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What’s Happening in London?

Five Salsa & Latin Jazz Events To Be Held In The UK Capital That You Can’t-Miss

The United Kingdom has removed essential restrictions against Covid-19 and its Omicron variant after battling weeks with the new wave of infections in the country since the end of last year.

The British executive has provided the relaxation of the restrictive measures due to the low numbers of infected people and deaths. This relaxation seeks to initiate the return to complete normality.

The new measures that are no longer mandatory are the use of masks (it will be at personal discretion, however, they must wear them if the site is crowded with unknown people or it is a closed space), and Covid passports are no longer a legal requirement to enter to the establishment.

For these reasons, we bring you a range of options in the Salsa & Latin Jazz genres in the country this month that you will be excited to see, and that you will not want to miss any detail. Here, we go…

latin woman with orange dress dancing in gabeto restaurant / bar — Gabeto offers Cuban, Colombian, and Puerto Rican Salsa style, classes

We open this poster of options with the Gabeto Camden Restaurant/Bar. This Cuban gem north of the city has two floors, a Latin atmosphere, and an outdoor terrace. They serve genuine Latin dishes, modern British drinks with Afro-Caribbean twists, and have a wide variety of nightly events throughout the week.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays you will live the Salsa experience with the instructor Ramiro Zapata (from Bolivia) with more than 20 years of experience in Salsa. Ramiro teaches his Cross Body style with a mix of Cuban, Colombian, and Puerto Rican Salsa, as well as a strong focus on Cali (Colombia) style footwork, male body movement, and female style. The cost of the lessons varies depending on the length of instruction; one hour is £10 while two hours cost £12. Lessons start at 7:30 PM and end at 9:30 PM except on Sundays with Rumba Pa’ Ti classes which are from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The Cuban spirit is found in Gabeto, located at Camden Market, The Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, a few minutes from Camden Town and Chalk Farm stations. Only people over 18 can attend and for more details, visit their website.

pink flyer with the event of San valentine in Salsa Temple Bar — Sundays at the Salsa Temple Bar are 9 continuous hours of Salsa

We continue with the Salsa Temple Bar. Every Sunday they are explosively Salseros. DJs Jorge Andre & DJ Jlatino mix the most recognized songs of yesterday and today from Timba, Salsa, Cubaton, and Bachata. Beginner Salsa Classes start at 6 PM, Bachata lessons at 7 PM, and Cuban Salsa instruction is at 8 PM. The cost for admission is £5 and on February 14^th, they will offer the Valentine’s Night Fuego event.

Starting this month Salsa Temple Bar with Rhythm & Vibes Dance Co and The Latin Collective will make Monday nights the biggest Afro-Latin party in the country appearing in the Latin Room (Second Room) Salsa, Bachata, and Reggaeton. In addition to this, there will be Salsa and Bachata classes for one session (1 hour) for £7 and two sessions (2 hours) for £10.

Bar Salsa Temple is located at Temple Station WC2R 2PH. Join and experience the Sabor in detail on its official website.

Roberto Plas playing the Timbal — Roberto Pla is the Colombian percussionist known as the “Father of Latin Music” in the UK

As a third option, we bring you the concert of Roberto Pla’s Latino ensemble on Friday, February 4^th at Pizza Express – Holborn. This Latin Jazz concert led by Colombian percussionist Roberto Pla is made up of a 12-piece band of saxophones, trumpets, trombones plus a powerful layered percussion section with Roberto on timbales and the powerful voice of Graciela Rodríguez.

The most recent presentations of the Latin Ensemble orchestra have been the Brecon Jazz Festival, Expo Festival Lisbon, Canada Square Festival, Under the Stars Festival, among many others.

Admission to enjoy this live performance is £25 and starts at 8:00 PM. The venue is Pizza Express Jazz Club located at 99 High Holborn since 2017. This Jazz Club is considered one of the best clubs of its kind in Britain with an international reputation. Performances by Grammy winners such as Gregory Porter and Amy Winehouse have been seen here.

Trumpeter with beige suit on Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club — The Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club presents every Friday of the month “Viva Cuba Live”

We continue with the most important and historic jazz club in the world founded in 1959, Ronnie Scott’s. In addition to the main club, there is the bar known as Upstairs @ Ronnie’s, it is highly regarded as an elegant and luxurious venue recreating the atmosphere of the ’50s, ideal for spending the night in style.

