Search Results for: Salsa Orchestra

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).

Concierto de la Fania All-Stars en Zaire, África

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:

Bobby Valentín

Salserisimo Peru

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaire

You can read: Fania All Stars

In September: Latin Festival Madras In Their Ninth Edition

The Oldest Latino Festival In India Returns With More Salsa Immersion

Latin Festival Madras started in 2014 and is the only one of its style in Chennai

The largest and oldest ten-day Latin gathering in Chennai (India) will bring the Maestro Jimmy Bosch “El Trombonista Criollo” and one of the best timbaleros in Europe today, Joaquín Arteaga live at the five-star hotel, Vivanta Chennai It Expressway located at 309, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Shollinganallur Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India 600119.

In this ninth edition of the festival, you will also find carefully designed Salsa, Bachata, and Kizomba workshops, special training camps with instructors with more than a decade of teaching experience at festivals around the world, performances by national and international dancers (Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, Vietnam, China, and Russia) acclaimed worldwide, also social dancing in the company of the seven best DJs from Asia, pool party, theme parties, surfing, buffet lunches, and dinners with a luxury stay that characterizes this event as the only one of its kind in Madras, currently known as the Chennai city, capital of the Tamil Nadu state.

Friday, September 2^nd will be the opening of the Latin Festival Madras https://www.latinfestivalmadras.in/ at Surf Turf beach, where you can dance all day long with delicious local food, and if you prefer a little more excitement you can surf in the Bay of Bengal with your fellow dancers. But, if you don’t know this sports discipline, don’t worry because there will be instructors on-site to perform this water sport with the correct technique.

7 DJs will participate in this Latin event from Malaysia, Japan, Canada, Thailand, and India.

On Saturday, September 3^rd, and Sunday, September 4^th, all the activities (workshops, camps, shows, and parties) will take place at the Taj Vivanta hotel, a five-star venue to have a luxurious, memorable, and family experience.

Two of the peculiarities of this Festival are the parties before to the Latin event (August 29^th – September 1^st) and the getaway after the closing of the festival (September 5^th – September 6^th). The event’s organizers have planned to visit Pondicherry through Mahabalipuram for two days, the latter place a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In Pondicherry they will be able to taste the typical dishes, dance, and do a guided exploration of the ruins and historical sites of the town.

On the second day, you will explore the old Franco-Tamil city. During the day they will visit the old Auroville community located 10 km from Pondicherry and during the night they will dance at the pool party at Anandha Inn Convention Center and Suites. And on Wednesday, September 7^th, will be the big farewell to Chennai.

But, before leaving the city of Chennai, we must talk about the live music that will be present at this Latin event in India. The greatest exponents of the Trombone and the Timbal will say here, the maestro Jimmy Bosch and the creator of the hard Salsa orchestra Tromboranga, Joaquín Arteaga.

The objective of this festival is to provide a memorable experience and exposure to the educational value for future talents, artists, and instructors.

Jimmy Bosch is an exceptional Latin Music Trombonist acclaimed in more than 70 countries and has 11 Grammy Awards and more than 100 recordings in the Salsa and Latin Jazz genres. “El Trombonista Criollo” has worked with the FANIA All-stars, Eddie Palmieri, Ruben Blades, Ray Barretto, Machito, Cachao, and more. He has participated in Salsa conventions and Latin and Jazz music festivals around the world, as well as performed in clubs in Asia, Europe, America, and Oceania.

On the other hand, the second artist to perform on this special evening is the Leader, Director, and Timbalero of the Tromboranga salsa orchestra, Joaquín Arteaga. This Venezuelan timbalero based in Barcelona (Spain) has been part of the Gerardo Rosales Orchestra (2004) and has toured Europe accompanying international artists such as Andy Montañez, Andrés Cepeda, Jhon Lozano, Venezuelan Masters Orchestra, and Bloque 53, among many others.

