Search Results for: Salsa music

Casa de la Música, Playa / Miramar in Havana Cuba

The month of January 2022 in this prestigious and exclusive place in Havana the best talents, orchestras, singers of the island are being presented, every weekend a different artist with the musical quality that characterizes the Cubans.

Aila Mompie, Asi Son, Tanin Pantoja, Quinteto Maden, Lazarito Valdez y Bamboleo, Papucho y Manana Club, El Hijo de Teresa y la Llegada, Leonel Limonta y Azúcar Negra, Yvan y la Leyenda, La Octava Nota, Zule Guerra, Maykel Hores y RB Salsa, Charanga Latina, Waldo Mendoza, Yordano y el Hermano, Giraldo Piloto y Klimax, Vania, Ronny, Casabe, Max Max, Pascualito Cabrejas y Tumbao, among others.

Since it opened in the mid-nineties, this concert hall has consolidated its position as the temple of salsa and Cuban son in the capital. — a de la Música, Playa / Miramar in Havana Cuba

Since it opened in the mid-nineties, this concert hall has consolidated itself as the temple of salsa and Cuban son in the capital. The best bands have played on its stage and the programming continues to be irreproachable.

It is a beautiful place in Havana, where orchestras from different artistic catalogs of the country perform, a spectacular place to enjoy good popular dance music in its halls.

The house was built in the 40’s in one of the most aristocratic neighborhoods of the capital and was the headquarters of a lodge of the Masonic Foundation. It had two floors of masonry and tiles and included in its ample distribution a party room, stage, and auditorium, a premonition of what it would be half a century later. The Irrumpe Theater Group and the Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales (Cuban Fund of Cultural Goods) also passed through it, then sadness came over every corner of the House until EGREM knocked on its doors to break the silence and turn it into the House of Musicians and Cuban Music.

It began with the EGREM Award Gala in April 1995 and in October of the same year, with the concert of the great Cuban musician Chucho Valdés and the group Irakere, it passed the test of fire because this concert was recorded live in the memory of the House thanks to the latest technology equipment it has.

The House was created to exhibit and commercialize the Cuban discography in different media and to promote the recognition of the work of our artistic talents through live presentations, and as a complement to this, the gastronomic offer, always preserving the most genuine values of the national culture.

“International Salsa Magazine is SalsaGoogle.com“.

We are an organization that from the hand of its Founder, Director, and Editor Eduardo Guillarte, in force since 2007 has been working nonprofit helping to promote:

Orchestras, Singers, DJs, Clubs, Plastic Artists in North America, Europe, and Latin America and Asia and with the contribution of volunteers in various parts of the world, which at the same time invite and recommend all lovers, dancers of our Latin music to visit the Casa de la Musica, Playa / Miramar in Havana Cuba.

How to get there: Dale Click Aqui

Calle 20# 3308 cya Havana, Cuba 10400orner of 35 Miramar Pla

+53 7 2026147

Facebook: Casa de la Música de Miramar Playa

Fuente: www.ecured.cu

Aila Mompie, Asi Son, Tanin Pantoja, Quinteto Maden, Lazarito Valdez y Bamboleo, Papucho y Manana Club, El Hijo de Teresa y la Llegada, Leonel Limonta yAzúcar Negra, Yvan y la Leyenda, La Octava Nota, Zule Guerra, Maykel Hores y RB Salsa, Charanga Latina, Waldo Mendoza, Yordano y el Hermano, Giraldo Piloto y Klimax, Vania, Ronny, Casabe, Max Max, Pascualito Cabrejas y Tumbao, entre otros. — Casa de la Música, Playa / Miramar Beautiful place in Havana

Long live music and its unique and great protagonist, La Salsa y el Son Monte Adentro.

Article Interest: Quinteto D’Amore of Havana – Cuba

Spanish Harlem Salsa Gallery and its role towards salsa

Spanish Harlem Salsa Gallery and Latin music

The Spanish Harlem Salsa Gallery is one of those places where every salsa lover in New York should visit since there is plenty to see here. This museum has all kinds of items donated by many renowned artists or relatives of some who had passed away. This collection of valuable possessions has resulted in a set of priceless objects that will bow anyone visiting the facilities of such a special institution out of water.

