Austria turns its capital into the most Salsera in Europe this first month of the year
Four Latin events with Sabor will take place this first month of the year in Vienna
Every year Vienna (Capital of Austria) becomes the center of the Salsero movement of the country and Central Europe. International festivals of the genre, dance academies, and Latin music clubs are found day by day with greater frequency. For this reason, today, I will inform you of four Latin events that will take place this month in the Austrian territory so that you can start with Sabor in January 2022.
Cuban Salsa Weekend
The Cuban Salsa party starts on January 29th at Billie’s Studio
Billie’s Studio brings one of Vienna’s most fancy Cuban Salsa festivals in its tenth edition. These are two days of large workshops adapted to the level of each dancer or Salsa lover. Its classes vary in style, going from partner work to the rhythm of Timba to New York On2, Son, and Rumba style.
The Afro-Cuban movements will also be developed in the multiple levels of these workshops as well as the dance in Rueda and the like, expanding in this way to the maximum the skills and techniques of the Salseros movements always hand in hand with the musical key.
Even if you are a beginner or a professional dancer, the environment will always be enthusiastic due to the master classes of each of the trained instructors led by the Cuban dancer Osmani Segura.
This dance professional was born in Havana (Cuba). From an early age, he got into dance and was a member of several dance companies on the Caribbean island, which allowed him to perfect each of the Afro-Cuban rhythms such as Rumba, Mambo, Casino, and others.
He began teaching dance lessons in 2002 in his native country and later did it in Germany in 2006. Since 2010 he has shared his knowledge at Salsa Congress and festivals in Europe and the rest of the world.
Vienna Cuban Salsa Weekend will be exclusive and incredible from January 29th to January 30th, and its epicenter will be at Capistrangasse 10, 1060. The program will be comprised of Saturday, the day in which you will learn the body movements to the rhythm of the fusion of Timba and Salsa Casino, while Sunday will be full of Son and Timba. Prices range from 79 euros (Day Pass) and 129 euros (Full Pass).
Salsa and Bachata Saturday
Salsa and Bachata in the Bar/ restaurant Mi Barrio every Saturday night
Saturday nights are Salsa and Bachata at the Mi Barrio Bar/ Restaurant. In this Latin music restaurant, the essence and richness of the ingredients of South American food/ drink is respected, which makes the gastronomic offer a break in the traditional and common schemes of Vienna, and establishes a unique representation of the culture.
In Mi Barrio, health and safety are a priority, so reservations are required. You must use a mask (the staff also use masks), as well as there is disinfection of surfaces (mandatory) by the staff after each visit, and if you prefer, you can sit in an outdoor area owned by the premises. To access the site, you must be vaccinated or present the result of recovered and analyzed by PCR.
On Saturday, January 15th from 8 PM to 2 AM the Vienna Bachata Night season begins on the great dance floor with teachers Jorge & Azahara brought directly from Spain, and mixing the great hits (80% Bachata and 20% Salsa) will be DJ Kty & DJ Dani.
The workshops begin at 8 PM and end at 10 PM giving way to the big party until 2 AM. The cost of the party plus the drink is € 12 and the party alone is € 9. Mi Barrio is located in Münzwardeingasse, 10 on the first floor on the left in the large function room “El Halle”.
Salsahouse Perfect Night
Salsahouse & Mi Barrio bar come together to offer many Latin parties throughout the month
Salsahouse is a salsa dance studio with plenty of room for fun with friends. His philosophy about Salsa lies in the meaning of joy when dancing in this genre. Dancing with the heart, you can immerse yourself in tranquility and closeness with like-minded people. This Tuesday, January 11th, from 8 PM to 10 PM, you will be able to consolidate and learn new dance steps with the start of Salsahouse Perfection Night in a safe setting. Salsahouse is at Märzstraße 105, Top 50 / Hofhaus 1150 Vienna. Try to check in with your partner and bring your drink.
Salsahouse and the Mi Barrio bar come together to create the fourth Salsa event in Vienna for two consecutive days.
On Sunday (January 9th), from 6 AM to 10 AM, the first event called SalsaYuno will be held. For four hours, DJ Lorenzo will play the best Salsa songs and will continue until the buffet brunch (with Latin American delicacies) at noon mixing the fusion between Salsa and Bachata.
