on and on. She goes on to freedom, and overflows with passion, because for her freedom is music.
Technically she could do whatever she wants, but if she does not feel it, if it does not make her vibrate, Xiomara, “The voice of Cuba”, could not sing.
On September 8, 1960 in Guantanamo, Cuba, XIOMARA LAUGART, nicknamed “La Negra”, was born. Excellent singer, established in Massachusetts.
Before emigrating to the United States, Laugart had an extensive career within the Cuban Nueva Trova movement. He has recorded more than 17 albums.
Representative of Cuban music in various parts of the world. He worked with the group Pisos Nuevos in Nicaragua. Also with Descemer Bueno. He led the group Yerba Buena. She represented Celia Cruz on Broadway.
Xiomara Laugart was born in Guantánamo. She attended university and graduated in Economics, then began her musical career through the nueva trova, a movement of political musical protest, very popular between the sixties and nineties.
He studied music at the Escuela de Superación Profesional Ignacio Cervantes. He began his artistic career professionally in 1985.
His beginnings were quite intense, participating quickly in international stages.
In 1979 he participated in the Festival of Political Song in Berlin. In 1980 he traveled to Nicaragua with the Pinos Nuevos Group, from the Isle of Youth.
The following year she participated again as a guest at the Berlin Political Song Festival and that same year she won third prize at the Political Song Interpretation Contest in Sochi, Soviet Union.
In 1980 she won third place in interpretation at the Adolfo Guzmán Cuban Music Contest; she participated in the V Festival y Activo de la Nueva Trova, the VI Cumbre and Carifesta. He belonged to the Guiñol Theater group of Isla de la Juventud. He was a member of the group Aconcagua and Talla Extra (X-L), and, for a time, worked with Alberto Tosca.
In 1982 he performed at the Café Concert in Mexico, participated in the Festival for Non-Intervention in Central America and Disarmament, held in Holland, Belgium, and the same year, he traveled to France. He became a regular in Mexico and returned to the Aztec country in 1984.
That same year she participated in the Political Song Festival held in Sopot, Poland, and later toured Honduras and Costa Rica.
His voice has a very wide register, although he stands out for his high tones.
She shows a vivid and exceptional sense of rhythm that allows her to interpret from bolero to salsa, from danzón to guaracha to the most sophisticated jazz and funk.
Atrapando espacios, Qué manera de quererte, Hoy mi Habana, Se fue, Ni un ya no estás and Oh melancolía! are some of the songs that are part of her repertoire and that continue to receive a standing ovation every time she performs on the stages of South Florida.
“The first person who introduced me to Miami was the maestro Meme Solis.
Meme has been my mentor in this city and was responsible for opening the doors to a new audience that followed him for years and now goes to my concerts, she says when referring to her close relationship with the legendary Cuban composer.
Source: Hyper Media