Since 2009 he has been a sponsor of the prestigious Latin Percussion LP brand. Joaquín has produced and recorded nine albums for Tromboranga and has toured extensively throughout Latin America, North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. This Venezuelan composer has also organized and taught salsa percussion workshops in Spain, Japan, Australia, Colombia, the USA, France, the UK, Morocco, Lebanon, Thailand, and South Africa, among many other countries.

The Full Passes for the event are USD 140 (travel to Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram is not included). The online sale ends on August 31^st, and the prices of the passes increase every two months.

Sr Ortegón is a big success in Hollywood

Our nice talk

Good afternoon, we have here José Miguel Ortegón. He is a music producer, composer, DJ and violinist. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ortegón, how are you feeling?

I’m fine. Thank you very much for the invitation.

Your name is José Miguel Ortegón, but you are known as Sr Ortegón in artistic circles. Why?

I think that is a cultural tradition in the Hispanic world. Men are always called by their last name. That was natural and came spontaneously. Taking advantage of that señor is a Latin cliché, it was perfect for the work I was doing.

José Miguel Ortegón at the Latin Grammys

What was your first approach to the entertainment world?

I started recording with Guayacán, which is a salsa orchestra from Cali, Colombia. I received a lot of help from maestro Zumaque, who is a musician that does contemporary and classical fusion with Latin American rhythms. This was during my teens.

Then, you ventured into other facets, correct?

That’s correct. I started studying music at the conservatory when I was five years old and was in some rock bands. You know that our culture is divided into two musical styles in Latin America, which are classical and popular music. My first professional recordings came with the first computer we had at home as well as most of my generation. When the first computers came to our homes, the concept of music also changed.

How did you go from playing rock and classical rhythms to boogaloo and urban rhythms? How was that transition?

Cali has always been very linked to pachanga, boogaloo and charanga. Rock comes from blues and boogaloo is more or less part of the same trend, so it’s not uncommon for rockers to want to experiment with those rhythms I mentioned at the beginning. I also had teachers at the conservatory who taught classical music during the day, but played with professional orchestras at night. For me, that transition is inevitable.

Sr Ortegón doing his job as a DJ

You have created music for series, movies, digital platforms, Disney, Netflix, animated series, etc. Did you think your career would go that far?

Thank you for your words. I make music. I have the same worry since I started in this world, I think I still have a lot to learn and maturing ideas, The truth is I never imagined it. I simply took the opportunity before me in Europe, where I was studying musicology at the Sorbonne. It is true that Latin music is very exotic there because there are not many Latin composers and producers.

At university, I got a chance to make music for a television channel. Subsequently, there was a snowball effect, a colleague who is now working in Hollywood contacted me for one of those jobs and that was my big opportunity. When I got the script, it was a Dominican series, which made me immediately discard salsa and mariachis. I thought about using bachata or something that really belonged to the Dominican Republic.

When you talk about Hollywood, it should be emphasized that there are several generations of Latinos born in the United States of any origin. A Cuban knows that a ranchera is not Cuban but from Mexico. Such a thing happenned a lot in the industry in previous years. The same rhythms and mixes were always used regardless of the Latin country involved in a production like, for example, West Side Story. I love that movie and think it’s excellent, but the music they used doesn’t sound Puerto Rican at all. That’s why I thought I should take this opportunity to respect the rhythms and traditions of each country. I know we all speak Spanish but each country has its own identity, so I respectfully take each rhythm and use it to make it authentic.

Latin music in Hollywood

When you did music for any series or film, were you given parameters to follow or did you have to be free to experiment with your music?

That’s one of the best questions I’ve ever been asked because the vast majority of producers are American and not connected with Latin culture, so salsa and merengue are the same for them. I just tell them to trust me, send me some samples to guide me, we analyze everything and move on. If the director or the editor doesn’t like what I did, we reach an agreement. Nowadays, this process is easier because there is more musical and cultural education on the part of the producers in the United States.