The Spanish Harlem Salsa Gallery, also known as Spaha Salsa Gallery, can be defined as an institution of a cultural nature whose main purpose is to serve as a reminder of how great our culture is, especially our music. Both residents and visitors of East Harlem, New York, can learn about the salsa genre and its roots as long as they desire. All thanks to a lot of tools, information and many initiatives with which those interested will know all kinds of interesting facts about salsa first hand.

Another of the great objectives pursued by this place is the quest for knowledge about Latin music and the artists involved to offer it to anyone who decides to visit its facilities. That is why both its president Johnny Cruz and the team that helps him have been responsible for creating an inclusive and diverse gallery in which you can appreciate how far Hispanic talent has come by the hand of its top stars.

Johnny and Boris — Johnny Cruz and Rubio Boris presenting their show

Role of the Spaha Salsa Gallery in the dissemination of Latin culture

The role played by the Spaha Salsa Gallery in the dissemination of Latin culture is very important, since these institutions are the ones that manage to arouse the interest of the inhabitants of Harlem and other nearby sectors towards one of the most representative musical genres of Latinity. This has made many other cultural institutions to use this gallery in order to awaken a higher interest in its own activities, which shows extensive cooperation between those who seek to promote anything Latin-related at all costs.

Fortunately, our work is not that complicated to carry out because too many tourists visit New York every day and many of them know that this city was the birthplace of the biggest salsa movement in history, so they are always looking for cultural sports in which you can find information about this set of rhythms and how it emerges in the public arena.

Instruments donated by La Sonora Ponceña — Some instruments donated by La Sonora Ponceña

Who Johnny Cruz is

Johnny Cruz is the founder of the Spaha Salsa Gallery, but there are many other facets by which this talented Puerto Rican is known in the entertainment industry. Cruz is a famous musician and record producer who has worked and make friends with a wide number of artists from all genres, by providing him with the platform to create a true sanctuary for Latin music lovers.

One interesting fact about the museum is that it is located on the plot where a hardware business owned by Johnny’s father used to function, which was made into something completely different thanks to the genius of his son long after. Today, that place contains several of the most invaluable objects in the history of salsa and whose relationship with some of the greatest figures of the genre is legendary.

Link to the official website of the Spaha Salsa gallery: spahasalsagallery.com

By: Johnny Cruz correspondent of International Salsa Magazine in New York City, New York

Live music and other news in the SF Bay Area

Renowned timbalero, composer, bandleader and vocalist Mario Solomon is the leader of one of the hottest groups performing modern Cuban Dance music in the US: Mario Y Su Timbeko. Although Mario moved from Oakland to Austin, Texas during the pandemic, he hasn’t stopped his original music from coming out. His latest single “Sola Te Quedaste” follows three singles that he has released during the pandemic: “Llego Lo Que Te Esperabas”, “Lo Mas Grande” and “Nadie Sabe Nada”. These songs are to be released as an EP in the first quarter of this year. Mario Y Su Timbeko consisting of bassist Ayla Davila, guitarist David Lechuga, vocalist and keyboardist Jordan Wilson, pianist and recording producer Jason Moen and conguero Carlitos Medrano will be performing a special concert “Timbeko By The Bay at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley on Saturday, February 12 starting at 8 pm.

Mario explained that the show is like taking a trip with the history of Cuban Music featuring traditional rhythms of Danzon, Cha Cha Cha, Boleros and Changui which will be the focus of the first set. The second set will feature original music with selections from the new EP. Many Bay Area-Northern California dancers and listeners alike are big fans of Timbeko’s infectious timba sound which contains elements of RnB, Gospel and Funk. Mario hopes to have copies of the EP ready to sell at the dance/concert. There will also be a dance after party with DJ Antonio included in the admission to the show. For more information on the concert, visit lapena.org. For more information on Mario Y Su Timbeko, check out their page on Facebook and Instagram.