Then, on Monday (January 10th) at 1:30 PM, you will have the opportunity to get in shape on the dance floor starting from zero with the Basic Cuban Salsa Intensive 1. This workshop with a high level of Salsa will continue every Monday following until the end of the month (four nights) at the Bar/ Restaurant Mi Barrio.
News “En Clave”! The most recent ISM section in 2022
This 2022 we come with more strength, new ideas, and recharged. In this first edition, we released a new section titled News “En Clave”. A space dedicated to the collection and promotion of the best shows, concerts, books, and the latest news from the Salsero environment & Latin rhythms in Europe and Asia.
Spain is one of the old-world countries that begin January 2022 with the best Salseros and Bachateros events. Here we will tell you each one En Clave so that you don’t miss out on going to one.
News “En Clave” In Spain
Cuban Pianist – Luis Alberto Díaz “El Negri”
We open the section to the northeast of Spain with La casa de Cuba in Barcelona, El Sabor Cubano BCN. This Nightclub offers live music, Cuban Salsa, International Salsa, Bachata, and urban rhythms with DJs, it also has Salsa and Bachata instructors who give free lessons for beginners at 9:30 PM every Thursday and Sunday. The virtuous pianist Luis Alberto Díaz “El Negri” together with singer “Changui” will be playing the best songs of traditional Cuban music this Thursday, January 6th, and Sunday, January 9th, for two and a half hours. This will be one of the first live Salsa evenings that you can enjoy starting the New Year. El Sabor Cubano BCN opens its doors from 7:00 PM to 12:30 AM at Francisco Giner 32 Street, 08012, Barcelona. Have a memorable moment in this nightclub with a good atmosphere, friendly and impeccable service, and an authentic Cuban mojito. You find more details on their official social network.
We are still in Barcelona, and this time we walk through the Diobar Restaurant / Nightclub. This Greek restaurant has enabled a musical space every Thursday for Salsa and Rueda Casino classes. The duration of Salsa Thursdays is almost five continuous hours organized as follows: one hour of Cuban Salsa class and the next one in Rueda Casino, followed by the AfroCuban Jam Sessions live (open to all musicians). Starting at 9:15 PM there is a class for dancers of Intermediate / Advanced level with which they will acquire new skills for mastering individual steps, the couple turns, and Rueda figures. The cost does not exceed € 5, and the closest date is Thursday, January 6, 2022. A novel proposal to enjoy Salsa in the musical space of the Dionisos Born restaurant located at Marqués de la Argentera, 27 (ground floor) 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Cuban Party begins January 12th at Matisse Club
We now jump to the east coast towards Valencia, and we run into the Matisse Club. We tell you that in this place of exhibition of events and culture they offer every Sunday the Cuban Party event, live Cuban music with AR-Latin (directly from the Caribbean island) playing Salsa, Latin Jazz, Son, and Bachata. This one-hour live show begins at 8:30 PM. Then you will enjoy six hours of Latin Quarter Session with DJ Sergio Falomir. Admission is € 10 and begins on Sunday, January 12th at the Sala Matisse. Enjoy a Latin music atmosphere with the Cuban Party event every Sunday of the month at Matisse Club located at Campoamor Street, 60, 46022, Valencia.
And the last News “En Clave” that I bring you is the Latin Dance classes in Salason in the northwest of the country at Lirio Street, 30 Cangas Do Morrazo, 36940, Galicia. This culture platform is designed for the reception of musical performances with exceptional acoustics and cutting-edge technology. Salason is a building structured in three independent but complementary environments at the same time. Salsa and Bachata classes will begin on Tuesday, January 25th, from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM.
The Objectives of these Cuban-style Salsa and Rueda Casino classes, as well as the traditional Bachata lessons, are fun and disconnection to the routine with the rhythm of Latin music. Also, it improves coordination and body expression coupled with the new relationships that are established between people with similar pleasures.
On Tuesdays, there are two groups for intermediate students: The Salsa class starts at 8 PM while the Bachata group starts at 8:30 PM.
Thursdays are classes for beginners and have two times of choice: 8 PM and 9:30 PM. For more information, venture to visit its official website
Bachata Sensual World Congress 2022 will be held in Girona
We start with one of the main congresses to be held the second weekend of this month (Friday 7th – Monday 10th) in Girona, a city located in the region of Catalonia, mainly known for its exuberant architecture of medieval origin and the historic Barri Vell neighborhood.
