
In this edition we bring you the most relevant news about the world of salsa in the different regions of the world.

Daniel Cacharanza is the director and owner of the museum, which is set to open about this April 15 after its opening was postponed due to COVID-19; Daniel previously had a dive school, during his time at sea and in its depths he would venture out in the island’s waters while enjoying the landscape offrered by mother nature and founding these treasures on land and sea, where you could see the history of its people many years ago.
When he discovered these important symbolic artifacts, he got a new goal in his life that was to show the culture and time many decades ago to locals and tourists. That is how the Anacaona Museum was created, its staff explain to us that each one of us will discover the history of this place and, in turn, the origins of the Dominican people, starting with this great, expressive, beautiful and important princess called Anacaona, who was the last leader and one of the main figures of Taino society and led her people when the encounter between cultures was given whith the arrival of the colonizers, especially the Spaniards.

The term Anacaona gathers meaning as it is separated, where the term “Ana” and “Caona” result in the final conjugation “Golden Flower”. She was born in 1460 and was the sister of Bahechio, cacique of Jaragua , whom she succeeded after his death, held the position of cacique in Jaragua (one of the five chiefdom in which the island was divided) and became noted for her intelligence and mental agility, with which she was beign handled. Her husband was the Casique of El Cibao Caonabo, with whom she had a daughter named Higuemota; she also seeded poetry in her people and was the author of many of the historical romances known by the name of areitos, which were sung by the indigenous people in their popular dances.
At the beginning, Queen Anacaona started to feel acceptance and a positive receptivity of foreigners (the Spaniards) to their lands and then admiration as they brought a lot of knowledge and objects that they did not possess and that they Spaniards used in their daily routines, but it took serious and repeated offenses to her people for Anacaona to change her feelings towards the Spaniards and/or foreigners, where her husband fell prisoner in one of his battles with them and died far from his country on the way to Spain in 1946.
After a long conflict against the rule of Spanish fleets that had looted and enslaved the entire Taino population until they remained in misery by the greed of colonization at the time of Christopher Columbus when he reached the new world, Anacaona was arrested and sentenced to death for her courage and courageous gestures in defense of the Taino population.
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Anacaona died by hanging in 1503 at the age of 29 on the orders of Spaniard Nicolas de Ovando, a very messy way in which the Spaniards paid pack the debt of gratitude they had with a queen from whom they had only received favors, and who had forgiven them the death of her husband and other tricks, so she was able to take revenge, but she did not. For several years, many Europeans who lived a quiet life in her State, ending her era and that of her people, as they were exterminated and enslaved.
This story is well known in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, becoming a symbol and history, so the Anacaona Museum was a way to live it or appreciate it. This place is the refuge and exhibition of the culture of the inhabitants of the island for approaching its people or tourists who visit it and traveling through time with the different architectural pieces discovered, but it does not explain how many of them got there and others were simply created on the island. However, it is not known how the Taino people managed to have them, as such instruments used must have been very sophisticated to create it as was the Shard sphere and the Egyptian pyramid whose creation could not be explained it in other museums, as happens in many cultures.

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For more information:In the museum, you will be able to carry you back to those times through their findings as they are unique and original pieces, dated as early as 1000 before Christ (BC) and the pre-Columbian era, You can hear and live the origins, history and life of this beautiful country through each piece and see you the caves that reveal true evidence, such as drawings, and the most reliable theory is that the entire National Park of the East was an authentic Taino settlement.
Since the eighteenth century, the story began with the beginning of cinema, being the first (1st) in Paris, France in 1895 where people could enjoy viewing the projected images in motion, evolving from the projection of black and white to color and the silent cinema to the application of cinema with sound, becoming more and more attractive and popular for its viewers since it has become a form of escape for either an educational, informative or recreational purpose.

Currently in the 21st century, a great variety of films of different styles have been reproduced; This time we want to talk about the romantic film ” Dance with Me ” which was released in 1998, which we found attractive and unique for being a romance and dance film which was directed by Randa Haines, and starring Vanessa Williams and Chayanne.
It all starts with a Houston dance instructor named Ruby (played by Vanessa Williams), who throughout history believes she has found a competitive dance partner who matches her height and style and is a handsome Cuban immigrant who works as a manager who is called Rafael (played by Chayanne), a young and attractive Cuban dancer, who went through very hard times in his life due to the loss of his father, making the decision and intention to change of scene and forget a little about the sorrows , traveling to Houston.
In the dance studio, everyone is preparing for the Open World Dance Championship in Las Vegas, in this dynamic and competitive opportunity Rafael has the best hope of participating with Ruby, who will be his best hope to be able to participate in this great championship. From that moment on, an important lesson will be given to all the actors of the film as well as the viewers, and that is that the most important lesson for dancing is to follow the heart.