Sr Ortegón at the party in the Jetset Magazine

You were nominated for a Latin Grammy thanks to a mix of boogaloo and urban rhythms that you made. How did you think of it?

I’m 40 years old, so I spent my adolescence at the time when Californian hip hop was in full swing. Cali is one of the most Americanized cities in Colombia, so you were always listening to all those American groups and songs. Mixing all those rhythms with boogaloo has always seemed very interesting to me and I had no idea how to do that until I learned.

Since a mix between hip hop and Latin music is complex to make, a lot of people gsurrended and opted for reggaeton as culture. There are other groups such as Control Machete that have done an excellent job, but I felt they were lacking something. That’s how I started to learn, but it took me a long time because of lack of resources, since I didn’t have the right elements to respect the codes. So, I did a boogaloo song and a hip hop beat to mix them, which made me realize that they are sister rhythms. This work was very popular and even appeared in series and movies.

In fact, I heard about you from an email that included your new album entitled Latin Boogaloo Volume 2. I also listened to Volumen 1 and noticed the difference. What is the main difference between one volume and the other?

Volume 1 includes what I called Boogaflow, which is boogaloo with flow. Volume 2 is pure boogaloo. I tell you this because, for example, salsa is a term, but it’s really Afro-Cuban music made by Nuyoricans in New York if we go back to basics. Prior to that New York sound known as salsa, there was that phenomenon called boogaloo, shingaling or Latin soul.

I had to listen to disco to get to those rhythms because nobody teaches you anything about those genres. Unfortunately, those who created those rhythms are already dead or doing other things like Joe Cuba, Jimmy Sabater, the people from Sexta All Stars, Eddie Pamieri, Ray Barreto and many others. That fashion lasted about six or seven years and that was that. Every time I go to create a boogaloo, I have to listen very well because there are no scores or models to follow. Poncho Sanchez is one of the few who brings up the torch of that sound, although he is inclined more to Latin jazz.

I wanted to do a boogaflow, but my editor David Santiago proposed to me that we make two versions, one boogaloo version and the a little more acoustic one. What we were looking for was to please both audiences, the one who wants something urban and the one that wants something classic.

Which of the two volumes was more successful?

I know you have the answer (laughs). Volume 2 was the most successful. Number one has put me in touch with my salsa friends, but I didn’t want to tell them that I was going to make a volume two because boogaloo is not a very common rhythm.

Cover of the album Latin Boogaloo Vol. 2

Current news in the San Francisco Bay Area

What is happening now?

Tito Garcia-The Doctor of Salsa, the renowned colorful bandleader and timbalero of Tito Garcia y Orquesta Internacional passed away on Saturday, April 23rd after a long battle with cancer. Tito has performed Salsa and Charanga in the 1970’s with the seminal SF based bands Ritmo 74 and later Charanga Rene Del Mar. He later spearheaded the band “Orquesta Salsa Dulce” in the late 1980’s which morphed into the first edition of his band La International featuring a young Julio Bravo on coro in the early 1990’s. La Internacional were remembered for their explosive performances by dancers and aficionados.

Tito was a staple at the late, famed salsa palace Cafe Cocomo with his monthly “Mambo Saturdays” during the early 2000’s. I often was the DJ during those hot nights. His band featured fine musicians and vocalists such as former Batachanga vocalist Ricky Rangel, congueros Eddie Borrero and Sandy Perez of Los Muñequitos De Matanzas and keyboardist Coto Pincheira who relocated to New York.

Tito García had been fitghing against, cancer, which took his life at the end

Tito resurfaced after his bout with Cancer in 2020 to relaunch La Internacional but the comeback was short lived due to his health issues. He later hosted some outdoor rumba sessions near his new home of Vallejo but those dates were limited due to COVID restrictions. He relapsed during his recent trip to Costa Rica and died due to complications with his recovery. He will be sorely missed.