The Bachata Sensual World Congress (BSWC) brings great quality Bachata Sensual workshops with more than 16 qualified instructors of this Dominican rhythm and leading Salsa professionals worldwide. There will be live shows with more than 16 couples on stage and famous night parties during the three days of the event.
Girona becomes the international city of the Dominican melody with Bachata Sensual World Congress 2022
BSWC will take place at the Evenia Olympic Palace Hotel, Avinguda Del Rieral, 55 17310 Lloret De Mar, Girona. Tickets (Full Pass) range from € 140 and the event begins the first day at two in the afternoon ending on Monday, January 10th at five in the morning.
We continue, and it is the turn of the Winter Bachata Festival 2022. The particularity of this festival is that it will have night workshops with social dances, the instructors are mostly local, more than one continuous hour of shows, and a closing party. The musicalization throughout the weekend will be in charge of DJ Miguelón, DJ Salva, and DJ Yago in a shared room with the rhythms of Bachata and Salsa. Obtaining Full Pass tickets (€ 40) can be obtained through teachers or promoters and different payment methods by clicking here. Remember that Winter Bachata Festival begins on Friday, January 21st, and ends on Sunday, 23rd, also returns for the fifth time to the Spanish municipality of Cullera at the Hotel Cullera Holiday, at Av. el Racó, 27 Cullera, Valencia.
Now we finish our trip in the center of the country, specifically in Madrid. During the first weekend of the month, the Magic Bachata Weekend event will take place with all the established biosafety measures: temperature measurement, Hydro-alcoholic Gel, and Mask (during the three days). Magic Bachata Weekend will begin on Friday, January 7th, and will end on Sunday, 9th. This weekend full of Bachata will feature 18 pairs of instructors of the genre conducting workshops, shows, and late-night Latin parties. You can get tickets online at La Salsa del Baile and the price at the door ranges from € 60. The venue will be the Hotel Eurostars Madrid Foro, Ronda de Europa, 1, 28760 Tres Cantos.
Birdland has been the place in which many of the most important New York’s stars of the show were born and has represented the beginning of many artistic careers that have achieved worldwide fame, so this spectacular venue deserves all the recognition and fame that it has accumulated over the years.
This is a jazz club that began operations in December 1949 in Manhattan and was closed for a few years until its reopening in 1986. What happened was that a second location of the same name was opened in Manhattan and was not too far from the land on which the original club operated. Today, Birdland operates at the same facility as the headquarters of the famous local newspaper The New York Observer in the past.
Stage of the jazz club Birdland
Story about how the idea to create Birdland was born
During the 1920s, there were a lot of musicians who had to move to New York City because it was there that the biggest jazz movement of the moment was being produced. It could be said that the birthplace of the most famous jazz styles of the last decades was the Big Apple and its surroundings.
It was there where and when the musical career of Charlie Parker, affectionately known as Bird by most of his fans, emerged. Some time later, it would be this brilliant artist and talented saxophonist who would get one of the most popular jazz clubs in the city and the country in general named after him. This would be one of the many tributes received by Parker before and after his death in 1955.
Once Birdland was opened in the late 1940s, the saxophonist began performing there on a regular basis along with many other music legends of the moment such as Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Lennie Tristano, Maxie Kaminsky and many more. Although Birdland was named to honour Charlie, that did not keep the artist from having some friction with Oscar Goodstein, one of the founders of the venue, who said that Parker was constantly asking for too much money. As the story goes, this was the reason why the musician did not perform as many times as expected.
On the facade of the club, a neon sign could read Birdland, Jazz Corner of the World, making it clear what its customers would find once they entered the facility. Once inside, there was space for approximately 500 visitors and a full orchestra to lighten the mood that night. Birdland included a very long bar, spacious tables, stands with a wide variety of products, folding chairs, among other things. At that time, customers only had to pay a $1.50 fee to enjoy everything that the nightclub had to offer.
It went on to have so much prestige that it had among its visitors Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Gary Cooper, among other personalities from the entertainment world. It has taken so much popularity in those years that composer George Shearing dedicated one of his greatest creations entitled Lullaby of Birdland to it, which was also inspired by Charlie Parker as well as the name of the place.
Tommy Potter, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane performing at Birdland in 1951
The role of Birdland in Latin music
Just as Birdland contributed to the emergence of important careers in the jazz music scene, it also did the same with a good number of Latin music singers who saw this corner of New York as an opportunity to make their art known to other audiences. One of them was world-famous bandleader, composer and musician Tito Puente, who performed at the venue on several occasions and improvised many sets with Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton.