As part of the new Jazz club policy, they are expanding their program of Latin events at Upstairs @ Ronnie’s. Below I detail the events that will be held on Fridays from 6 PM during this month.

Jesús Cutiño Band + DJ Gavin (February 4^th). Jesús Cutiño is a Cuban singer-songwriter recognized as one of the best Tres players in Europe (the Tres is the Cuban guitar that forms one of the pillars of the Cuban Son sound).

Sarabanda + DJ Rico (February 11^th). With this band, you will listen to arrangements of classic and contemporary Cuban songs.

Son Yambu + DJ Jim (February 18^th). This group plays the authentic Cuban Son that originated in the streets of eastern Cuba at the beginning of the last century and later gave rise to modern Salsa. Most of the members come from Cuba and have the experience of a lifetime playing the genre, as well as being passionate about maintaining the traditions of Cuban Son.

Havana Latin Fun + DJ Alex (February 25^th). This five-piece band led by piano/vocals René Álvarez presents Cuban melodies with amazing rhythms.

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club is located at 47 Frith St, London W1D 4HT, and you can find out more by clicking here.

Bishopsgate institute with green flag — The Latin and Ballroom Dance course for beginners will be held in person

We close this list of Latin events in London with the Latin and ballroom dance lessons for beginners next Saturday, February 12^th. With this one-day course, you will learn how to perform the basic steps, footwork and move around the floor with the correct dance line. The hours will be between 11 AM and 4 PM, and the price is £25. The maximum limit is 30 students. The venue is the Bishopsgate Institute located at 230 Bishopsgate EC2M 4QH. An institution was erected for the benefit of the public in 1894 with the motto “I never stop learning”.

You Can Also Read: 6 Clubs To Dance Salsa In London

Junito Albino and his collaborations with many orchestras

How Junito Albino began his career

Junito Albino is one of those artists who has been influenced by some of the greatest artists in Latin music and that has led him to become what he is today. Julio Junito Albino was born in New York in 1962 and got curious about the same music at the age of 11, after which he joined the school band of San Germán until he graduated from high school. When he was still a teenager, he began to play timbales with the first group to which he belonged, whose name was Orquesta La Crítica and belonged to director and trumpeter Fernando Vega.

When he attained the proper age, he began to study music education at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in 1980, when he would be a part of the Orquesta Kachende de Mayaguez whose direction was by Gilberto Gili Toro. With this group of musicians, he released his first record production. By that time, he met singer-songwriter Antony Martínez, with whom he would have a great friendship.

Julio Albino — Renowed timbalero Julio *Junito* Albino

In 1983, he went to live in New York City and began collaborating with the Orquesta de Los Hermanos Colón, with whom he wasted no time in returning to the Island of Enchantment to do some live performances. With this same group, he recorded his second album Ámame Un Poquito Más, which was directed by Sergio George.

Some of the orchestras with which Albino worked

Another of the most important society that Albino achieved realizing during his career was with Joe Quijano’s orchestra and his Conjunto Cachana, with whom he had the opportunity to share the stage with La Guarachera de Cuba Celia Cruz, The King of Timbales Tito Puente, Latin Grammy winner Ray Santos, talented pianist Charlie Palmieri and many others.

In 1986, he was fortunate to accompany some of the greatest artists from Latin genres such as Paquito Guzman, Marvin Santiago, Hector Tricoche and many more. One of the greatest unions that he would give tangible shape to would be with Moncho Santana’s Orchestra, former vocalist of Grupo Niche, with whom he chalked up enormous successes and demonstrated all his talent. However, collaborations would not stop there.

Junito also came to be part of the orchestra of Tito Nieves and that of Ramon Rodriguez. The latter was directed by pianist Gilberto Colón, Jorge González (bongo) and Willie Romero (conga). With all his accumulated experience at this point in his life, it was not difficult for him to find a place in the Orquesta Tártaro led by Franke Ruíz.

When he moved back to Puerto Rico, he was also in other orchestras in the country such as Puerto Rican Power, Jorge Carrión, Luisito Escobar and many more. In addition to the foregoing, he has managed to work as a producer and musician in a large number of independent groups collaborating with percussion, timbales, bongo and other instruments.

