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Génesis of Salsa, its essence, characteristics, rhythm, history and expansión

Salsa and more Salsa

SALSA is the commercial term used since the late 1960s to define a Hispanic music genere, resulting from the synthesis of Cuban son and other Caribbean music genres with jazz and other American rhythms. Salsa has varieties from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and other Latin American countries.

From this synthesis, Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz was also born, which has influences from other countries as well. Salsa was developed by musicians of Caribbean origin (Cuban and Puerto Rican) in the Greater Caribbean and New York City. Salsa encompasses various styles such as salsa dura, salsa romantica and timba.

Genesis and expansion of salsa: chronology of themes

ESSENCE

Cuban director Machito said that salsa was what he had played for forty years (between 1930 and 1970 approximately) before the musical genre was named. On the other hand, the New York musician of Puerto Rican descent, Tito Puente, denied the existence of salsa as a genre in itself, affirming that “what they call salsa is what I’ve played for many, many years: it’s called mambo, guaracha, chachachá, guaguancó, everything is Cuban music.

The musician Eduardo Morales defines salsa as “a new turn of the traditional rhythms to the sound of Cuban music and the cultural voice of a new generation,” “a representation of Cuban and Hispanic identity in New York.

New York Salsa

It is also argued that the cut in cultural exchange between Puerto Ricans and the United States — New York Salsa

Nevertheless, some authors point out as a fundamental element in the emergence of salsa the role of Puerto Rican musicians and their culture, both on the island of Puerto Rico and in its New York diaspora. In that sense, the specific weight of Puerto Ricans in New York is pointed out, who, although a minority, were
Numerically far superior to any Latin American settlement.

It is also argued that the cut-off in cultural exchange between Puerto Ricans and the United States in New York’s Latin music scene.

MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Musical Instruments

The sauce has the following characteristics:

Rhythm: It uses as a base the clave de son, the rhythmic pattern of the Cuban son, which can be 2-3 or Melody:
In many cases, the melodies used in salsa correspond to those traditionally used in the son montunoa although it can also be assimilated to other genres of Cuban and traditional Caribbean music, including melodies of Latin American popular music.
Harmony: It corresponds to that used in Western music.
Instrumentation: It uses Cuban percussion instruments popularized since the 1920s such as pailaso timbales, bongo, Cuban güiro, cowbell, two maracas and conga.

Arsenio Rodríguez was the first musician to incorporate the conga or tambo into dance orchestras.

The percussion, the instrumentation is completed with piano, double bass (in many cases electric bass), trumpets, saxophone, trombones, flute and violin.

Puerto Rican Salsa

The influence of Afro-Cuban jazz is determined by the arrangement, although it is not an essential condition in salsa.

RHYTHM

Clave de son the most representative rhythmic cell of salsa is called “clave de son” which is traditionally interpreted by the claves.

Salsa dancers and musicians group the pattern into two parts:
1. A) A part of 3 clave touches where an intermediate counter rhythm is presented.
2. B) A part of 2 keystrokes of clave 2 without a counter rhythm.

The numbers represent the blacks, the plus sign [+] represents the hit of the claves, and the dot [.] represents each quaver.
“son key 3-2”
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
+ . . + . . + . . . + . + . . .
“son key 2-3”
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
. . + . + . . . + . . + . . + .

Rumba key
There is another similar rhythmic pattern that is rarely used in salsa, and comes from the Cuban rumba complex. This pattern presents 2 counter-rhythms in one of its parts.
“rumba clave 3-2”
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
+ . . + . . . + . . + . + . . .
“clave e rumba 2-3”
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
. . + . + . . . + . . + . . . +

Son Key (3-2)
The clave is not always played directly, but forms the basis of other percussion instruments, as well as the song and accompaniment, which use it as a common rhythm for their own phrases. For example, this is the common rhythm of the bell with harpsichord 2-3:
. . + . + . . . + . . + . . . + clef 2-3
+ . * . + . * * + . * * + . * * Bell coincides with the 2 of key
The plus sign [+] represents a severe blow of the bell.
The asterisk [*] represents a sharp blow of the bell.

Salsa Cubana — In 1933, Cuban musician Ignacio Piñeiro first used a related term, in a Cuban son entitled “Échale salsita.

THE TERM SALSA
In 1933, Cuban musician Ignacio Piñeiro first used a related term, in a Cuban son entitled “Échale salsita”.

In the mid-1940s, Cuban Cheo Marquetti emigrated to Mexico.

Back in Cuba, influenced by spicy food sauces, he gave that name to his group Conjunto Los Salseros, with whom he recorded a couple of albums for the Panart and Egrem labels. In 1957 he traveled to Caracas-Venezuela for several concerts in that city and it was in Venezuela where the word “salsa” began to be broadcast on the radio to the music made by Cuban soneros inside and outside the island, designating them as “salseros”.

Music author Sue Steward states that the word was originally used in music as a “cry of appreciation for a particular spice or a quick solo,” coming to describe a specific genre of music from the mid-1970s “when a group of “Latin” (Latin American) musicians from New York began examining the arrangements of the great popular classical bands from the mambo era of the 1940s and 1950s.

She mentions that the first person who used the term “salsa” to refer to this musical genre in 1968 was a Venezuelan radio disc jockey named Phidias Danilo Escalona, who was broadcasting a morning radio program called La hora de la salsa (The Salsa Hour) in which Latin music produced in New York was broadcast as a response to the bombardment of rock music in those days (the Beatlemania).