So if you want to see an example of how it is danced and how it is seen in a competition of “Salsa Casino” or another tropical rhythm, you can see this movie ” Dance with me ” which also has a touch of romantic drama, making it more interesting and showing that it can one need when dancing as a couple or on a wheel (a form of dance of the Salsa Casino usually or they are montuno, guaracha and also chachachá, among others, where it is formed by pairs of dancers in an indeterminate number who perform figures of dance combined between them), and as they show us that it is not only the dance steps and learning the figures (turns) but it is the communication they have (corporal and visual), which is very different from verbal communication, since that anything goes in that; communicate and let yourself be carried away by the rhythm that beats in the body, mind and heart of the dancers.
And his interest was further developed when he was influenced by his paternal uncle Ramón Mota “mon trumpeta” making the decision to soon become a vocalist, starting with the parties in the neighborhood, singing whenever he had the opportunity and on Fridays at his school, where he was forced to sing since his companions always liked to hear him sing.
Motivated by great singers such as Ismael Miranda, Ismael Rivera, José Alberto “El Canario” Oscar D’León, Paquito Guzmán, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tonny Vega, Wilmer Lozano, among other artists, he decided at the age of fifteen that that was what I wanted to do on a professional level; So he began to work on vocalization for a few years and singing in different popular events, he gained experience both as a singer and as a composer.
He mentions that Salsa is more than a musical genre that was born from the neighborhoods and that became popular through the corners and / or streets of New York between 1960 and 1970 … it is the history and experiences of the people, the town (person generally lower class), where the musicians express their musical themes in their lyrics, especially the romantic part and the rumba, managing to reach their listeners and / or dancers in their being; For Quique personally it is his relief, a poem as well as the song, an essence in his life with which he was born and at the age of 15 he wanted to find the meaning of his dreams of being a great salsa musician.

The salsa genre emerged many years ago where it acquired its fame, but today the young population believe that Salsa is old music, outdated with a very good reputation, unfortunately the majority of the young population chooses what is fashionable, listening more reggaetón, hip-hop, electronics, rap, among others, losing in the process the opportunity to listen and enjoy good music, acquiring in the majority (rap and reggaetón) vulgar language as well as the degradation of the person (woman and ¬ / o men).
He tells us that if we want to make Salsa notice and popularize, we need to support both new talents and great artists and make ourselves noticed, without thinking that it is old music, that it can evolve and update us with a modern language without reaching vulgarity so much in the letter as in the clothing, so that it adapts to the taste of the new and current generation; And another very important point is that the songs that you create are adapted to the country where the singer and if not explain the meaning, for example in the Dominican Republic there are many terms that we do not know, and in his next musical theme that is a romantic sauce I call it ¨ Ella es mi Golpe¨ what does it mean ¨She is the love of his life¨, which tells us that it will be released in about 2 and a half months with its video clip.
For Quique, the pandemic that we live to date due to COVID-19 was not an obstacle as it happened to many, I take advantage of the time of course with all possible precautions to avoid contagion to continue with his musical career, he mentions that The human being is a being that adapts to his environment and this was a clear example, only that one has to know how to take advantage of the tools that one has at hand, musical talent is not only about concerts, parties … depending on what We can do to benefit ourselves without putting ourselves at risk is to overcome difficulties and many of them took advantage of one of the most extensive and complex tools that is the Internet.Although almost all of us use it, we do not use it correctly but in the most basic thing. … Such a wide work tool and knowing how to use it is a success for you… for example events, classes, concerts, live interviews through social networks.