After a successful career in other groups, he decided to create his own orchestra, Secreto A Voces, in which genres such as salsa and Latin jazz stand out. His first album was called Báilalo and contained songs of his own that were big hits in some European countries such as Italy. His second album was entitled Haciendo Ruido and included the participation of artists such as Nino Segarra, Jaime Rivero, among others.

Salsa Superior Award won by Secreto A Voces in the category of musical quality

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

Sidney Poitier

The Golden Gentleman Of Hollywood

Sidney Poitier, the Golden Gentleman of Hollywood, died six days after the start of 2022 (January 6^th, 2022) at his home in Beverly Hills (Los Angeles – California) as a result of a combination of heart failure, Alzheimer, and cancer prostate (according to the death certificate obtained by the TMZ website). And although he is no longer with us on this earthly plane, at ISM wanted to pay a heartfelt tribute to this famous man on the Big Screen.

We can only start with how a Gentleman is identified. A man with this distinction is characterized by the behavior of absolute courtesy with the people around him, deep nobility regardless of gender, race, or creed, and exuberant distinction in any situation. Qualities that were always present in the behavior of one of the Afro-descendant men in Hollywood with values and principles unalterable over time, we are referring to our Golden Gentleman of Hollywood, Sidney Poitier.

Sidney from his childhood in the Bahamas developed high self-esteem. He was not able to differentiate between skin tones, on the contrary, he only saw people with the same rights, duties, and obligations. That is why he was always ready to give his image and resources to the defense of civil rights on the big screen, as well as stand by the African-American political activist Martin Luther King and in turn, participate in peaceful demonstrations such as the Pilgrimage of Prayer for Freedom (1957) and the March for Jobs and Freedom on Washington (1963).

This actor and director was raised within a family and society where mutual respect, great affection, integrity, and laughter were the premises. These teachings nurtured his life and helped him translate into each of the characters he played in the mecca of cinema.

His multiple characters reflected the kindness, sacrifice, dignity, and greatness of human life, thus leaving an extensive cinematographic legacy with more than 50 films since 1950.

Barack Obama, Sidney Poitier, Michelle Obama — Ex-President Barack Obama presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom (August 12th, 2009) to Sidney during a White House ceremony.

His physical departure has been the center of great posthumous recognition by the industry, such as the cases of Denzel Washington (actor), Oprah Winfrey (writer and television presenter), Lupita Nyong’o (actress), and many more representatives of the Afro-American community living in the United States.

“Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomized dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors. Michelle and I send our love to his family and legion of fans.” Farewell words from ex-President Barack Obama through his Twitter account.

6 Emblematic Movies Of Poitier

Sidney Poitier never really wanted to be an actor. The truth is that at the age of 15 he didn’t know how to read well either. Words made up of more than three syllables were quite a challenge, and every time he had to read them, he got a feeling of defeat.

So, how did Sidney get into acting? The answer is by accident during his stay in New York City. In his search for a job as a dishwasher, he came across an advertisement that powerfully caught his attention and said “Actor Wanted” and although Sidney did not know what that job was about, he decided to attend the casting with gallantry.

Sidney Poitier in Black and White in NYC — Poitier bought a true confession magazine for ladies and memorized two paragraphs to audition at the American Negro Theater

That day two stories converged. The first was the impetus of creating a fruitful career in acting, while the second story is the narration of the moment when this actor with entrenched convictions felt deeply offended as never before in his life.

Poitier auditioned but due to his poor reading skills, acting, Caribbean accent, and skin color, Sidney was disrespectfully kicked out. He was held by his coat collar and pants belt and thrown into the street. The words of that man were “You can’t read, you can hardly speak, and you have that accent… Why don’t you go find a job as a dishwasher?”

That day was one of intense reflection for the golden gentleman of Hollywood. Walking down Lenox Avenue, he thought about what happened, and his indignation at that situation that he constantly remembered led him to make the best decision of his life, Sidney chose to be an actor! His choice was based on his love for himself. His thought was that he was worth more than the perception that that man had of him, and once he managed to prove it to him, he would leave that profession, and that’s how this magical journey began…

His induction studies in the performing arts began in the American Negro Theater located in Harlem (NYC). Here, he offered his job as a janitor in exchange for his acting training. After not-so-pleasant experiences, he could be the substitute for the main role of the plot of the work. And on the day of the premiere Sidney had to play the leading role because the main actor (Harry Belafonte) could not attend. In that unique moment, the son of tomato farmers from the Bahamas was able to demonstrate the meaning of perseverance, determination, effort, and with his brilliant talent, he was able to captivate all attendees. Since then, job offers in acting for Sidney began to arrive.