There is also the case of Tito Rodríguez, who made use of his great talent to record a spectacular live album entirely dedicated to Birdland and whose name was Live at Birdland. In addition, he featured incredible collaborations with great musicians such as Clark Terry, Al Conh, Zoot Sims, among others.
Another of the great Latin music artists who came to perform at this venue was Cuban bandleader, arranger and trumpet player Chico O’Farrill. The artist played and recorded at the club on a wekly basis about the time he already had his own orchestra called Afrocuban Jazz Orchestra.Arturo O’Farrill, worthy son of his father, also performs regularly at Birdland with his orchestra The Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble.
Announcement of Tito Puente’s show at Birdland in 1999
The San Francisco Bay Area is fortunate to have many musical talents who have made left this corner of the United States of America at the top. Acclaimed Julio Bravo is one of them and there are many reasons for stating that. Julio Bravo is a famous singer and musician who has been performing with his orchestra in many nightclubs and salsa festivals for quite some time now. He is the leader of the Orquesta Salsabor, which is composed of 12 members whose place of residence is the East Bay.
This Peruvian says that they are a hard-working group with many decades of experience. He has also said at times that playing with the same people for so long makes a huge difference in terms of sound. In that sense, Salsabor is not unlike other orchestras of its type and time.
As a child, Bravo already showed a big vocation by the world of music and this is reflected in his appearance on children’s television programmes, school plays and some more formal projects. At the end of the 80s, he came to the United States and it would not be long before he started walking the path still to be followed today. One of his first projects was his incorporation into the Trio Los Chalanes, which led him to become more and more known in the Latin community of his new country of residence.
One of the events that projected the most his image as an artist was his brilliant participation on the TV show Buscando Estrellas, a contest in which he reached the final and became much more recognized than he already was thanks to his hard work. With the amount of fame he had earned so far, he started taking part in La Orquesta Internacional, with which he performed on countless occasions in various venues in California and had a heavy demand from places that wanted him to perform there.
A few years later, he made the difficult decision to create his own orchestra which he named Salsabor and with which he remains active to this day. All this time, both Julio and his musicians have earned a reputation for professionalism and quality that would guarantee them the confidence of many festival organizers in night clubs and private events.
His hard work has made his orchestra one of the most important salsa groups in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Julio Bravo Y Su Orquesta Salsabor
Interview
We are talking with Julio Bravo, Peruvian artist and leader of Orquesta Salsabor. Good afternoon, Julio. How are you?
Very good afternoon, Karina. I am delighted to be here. Thank you for the invitation.
Julio, you had your first contact with music when you were very young in your country. At what age did you know you wanted to dedicate yourself to the musical world?
I think you are born with that. I think it all started when I was in school. In elementary school, I was always involved in the performances or the school theater. That’s how I think it all started.
So, from schooling age, you already expressed this interest in the world of music and the arts.
Exactly. I did not necessarily sing, but we acted and did skits. In my neighborhood, musical manifestations were very frequent. My parents always organized meetings at home and my friends came, and they loved to bring their guitars and the acoustic cajón. There were always meetings at my house or at a neighbor’s.
Do you think there was something that inspired you?
In Peru, we have the Creole music genre. Since I was a small child I listened to it at home with my parents. In order to play it, you only need the cajón accompanied by a guitar. In neighborhoods, when there are no guitarists, children have a cajon or they make one in wood. In the 70s and 80s, there was a strong influence from Creole music on radio and television in my country, plus my parents and neighbors liked it. So, seeing all that up close was one of the things that inspired me.
Peruvian bandleader, singer and musician Julio Bravo
In 1991, you were on the TV show Buscando Estrellas, since your career took off in many ways. Do you consider that this project changed your professional future?
That helped me a lot, but it happened when I had barely two years here. When I came from Peru, I did not want to be a great musician or look for work in that field. I came to seek a future in whatever God put in my way and I was fortunate to have music as an instrument to generate work. When I started singing here, on my first week here, I went to sing at a restaurant because some friends took me over there. It was called ”El Chalán” and that’s where I met a group that performed that night and started playing with them, but I would recently arrived, so I had to get a revenue-generating job to pay the rent. I worked construction for about 10 years, but I was finally starting to work in music only on weekends. In 1994, I formed my orchestra after singing in several groups. I did not have such a plan, but the conditions were right and doing what you love does not take much effort because the thing leaves naturally.