Don’t forget coming up on Friday, May 6th at 8 pm with be the tremendous Cuban music double bill of “El Tren De Cuba”…Los Van Van and Alexander Abreu y Havana d’Primera at the UC Theatre, 2036 University Avenue in Berkeley. Two of the powerhouses of Cuban Popular music are appearing together for the first time in the US and on only certain dates of the tour…SF Bay Area residents are blessed to have this double bill play here! DJ Antonio will spin in-between sets. I will be your MC for the evening. Run to get your tickets because they’re going fast! For more information, go to jaffeevents.com

Salsa superstar Oscar D’Leon and his orchestra will visit the SF Bay on Saturday, May 21 at Roccapulco, 3140 Mission St. in San Francisco. Oscar is still one of the dynamos to watch perform live…a tremendous show! Guayacan Orquesta from Colombia will also play on Friday, May 13 at the Mission Street hot spot. Also coming to Roccapulco Sat. June 11th…the Homenaje A La Musica Cubana featuring Mayito Rivera, Alain Perez, Yeny Valdes, Lily Hernandez “La Amaona” and Julio Cesar “JC Five” plus DJ Walt Digz (SF) and DJ Jimmy Rumba (LA) and on Thursday, July 7th…the explosive sounds of Pupy Y Los Que Son Son direct from Cuba.

Oscar D’ León will be in the San Frrancisco Bay Area on 21 May

SF JAZZ and the San Francisco Jazz Festival are featuring an impressive array of Salsa, Cuban and Latin Jazz starting Wednesday June 8 with Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Followed by Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Grammy nominee Aymee Nuviola 6/9; Chucho Valdes with Dianne Reeves and Joe Lovano 6/12; Changui Majadero 6/13, Danilo Perez Global Messengers 6/14; Issac Delgado’s Con Tumbao Project w/Miguel Zenon, Oscar Hernandez, Pedrito Martinez, Alain Perez, Tony Succar and more 6/18. SF JAZZ and Stanford University co-presents Eddie Palmieri and Arturo Sandoval at Stanford’s Frost Amphiteater on July 23. Info: www.sfjazz.org.

The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival will begin Saturday, May 7th from 1 to 2:30 pm with a free concert featuring local treasure Jesus Diaz y Su Habana Afro-Cuban Ensemble featuring a lineup of heavyweights from Cuba and the SF Bay including Ariacne Trujillo Duran, Leider Chappotin, Raul Pineda, Roberto Junior Vizcaino, Karl Perazzo, Jeff Cressman, Melecio Magdaluyo and Julio De La Cruz. The Yerba Buena Gardens is located on Mission Street between 3rd and 4th Streets in San Francisco. Visit ybgfestival.org for more information. There will also be an after party featuring Jesus Diaz and the Habana Afro-Cuban Ensemble and DJ Carlitos Way at the Elbo Room, 311 Broadway in Oakland.

The San Francisco Carnaval and much more

The annual Carnaval San Francisco is back on the streets of San Francisco on Sat, May 28 and Sun. May 29th with the theme Colores De Amor. The two day festival will take place on Harrison between 17th and 22nd Streets from 11 am to 6 pm. The grand parade will take place on Sunday, May 29th starting at 9:30 am on 24th and Byrant Streets. Scheduled to perform will be Jesus Diaz y Su QBA, Momotombo, Sambada, Javier Navarette & His Socially Distant Friends, Dos Four, Puro Bandido, Namorados da Lua, Annette Aguilar & West Coast Stringbeans, Susanna y Orquesta Adelante, Magna Fresq, Los Allegres Callejeros, Aqua Pura, Mariachi Juvenil, Azul Latino and more. Headliners TBA. Food, Beer, Crafts, DJ areas and Cannabis gardens on the grounds. Free! For more information: carnavalsanfrancisco.org.