Quique had his ups and downs in his musical career and he tells us that his friend Montuno Salsa advised him and it was his apprenticeship and motto in his beginning as a new talent … “time job … do not faint easily and lose the opportunity to continue since you have to take advantage of the opportunities “…” dreams are pursued and fought, they are not achieved overnight, they are processes that must be fought as warriors … a Well made sauce, even if it doesn’t have the support that you think or need, it will like it wherever it is as long as it is well made and it doesn’t get tired of working … and the most important thing is I put my work in the hands of papa Dios, the great one … “
Quique mentions that everything is crossing and emerging is thanks to: his Venezuelan producer Franklin Zamora, who upon meeting him in the Dominican Republic knew what Quique really wanted and how to express it and / or express it, he also has Mary Yemaya, a Venezuelan promoter and producer of salaeeos events, it is she who guides him in Salsa and encourages him to contact us to promote it and get to know it better; He also thanks Juan Carlos Trinidad, José Bello, Montuno Salsa, Dj Salsero 2020, Etnia Salsera,, Joseph Fonceca, Edward Serrano and mainly his family, especially his beloved wife. He wants to extend a special thanks to the people of Venezuela for contributing a group of talented and valuable people who have helped him to pursue his dreams and to join great talents of Latin music worldwide, becoming one of the best exponents of the salsa genre in his country.
He mentions that he wants to give a special thanks to the people of Venezuela, for bringing many valuable and talented people into their lives, who will pursue their dreams and get hooked on the great talents of salsa music worldwide, becoming one of the best exponents of the salsa genre of your country.
“Anacaona, areito de Anacaona”, sang Cheo Feliciano before a heated crowd at the Cheetah club in New York late on 26 August 26, 1971.
It has been more than 50 years have passed and the chorus from the pen of Tite Curet Alonso resounds as if it were yesterday. But who was Anacaona?
Anacaona or Anakaona. (1474-1503)1 was an aboriginal Taino chieftain of Bohío Island. She governed the Cacicazgo of Jaragua after the death of her brother Bohechío. She was condemned to be hanged by Governor Nicolás de Ovando.
Anacaona means ‘Golden Flower’ in the Taino language. She was a Haitian princess of Taino origin who was born in the year 1474 at Bohío, as it was dubbed by its inhabitants and then divided into two Caribbean countries: the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

After the death of her brother Bohechío, Anacaona would take over as cacique to rule the Chiefdom of Jaragua. She had a natural talent for poems, which she sang in the areitos, dances, and songs with which the Taino Indians celebrated their festivities and religious rites.
Anacaona received Christopher Columbus on his first voyage at Christmas 1492. She felt admiration for the new knowledge and skills of these people to solve day-to-day challenges.
Those led by Columbus established a settlement in the new territory, which they called Christmas Town. It is said that this was the first building of the Spaniards in America.
But harmony would not last for long. The abuse on the natives began, especially women who were mistreated and raped without hesitation.

Christopher Columbus left the territory and, upon return in November 1493, he found Christmas Town destroyed and its more than 43 men killed. It was an affront. Anacaona escaped and became an Indian of a captive race, as the song goes. But her freedom would not last long. After an intense search, she was captured and bound to hang in 1504.
The Tite Curet Alonso’s ‘Anacaona’
Tite Curet Alonso composed ‘Anacaona’ without knowing who she was. The song written from one day to the next would be included in the album “Cheo” (1971) of Vaya Records. The label sought to re-launch Feliciano’s musical career, who had stayed away from the stage as a result of the rehabilitation for his drug addiction.

He says he tried to “make up a mystical story” about Spanish and Indian slaves. When composing, Curet did not know he was telling the true story of the Haitian princess who fought against the Spaniards in the early years of the discovery of America.
After the release of the album was released, which was well received by the public, Curet visited a priestess who knew the life of Anacaona and had heard the song in the voice of Cheo Feliciano. After knowing the story, Tite was greatly impressed.
The woman informed the composer that it was the Taíno ancestors who inspired his pen in each verse.
“But how is it possible that you wrote that song? Now you have to make a song for Caonabo and I will tell you why: because from a certain generation upwards, you are a descendant of Caonabo and Anacaona”, said the priestess.
It did not take long for Tire Curet to publish his tribute to ‘Caonabo’, the Indian fighter who, like his wife Anacaona, fought against Spanish oppression. The song was included in his production as a singer-songwriter entitled “Aquí estoy con un poco de algo” (1975).
The Cheetah concert on August 26, 1971, gave rise to the salsa boom and allowed several young talents to make history. Moreover, it opened the way for composers like Tire Curet Alonso, who with songs like ‘Anacaona’, created the soundtrack of Latin American soul.
Images courtesy of Museo Taino Anacaona
https://www.museoanacaona.com/
Dominican Republic