You mean, when you arrived in the United States, you were ready to do other activities and the music thing just came naturally.
Exactly, I did not come with the desire to become an artist. I studied journalism at university in Peru, but I knew that it would be tough to practice my profession here because of language and immigration status. There were many obstacles that, like every immigrant, I had to learn how to overcome. I came with a degree in Communication Sciences, but I worked construction and did it with pride. 30 years later everything I worked in construction also helped me become a real estate and loan officer. However, I have not been able to leave music as a passion. I can quit jobs that have come my way, but music never.
Never got to practice journalism in the United States?
I could never practice journalism, but there were a couple of magazines run by some friends from the Peruvian community and I collaborated with them writing about show business. I also got to interview a couple of artists at that time. When La Orquesta de La Luz came to the San Francisco Bay Area, I interviewed them for that newspaper. I have not worked as a journalist, but I have done many things related to that environment. I have worked in radio and looked for a job at a television channel in my youth. Unfortunately, I did not have migration documents, the Green Card as people call it here.
Julio Bravo posing for the camera
How do you think language made things difficult for you at the beginning?
I always liked English, although I did not know how to speak it. Whenever I listened to songs in my country. We tried to imitate what artists said, but we could not (laugh). Before coming to this country, I decided to have as a priority booking intensive English classes a year before. I mean, every day, I had a two-hour class during the year my departure. That helped me a lot. When I came here, there were some barriers and I did not understand what people were saying, but I managed to learn a lot of vocabulary. Here, each working branch has its own vocabulary. If you work cleaning houses, you are not going to use the same vocabulary as if you work construction or in a store. I do not feel that language was an obstacle for me. I met people who discriminate in the early years, but that has not stopped me from moving forward. I do not think it is a barrier that prevents you from growing.
What were your favorite bands in English?
The Bee Gees and I also liked the Beatles. When the Bee Gees and the ”Saturday Night Fever” movie with John Travolta came out, I was about 13 years old and was working on a children’s television programme. On Wednesdays, we sang Peruvian music and played the cajón, but on Fridays, we did dance shows in the clothes of that time with large collars. I worked there for five years and that helped me a lot in my artistic training because it was a wonderful experience. The programme was called ”Villa Juguete”, which had music and dance. That helped me a lot to overcome stage fright.
What makes Orquesta Salsabor different from other groups in the San Francisco Bay Area?
I do not know what the main difference is. I think I like to play my original music, but I also know the importance of playing what people want to hear. You can’t just play my original music because I am no longer famous enough for people to know my numbers from beginning to end. For example, Oscar D’ León has more than 50 years in the artistic life and still plays ”Llorarás” every time he comes to the Bay. When people listen to one of those songs, they come out to dance immediately. I think I have the good sense to know when to play the hit songs that I have chosen over the years. I think that is what has differentiated me from other orchestras.
Julio Bravo, Martin Villamizar, Evelio Llamas and Alberto Palomino (three of his musicians)
What do you think has been your best professional decision in your career?
The best decision I have made was to form my orchestra and it has taught me many things. I was taught to be a manager, a soundman, among other things. If someone new in this world wants to know what steps to take, I can gladly say what not to do to not make any mistakes. I do not think we have made mistakes as an orchestra, since we have always tried to do our best. We have had to travel in a van, in a plane or each in his own vehicle to go to play. The musician moves by the desire and motivation to show the gift which the Lord gave us. The restaurant and record label owners move by the economic benefit, but the case of the musician is different. I think the best decision I have made was to form my orchestra. I think that, if you talk to the musicians I have worked with, they know that, as the leader of the orchestra, I have done the best I could to offer them a good, fun and healthy working environment.
And the worst one?
When I started with the orchestra, I wanted to make studio recordings here and I lost a lot of money because the musicians I called to record did not arrive after I paid for the studio. The desire to to record here made me lose a lot of money. And by the way, this was money I was saving for the project, but it was gone away soon enough. That’s where I was recommended to talk to a producer and musician named Oscar Pitín Sanchez. I only knew him by his music, but I struck up a friendship with him. He helped me produce two of my salsa records. Sadly he passed away last year. Then I started getting some experience in the recording studios because experience is needed for everything. In the studios, the thing is cooler because there is no audience to applaud you. On the contrary, you do not want to make any mistakes because everything will be recorded. After being wrong in producing my own album without the required experience, I found a light on the way after a very long tunnel (laugh).