Mario Mayito Salomón — Mario *Mayito* Salomón

Montuno Productions will be presenting a Valentine’s Day Concert as part of their Bay Area Latin Jazz Series at Oakland’s fine art deco California Ballroom located on 1736 Franklin Street. This triple billed show will feature the debut of Cuban jazz vocalist Jessy Diaz accompanied by 4 time Grammy award winner Oscar Hernandez of Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Edgardo Cambon and Candela and ending the show with be the MP All Star Salsa Project directed by pianist Israel “Izzy” Tannenbaum (formerly of Grupo Niche). I will be your Master of Ceremonies and DJ for the entire evening. Cuban food will be available for hungry patrons at the concert/dance. For more ticket information on this dance/concert, you can visit montunoproductions.com

Major cancellations and postponements continue due to the latest Omicron variant of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Victor Manuelle concert/dance scheduled for the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame has been postponed until Saturday, April 9th per show producers JC Coral and Bosco Vega. Cuban born Brother-virtuosos violinist Ilmar and pianist Aldo Lopez-Gavilàn protagonists of the film documentary Los Hermanos/The Brothers cancelled their scheduled January 23rd concert at U.C. Berkeley’s Zellerbach Auditorium. There is no rescheduled date for that show.

On the local club front, Oakland’s own Fresquecito Timba DJ monthly at La Furia Chalaca near Jack London Square produced by DJ Walt Digz was cancelled as well at the beginning of January but the event will be back in February. The Ramp in San Francisco has temporarily suspended their live and DJ music shows per order of the San Francisco Port. The Ramp is hoping to resume their live music dates in March. Other venues such as Space 550 just didn’t reopen in January but will reopen on February 11th with Julio Bravo y Salsabor headlining their Valentine’s Day weekend party. You may want to double check that the venue is still open and that live music is still going to be presented on the night that you are planning to go out.

A scene of many a popular, crowded club night, Lukas on West Grand and Broadway in Oakland the home of Thursday Cuban nights will close at the end of January. Ahi Na Ma, the production company in charge of the popular Cuban dance night featuring DJ’s Leydis and Antonio have announced that their weekly event will move to a new location soon to be announced.

Ex El Gran Combo vocalist Charlie Aponte will be visiting the SF Bay Area on Friday, April 1 at Roccapulco, 3140 Mission St. in San Francisco. Jaffe Events will be presenting the show. Look for Aponte to feature original material from his recordings as well as the many hit songs he recorded with El Gran Combo during his tenure with this great musical institution. It promises to be a smokin’ show!!

The Seahorse in Sausalito continues to buck the trend and continues to present live music on their outdoors patio stage on Saturday and Sunday evenings starting around 5 pm. They are featuring Orquesta Taino Feb 6, Karabali with Karl Perazo of Santana and Michael Spiro Feb 12, Louie Romero & Mazacote Feb 13, Salsa Caliente w/Gary Flores Feb 19, Edgardo Cambon & Candela Feb 20 and Braulio Barrera’s Somos El Son on Feb 27th. KPOO/KPFA DJ Jose Ruiz is the house DJ behind the decks.

Another venue that has stayed open for business in spite of this tough COVID time is the Cigar Bar, 850 Montgomery St. in San Francisco. You can still enjoy good drinks, fine food and a selection of cigars for your enjoyment. They have a full schedule on Fridays and Saturdays for February which includes Somos El Son Feb. 4, N’Rumba Feb. 5, Manteca, Feb. 11, Josh Jones Latin Jazz Ensemble, Feb. 12, La Clave Del Blanco, Feb. 18, Edgardo Cambon y Candela Feb. 19, The Latin Rhythm Boys Feb. 25 and Pacho Y Orquesta Evolution on Feb. 26. Schedule subject to change due to COVID so check their calendar to confirm acts. Visit their website at www.cigarbarandgrill.com

BY LUIS MEDINA, PRODUCER AND HOST OF CON SABOR ON KPFA 94.1 FM AND SABIDURIA CON TUMBAO ON WORLD SALSA RADIO.COM

What Ángel Meléndez has to say about his brilliant musical career

Who Ángel Meléndez is

Ángel Meléndez is a source of pride for Puerto Rico who lives in Chicago, United States, and has a bright musical career that has not gone unnoticed by great well-known people and record labels linked to Latin music. The producer, arranger, composer, music teacher and trombonist studied at VanderCook College of Music, where he gained most of the knowledge that would serve him to become the figure he is today.

His hard work has allowed him to be nominated for the Best Tropical Music category at the Grammy Awards and the winner of the 2005 Annual Independent Music Awards thanks to the talent he displayed on his album Ángel Meléndez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra.

Meléndez was great lick to collaborate with some of the greats of music such as Cheo Feliciano, Adalberto Santiago, Tito Puente, Tito Allen, Frankie Ruiz, Ismael Miranda, among many others.