There is a new Salsa scene happening on Thursdays starting May 12th at Charley’s LG, 15 N Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos presented by your friends at International Salsa Magazine. Opening night at this state of the art club will feature the swinging sounds of the multi-talented vocalist/conguero Edgardo Cambon and Candela. I, Luis Medina from KPFA/WSR and International Salsa Magazine will be your DJ. World Salsa Radio DJ El De La Clave will also be in the house. Dance lessons by Migi & Angel starts at 8:00 pm. Music starts at 9 pm. The upcoming schedule is the following: Julio Bravo and Salsabor 5/19, Manny Martinez and La Rebeldia 5/26 and the Charanga sounds of Orquesta La Moderna Tradición 6/2. Thursday nights just got hotter in the South Bay…be there!!

Edgardo Cambón at The Seahorse Restaurant, Sausalito

The Ramp at 855 Terry Francois Blvd in San Francisco continues to present Salsa orchestras on Saturday afternoons starting at 5 pm. The night is closed on June 7th for a private event, The Ramp’s first Salsa festival featuring 2 bands: Gary Flores y su orquesta Salsa Caliente and Eric Rangel and Orquesta America 5/14, The Latin Rhythm Boys 5/21 and Louie Romero and Mazacote on May 28th. DJ Mendy spins in-between sets and after the live music from 9 to 11 pm. The Ramp has a great patio overlooking the SF Bay and serves food and drinks.

The Seahorse located at 305 Harbor Drive in Sausalito features live music plus KPOO-KPFA DJ Jose Ruiz on Saturday and Sundays. Sat, April 30th features La Clave Del Blanco, Rene Escovedo Salsa Band with Ric Feliciano Sun 5/1; Edgardo Cambon & Candela Sun, 5/8; Orquesta Timbalero Sat, 5/14; Louie Romero & Mazacote Sun, 5/15; Susanna y Adelante Sat, 5/21; Orquesta La Original w/Alexis Guillen 5/22; Pepe Y Su Orquesta Sat. 5/28; and Orquesta Taino Sun. 5/29. Enjoy the fine Italian cuisine, beer, wine and ambiance both indoors and the outdoor patio at this scenic spot just crossing the bridge to Marin County.

The Cigar Bar, 850 Montgomery St. in San Francisco is a favorite spot to dine, have drinks, enjoy a cigar in the courtyard and dance to hot Salsa music. The calendar for May includes Manteca 5/6, Orquesta Timbalero 5/7, Somos El Son 5/13, Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble 5/14, N’Rumba 5/20, Edgardo y Candela 5/21, Orquesta Taino 5/27 and La Clave Del Blanco 5/28.

René Escovedo will perform at the Seahorse Restaurant, Sausalito, on May 1

DJ Walt Digz has a hot Wednesday night Cuban scene “El Timbon” happening at the Slate Bar, 2925-16th Street in San Francisco. Digz also hosts his own livestream called “El Timbon” featuring the latest Timba, Cuban Salsa and Cubaton videos every Tuesday night from 7 to 9 pm on Twitch. He also keeps busy by hosting the monthly Fresquecito Saturday nights at La Furia Chalaca in Oakland and the outdoor El Timbon En El Callejon Sundays from 3 to 8 pm at Vida Cantina, 56 Belden Place in San Francisco. Digz also continues his original Friday La Tropi-Cal monthly at Il’ Pirata in SF with Añejo Productions now going on their 21st year!

Berkeley’s Ecology Center will present the Berkeley Farmer’s Market Salsa Festival on Saturday, May 21 from 10 am-5 pm. This free event will feature Christian Pepin and Orquesta Bembe, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Peruvian keyboardist Erick Peralta and Band, Berkeley High School Youth Ensemble and the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble. Dance performance and Dance lessons by Rebecca Galindo. Food, crafts and more. For more information, visit www.ecologycenter.org.

Don’t forget to check out my radio programs: Con Sabor now in it’s 25th Anniversary Year on KPFA 94.1 FM every Saturday night from 9 to 11 PM PST and Sabiduria Con Tumbao every Wednesday night 5 to 7 pm PST on WorldSalsaRadio.com.

That’s it for this month! Ciao 4 now!

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.