Sidney Poitier sitting in a Red Armchair during the filming of a scene — “I can’t represent a scene that I don’t find the texture of humanity in the material.” Sidney Poitier

His first professional job was on Broadway in the classic play Lysistrata (a Greek comedy) in 1946. This was followed by the play Anna Lucasta and later his film debut in No Way Out in 1950.

A narrative that is based on the medical assistance to an intolerant Caucasian criminal by a doctor of color (Dr. Luther Brooks) played by Sidney. Poitier’s first film role broke Hollywood’s established stereotypes for African-American actors, while this film was the first to directly address racism.

“My Values are not disconnected from the values of the black community, so I go in front of the camera with a responsibility to be respectful…” Sidney Poitier

Blackboard Jungle (1955). This film struck the social chord of an educational system and helped revolutionize Rock and Roll music in a soundtrack for a big-budget movie. With this performance, Poitier was full of praise for his participation in the secondary role as Gregory Miller, a troubled student who decides to stay in school.

Three years later comes The Defiant Ones (1958) and with it his first nomination for the Academy Awards. This dramatic film had its center in racial harmony. Two shackled fugitives, John “Joker” Jackson (Tony Curtis) and Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier), escape from the prison truck. As they try to evade the police, they overcome their racial prejudices.

In 1963 the film would come that changed the life of this actor born at seven months in Miami and raised in Nassau (Bahamas), Lilies of the Field. This cinematic drama dives into Faith and is about an ex-soldier (Homer Smith) played by Sidney, who is persuaded by an order of nuns to do farm work and build a chapel. During the process, Smith earns the respect and admiration of all. This leading role brought Poitier his first Oscar, and he thus became the first black man to receive this award for Best Actor in 1964.

“What the character was doing was exhibiting a vast sense of self and the wonders of being alive. The wonders of being a Human and the responsibilities…” Sidney stated in an interview conducted by the Academy of Achievement in 2014.

Sidney Poitier dressed in a suit with the Oscar in his hand — Oprah Winfrey will make a film about the life of Hollywood’s Golden Gentleman, Sidney Poitier

It was followed in 1967 by In the Heat of the Night. This film also starred the winner of the Honorary Oscar in 2002. The plot deals with the resolution of a crime in a small town in Mississippi. Here, the police chief of the southern place decides to interrogate the only African-American man who was traveling as a foreigner through the city. Sidney played this character, but this outsider was a detective from Philadelphia. This film won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1968.

“When I read the script I told the producer (Walter Mirisch – very close friend) I can’t play this. In the scene, this guy comes up to me and slaps me and I glare at him and walk away… I can’t do that because the human responses that would be natural in those circumstances we’re suppressing serve the values of greed on the part of the acquiescence of Hollywood. You certainly won’t do it with me. Not only will I not, but I will respond as a human being would naturally respond. It blows me up and I’ll blow it back up and you have to put it in writing.” Sydney anecdote. So, it was!

The last milestone that Poitier marks that same year is in the story of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? This film is a family drama that involves racial tolerance. The story is based on an African-American doctor who travels to meet his in-laws, unleashing a series of intra-family conflicts associated with racial stigma. The actors who performed the main characters are Katharine Hepburn (Christina Drayton), Spencer Tracy (Matt Drayton), Sidney Poitier (John Prentice), and Katharine Houghton (Joey Drayton). This film breaks the discriminatory social barrier towards people of color, as Sidney becomes the first African-American man to kiss a white woman on the big screen.

Sidney Poitier was also a producer and director from the late 1970s. He was born unusually while his parents were on a business trip from the Bahamas to Miami (FL). His parents were dedicated to the cultivation of tomatoes and later sold them. In one of those trips to sell the agricultural product, Sidney’s mother (Evelyn) broke her waters at seven months of gestation and gave birth to Sidney (her last-child) in the African-American section through a midwife from the North American city, for there were no hospitals for colored people.