Trombonist Ángel Melendez — Producer, arranger, composer, music teacher and trombonist Ángel Meléndez

His most recent projects include the one he made with Gia Fu and Ralph Riley. Riley was in charge of the making of Big Band Maquina (album name) and was in charge of organizing the work of all the artists who lent their talent to carry out this ambitious project together with Meléndez and other producers. The album includes 11 tracks and a bonus track, as a result of the serious issue of fathering so many music professionals in a single project in the middle of the pandemic and from so many recording studios.

We had the opportunity to talk to him to learn a little more about his career and what he is doing now. We hope everyone reading this pleasant talk will enjoy it.

Interview

Today we are pleased to welcome composer, arranger, instructor and trombonist Ángel Meléndez. Good afternoon, Mr. Meléndez, how are you today?

I am doing very well, thank goodness. Although I am very cold here in Chicago, but it is not your fault (laugh).

You once commented that you always liked the Big Band sound. How important is the number of musicians in an orchestra?

When I was a kid, my family always organized parties and played the music of Machito, Tito Puente, Tito Rodríguez and many others. So when I went to college, the jazz band director made me his manager. When I had it in front of me, I knew that was what I wanted to. I love it. That is why I say the more the better, but there are also groups like Joe Cuba Sextet that sound great with only six or seven members.

You have been a music teacher for several decades. Do you think training other artists has influenced your style? Do you think that you have learned from your students?

I have had many students who have become professional musicians and also learned a lot from them. In college I learned to play many instruments on a very basic level. One of the things I have learned from my students is that you can learn to play two, three or four instruments properly. I love the piano, I bought a Spanish guitar and am learning to play flamenco late in life.

Ángel playing his instrument — Ángel Meléndez performing and playing the trombone

So you never stop learning and are always looking for new instruments and rhythms to add to your work

Yes! Right now I am working on a project with Hong Kong producer Gia Fu and she is going to kill me because she does not want anyone to know yet (laugh). It’s called the Borinchino Project and includes Chinese songs in Latin rhythms. The first song is a bolero cha cha chá.

What was the experience of working together with Gia Fu, Ralph Raley and the rest of the team of musicians with whom you made this album? Are you happy with the result?

Of course we are! We were all pleased with the record. What happened was that I made a jingle called Lisa La Boricua for a dance academy called Lisa La Boricua in swing dancing about 20 or 25 years ago. In Germany, it was a hit for about 14 weeks. Gia is also a salsa DJ, she was doing some work in Switzerland when she heard that track which was like a jam session. She liked it so much that she thought about collaborating with me. After many months of looking for me, he found me. So my former timbalero is now music director of Victor Manuelle and knows the best musicians in Puerto Rico. When they called me and offered me to collaborate with them, they only wanted to make two songs. I told them if I said yes, we were going to get it right and go to Puerto Rico. Since we are in times of Covid-19, the best musicians are available. We went to Puerto Rico, made two songs and loved the result, so they said to make four more songs. The second time, Gia came from Hong Kong. She is like a painter who knows exactly what she wants. She already bears in mind the idea of how this will all turn out. She can be a bit stubborn, but, at the end of the day, everything always goes as she hopes. If she imagines a song with Tito Allen singing, she got it.

Something that got our attention at International Salsa Magazine is the way you did this project. We know that you were conceiving everything from different countries and studios thanks to new technologies. How was the process of recording from several places as far apart? How do you feel about what you achieved?

Most of the recordings were made at Rolo Studios in Puerto Rico. The vocals for the two tracks recorded by Herman Olivera were created at Nino Cegarra’s studio, but vocals by Tito Allen were done in New York because he did not want to travel to Puerto Rico. That is why Ralph, Gia and I went to New York to record them there, but the base, percussion, brass and backing vocals were done at Rolo Studios.

Album Big Band Máquina — Album cover Big Band Máquina

In addition, the pandemic made everything difficult, especially travel, how much do you think the pandemic has affected your work? Do you feel that things are coming back to normal? Is your work back to normal?

It has made it impossible to go back to work. I had about three or four bookings, but everything got cancelled when the Covid pandemic was getting worse. As I told you, In part it was a blessing because no one was working. Luis Marín (Gilberto Santa Rosa’s piano player), bassist Pedro Pérez (he has worked in more than 500 recording productions), conguero Sammy García (musical director of Charlie Aponte), Pocorelli (musical director of Víctor Manuelle as I had said), Sammy Vélez (musical director of El Canario), Richie Bastar (El Gran Combo’s congocero) were available to work with us and that it was a blessing.

Exactly. This whole situation has given you the opportunity to do other activities such as writing music, making new arrangements and many other things.

That’s it. I put my students on an assignment and most of them paid no attention anyway. I gave them 10 or 15 minutes to practice while I sat at the piano and waited for them to tell me something. During that time, I used to write. As they say, everything happens for a reason.

What plans do you have for 2022?

There’s Borinchino, which is the project I am working on with Gia and Ralph wants to repeat what we already did in mambo. Right now I am writing two new musical productions with new songs. In the case of Borinchino, the album will include several Chinese songs with Latin genres such as salsa, bolero, merengue, cha cha chá, among others. In the case of the project with Ralph, it will be almost the same as we did with the previous album.

This is Gia Fu — Hong Kong producer Gia Fu

This all means this partnership with Ralph and Gia will continue for an indefinite time?

Of course it will! They are thrilled with me and I am thrilled with them. They are my family in Hong Kong. The two people I love most in Hong Kong. The only people I know there, but I still love them very much.

What recommendations do you make to young people who want to do the same thing in the future?

I would advise them to learn about their culture. Our music is incredible and has a very high level. We grew up with children’s songs like Cheki Morena, so a complicated rhythm is very easy for us. In contrast, Americans grow up listening to the A, B, C song. When kids from our Latin countries begin to learn music, it is much simpler for them to play things with complicated rhythms. What I would like to tell those who read this interview is that they have to learn about their culture and music.

The unfortunate closure of Salsa Power and its great legacy

What Salsa Power did

Logotype of Salsa Power — Logo of the Salsa Power web page

There have been many groups and personalities that, despite the low level of resources they had, have made efforts to promote Latin music, especially salsa. The case to be treated today is that of a website with a great deal of contributors and much fame that came to be regarded as one of the most important internet sites for the promotion of our culture in the field of music. We talk about Salsa Power and its titanic work in favor of our cause.

The important page dedicated to the promotion of salsa and founded in 1999 had approximately 300 local correspondents in more than 50 countries around the world, indicating the immense number of individuals who wanted to get involved in the promotion of Latin culture to rise to unexpected levels. Its co-founders, Jacira Castro and Julian Mejia were the ones who started this great initiative, which they tried to maintain through an enormous effort. However, this was not enough to avoid its definitive closure in 2021.

Jacira Castro, founder and director of Salsa Power

Closure of Salsa Power and what has produced it

In a statement that can still be read on its official link https://www.salsapower.com/ both in Spanish and English, Castro explains the unfortunate reasons for making the difficult decision to close the web portal. At the beginning of the short text, the also salsa instructor and web designer explains how Salsa Power started and what made it become one of the biggest salsa initiatives that could be found around the internet, whose heyday may be reflected in the large number of contributors they had in some 61 countries.

A very important detail that the dance teacher relates in her text is that she also worked as a volunteer and never received money or advertising of any kind in exchange for doing what she was so passionate about. She highlights that she always paid all her hosting and development costs without receiving collaboration of any kind.

She goes on to explain that time goes by and, after 22 years of the founding of Salsa Power, many correspondents made their lives, left the cities from which they reported its activities and devoted to things that had nothing to do with salsa. It was reported that this was the primary reason why they made such a drastic decision.

Jacira next to Johnny Pacheco — Jacira Castro and Johnny Pacheco

However, Castro concludes her statement with a message of hope in which she claims she will never cease to dance, showing that the aforementioned genre remains her greatest passion and nothing and nobody will change her mind. She finished saying that she can still be found on the dance floor in Lisbon, Portugal, where she now resides permanently.

Even today, there are many interviews collected by various other online media that can still be read, reviews and opinion pieces that reflect the extensive knowledge and enthusiasm that the writers had for their work. There is an endless amount of material that bears evidence to many years of hard work and dedication that we know all of this will not be in vain.

From International Salsa Magazine, we send cheers and our best wishes to each and every single one of the correspondents and workers who did their best to make Salsa Power an obligatory reference for anyone who wanted to know the latest news of Latin music.