Sydney Tamiia (Daughter), Sidney Poitier, Joanna Shimkus (Wife), and Anika (Daughter)

The life of this Golden Gentleman of Hollywood is an example of integrity, values, and effort. He learned to read while working as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Queens (NYC) with lessons from a Jewish waiter every night after work. He opened the doors for new African-American movie stars. He broke down social stigmas that fit with the color barrier where African-Americans could only personify criminals or servitude.

At 94, the movie icon left behind six daughters from two marriages, the last to Canadian actress and model Joanna Shimkus in 1976.

ISM mourns the departure of this stronghold man from the big screen. Rest In Peace, Sidney Poitier (1927–2022).

Some of our information was taken from the American Academy of Achievement interview with Sidney Poitier.

You Can Also Read: News “En Clave”

Luis Medina as a master of ceremonies, broadcaster, DJ and much more

Incredible conversation with Luis Medina

Good afternoon, everyone. We are here with broadcaster, DJ and event producer Luis Medina. Mr. Medina, how are you today?

I am well and ready to talk to you right now.

Mr. Medina, you have a very long career as a radio presenter. You got started in this business in 1974. What led you to spend so much time in your career on the radio?

In 1971 I was studying architecture at San Francisco State University, but in 1974 I changed my major to broadcasting and communications in the Department of Radio and Television. When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by broadcasters on TV with their microphones. My parents gave me a toy microphone, and I always imagined I was broadcasting. At the time I was accepted in the broadcasting program, I already loved salsa because my cousin Stella played popular music for me since I was about 8 years old. I loved all kinds of music. At home, we always had the radio on, and my parents always listened to tropical music, which was very common at that time.

In 1974 my cousin Eduardo invited me to go to a radio station called KBRG to visit some friends who had a program called Venezuela Suya. In another studio in the station, there was a radio producer named Arturito Santiago, who was the master of ceremonies for the Gran Combo de Puerto Rico when they did dances in San Francisco hotels. When I saw him doing his job, I was intrigued. Two months later, my cousin called to tell me that he’d gotten involved in a community radio station called KPOO San Francisco and asked me if I wanted to help him with the show. I brought a stack of LPs, and we did the show from midnight until 6 am. I went a few times to help, but I could not maintain that pace because I was still in college.

A few months later, he called me to tell me that he had a show from 3pm to 6pm on Sundays. He told me he was talking to other people I knew in order to do the show together. I got a segment of 45 minutes to an hour to do whatever I wanted, so I decided to start programming salsa. I helped produce several programs until I had my own show. In 1979, while I had a four-hour show on Saturdays on KPOO, KBRG’s program director, Al Carlos Hernandez, called me. KBRG was a powerful FM station at that time. That gave me the opportunity to do a commercial show.

DJ Luis Medina — Broadcaster Luis Medina with two maracas

I am part Venezuelan and part Mexican, but I grew up in the United States. I spoke Spanish perfectly until I was five years old, but when I started school, I just wanted to speak English in school and at home. When I turned 18, I decided to get my culture back and relearn to speak Spanish again. However, I’m wasn’t completely fluent in Spanish because I have to translate mentally from English. I explained the situation to Al Carlos, and he told me that he did not care. That’s how I became the first radio announcer to do salsa programming in English on a Spanish-speaking station. The program was called Sabor Caliente and it lasted about a year and a half, until they let me go due to philosophical differences. After that, I did specials in KPFA, until Víctor Castro, who produced the program Ahora, invited me to alternate weeks with him. I produced salsa shows on KPFA from 1983 to 1995.

What Medina has to say about all his combined activities

How do you balance your radio activities and event production and your job as a DJ?

When I was a student at San Francisco State University, I became co-director of the university’s productions to present musical acts. From 1974 to 1976 I presented acts from various genres such as rock, R&B, and jazz, among others. I also presented some salsa and Latin jazz shows, including Pete and Sheila Escovedo, who were part of Roger Glenn’s band, Benny Velarde and others. I became friends with Pete and Sheila before Sheila became Sheila E and I also worked with Pete’s brother, Coke Escovedo in the 70s.

Then I met Roberto Hernandez, who had an organization that helped produced the first major street fairs in the San Francisco Mission district together with a coalition of community agencies. I got involved with the fairs, which presented the famous singer Joe Bataan among others. It was the era of Latin rock, but salsa was also booming. I was part of the renaissance of salsa music that occurred on the radio, but I also had the opportunity to play an influential role in the community in the Mission. In 1977, the Mission Cultural Center opened in a furniture store ran by artists that were organizing it. I became part of the music committee and we presented performances and salsa groups that were growing in fame at that time. I was involved on the activities of the center until the 1980s, when some of us created a production group called CMP (Cultural Music Productions). During the 80s we did a series of dances, in which I worked as master of ceremonies. I already had experience as master of ceremonies because when I was at KBRG, they gave me the opportunity to introduce some great shows with Celia Cruz, La Sonora Matancera, Oscar D’ León, Cal Tjader and La Orquesta Broadway. I was also master of ceremonies for Brazilian carnivals for about five years. With CMP I was involved in dances with Willie Colón, Bobby Valentín, Oscar D’ León, and boxing champion Roberto Durán (who at the time wanted to be a salsa singer).

Eventually I left CMP, and I was contacted by Roberto Hernandez, who offered me the position of entertainment director of his new organization, MECA. I accepted and started to help him program the schedule for events such as the San Francisco Carnival, and the 24 Street Fair. I worked with Roberto until 1994 and we presented Santana, Los Lobos, Eddie Palmieri, Luis Henrique, Willie Colón, Yomo Toro, Mighty Sparrow, The Neville Brothers, Shaggy, and many more. When Roberto Hernandez left the organization, I stayed for four more years and worked with Manny Oquendo and Libre, John Santos, Pete Escovedo and Pancho Quinto. In 1998, the president of the organization Patricia Aguayo and I had some problems, so we stopped working together.

A radio DJ and a party DJ are two completely different things. It took me a little while to adjust to being a live DJ. In the early 1990’s, the producers at the Alta Vista club hired me from time to time. Then, they moved to a ship called Alta Vista del Mar in Pier 3, and occasionally hired me as their DJ.

Event producir Luis Medina — Event producer Luis Medina posing for or the camera

In 1994 I met a very ambitious young Venezuelan by the name of Adrian Goddard and started working with him at his club, 330 Ritch. It was a winning combination of Adrian’s talent as an event producer and my talent as a DJ and MC. I worked there for about nine very successful months, but then I had an opportunity with KPFA and I was forced to leave the club because the schedule conflicted. My priority was to produce my own salsa show (ironically, this program didn’t last long, but in 1997 they offered me the same slot, which would become the program Con Sabor, which I still produced today, 25 years later, at KPFA, on Saturdays from 9-11pm.)

A little later, Kimballs Carnaval hired me as a Latin House DJ, as this rhythm was very popular at that time. I wanted to please them, but it wasn’t a good fit. Eventually I was hired as a salsa DJ by the club Kimballs West. This opened other opportunities and I became the DJ in residence at the most prominent salsa clubs in San Francisco at the time, the legendary Jelly’s Cafe, where I DJ’d until it closed in 2010 and the popular Café Cócomo, which closed in 2014. I now DJ and MC primarily for special events and private parties.

Something very important in my story is that in 1997 I worked with Bill Martinez and Arturo Riera and they both gave me the opportunity to be master of ceremonies for a very important series of concerts featuring Cuban musicians who were allowed into the States for the first time. I was the first master of ceremonies for a Los Van Van concert in San Francisco and I also represented my show and KPFA for their concert at Stern Grove in 2019. That was one of many times that I worked with that group. I also was the MC for Orquesta Aragon, Cubanismo, NG La Banda and other Cuban acts.

During the pandemic, I was offered a show with an online radio station called World Salsa Radio. I started the show Sabiduría con Tumbao on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 pm. What makes this show different from Con Sabor is that Sabiduría Con Tumbao is a conceptual program that focuses on certain musicians, musical themes and movements within salsa and Afro-Latin music. On the other hand, Con Sabor offers a broader perspective of salsa, Latin Jazz and música cubana from the classics to the latest.

Since the pandemic started, I produce all my radio shows at home. I managed to master the technology and built my own home studio. I am not afraid of technology or modern things. I go with the flow because I’ve learned that I should be at the forefront of technology and music. If I do not know something, I am going to research it right away. I keep an open mind and ears and I appreciate and listen to all kinds of music, something that was key when I was music director at KPFA from 2001 through 2014. In terms of my own programs, I really love salsa from the 70s, but I’m not stuck in any time period.

Eduardo and Luis — Our editor Eduardo Guilarte and Luis Medina

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.