The Time for Salsa According to this version, Phidias Danilo Escalona

Salsa time — Venezuelan radio disc jockey named Phidias Danilo Escalona

What do you play?
What we do, we do with flavor, it’s like ketchup, which gives flavor to food.
What is this ketchup?
Well, that’s a sauce that is used in the United States to flavor the hamburger.Ah…! So what you guys play is sauce? Well, ladies and gentlemen, let’s now listen to the salsa of Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz.

Bobby Cruz called Pancho Cristal to baptize with the term “salsa” the new LP that was being launched to the market, Los Durísimos (1968). This version is supported by salsa singers such as Rubén Blades, Tite Curet Alonso and others.
It was lunchtime, time for the dressing, the flavor, and of course, the Cuban son, the guaguancó, the guaracha and the montuno.

Ed Morales also mentions the word as being used to encourage a band to increase the tempo and “put the dancers on top” to welcome a musical moment, [and] express a type of cultural nationalism, proclaiming the warmth and flavor of Latino culture.

He also mentions Johnny Pacheco, who made an album called Salsa na’ má, which Morales translated as “you just need a little bit of salsa or seasoning.

The word salsa to designate music made by “Latinos” in the United States, began to be used on the streets of New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

By this time, Latin pop was not a major force in the music heard in the United States as it lost ground to doo wop, R&B and rock and roll.

The emergence of salsa opened a new chapter of Latin music in American popular music where the Fania All-Stars orchestra, directed by Dominican Johnny Pacheco who along with the late lawyer Jerry Masucci founded the important salsa label Fania Records.

HISTORY AND EXPANSION

During the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, Afro-Cuban music was widely consumed by sectors of “Latino” (‘Latin American’) origin in New York City. Cubans in New York, Puerto Ricans, and other musicians from other countries, based their music largely on elements of Afro-Cuban origin.

According to some musicians and historians, [who?] salsa is a trade name given to all Cuban music in the 1970s. Salsa expanded in the late 1970s and during the 1980s and 1990s.

New instruments, new methods and musical forms (such as songs from Brazil) were adapted to salsa, and new styles appeared like the love songs of romantic salsa.

Meanwhile salsa became an important part of the music scene in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama and as far away as Japan. With the arrival of the 21st century, salsa has become one of the most important forms of popular music in the world.

Origins and instrumentation:
The integration of the tumbadoras and bongo in the groups that played son montuno was a fundamental element in the instrumentation of dance orchestras.

Bongo and Tumbadoras

In the late 1920’s, the son sextets and septets, which used bongo, reached a remarkable popularity in Cuba. In 1928, Gerardo Machado, with the intention of reducing the influence of African elements in Cuban music, prohibited the use of bongo, congas and carnival groups, which caused the charangas orchestras with the use of timbales) to increase their popularity.

Bongo was reintroduced into Cuban popular music in the late 1930s.
Around 1940, Rafael Ortiz’s Conjunto Llave introduced the tumbadoras or congas into an orchestra, instruments that were previously only used in Afro-Cuban folk music.

Arsenio Rodríguez popularized the use of congas by integrating them into his ensemble, introducing the son montuno on a commercial level.

In the 1940’s, Mario Bauza, director and arranger of Machito’s “Los Afro-Cubans” orchestra, added trombones to the son montuno and the guaracha. These innovations influenced musicians such as José Curbelo, Benny More, Bebo Valdés. In the album Tanga (1943), Bauza fused elements of Afro-Cuban music with jazz.

The influence of Afro-Cuban jazz and the mambo developed by Pérez Prado in 1948 led to the introduction of the saxophone in the son montuno and guaracha orchestras. In 1955, Enrique Jorrín added trumpets to the charanga orchestras, which until then only used violin and flute.

By the 1950s, Cuban dance music, i.e., the son montuno, mambo, rumba, and chachachá, became very popular in the United States and Europe.
In New York City, the “Cuban sound” of the bands was based on the contributions of Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican musicians. As an example, we can mention Machito, Tito Rodríguez, Johnny Pacheco, Tito Puente or even figures like the Catalan director Xavier Cugat.

On the other hand, and outside the New York circle, groups such as the Orquesta Aragón, the Sonora Matancera and Dámaso Pérez Prado y su mambo achieved an important projection at an international level.
The mambo was influenced by Afro-Cuban jazz and son. The great bands of this genre kept alive the popularity of the long tradition of jazz within Latin music, while the original masters of jazz limited themselves to the exclusive spaces of the bebop era.

The Latin music played in New York since 1960 was led by musicians like Ray Barretto and Eddie Palmieri, who were strongly influenced by imported Cuban rhythms such as the pachanga and the chachachá. After the missile crisis in 1962, Cuban-American contact declined dramatically.

In 1969 Juan Formell introduced the electric bass into Cuba’s sonero ensembles.
The Puerto Rican cuatro was introduced by Yomo Toro in Willie Colón’s orchestra in 1971 and the electric piano in the 1970s by Larry Harlow.

In the 1970s, Puerto Rican influence increased in the field of Latin music in New York and the “Nuyoricans” became a fundamental reference.

The word salsa to designate the music made by “Latinos” in the United States, began to be used on the streets of New York at the end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies.

By this time, Latin pop was not a major force in the music heard in the United States, having lost ground to doo wop, R&B and rock and roll. In that context, the emergence of salsa opened a new chapter in Latin music, especially in the United States.

The Fania record label
Fania All Stars

The history of salsa, in which a large number of musicians participated, can be traced to some extent in the history of some important record companies.

In the seventies, Fiesta Récord, Manhattan Recording Company, and especially Fania Records, launched a great number of “salseros” from New York, performing tours and concerts all over the world.

Fania Records was founded in March 1964 by lawyer and businessman Jerry Masucci and Dominican flutist and bandleader Johnny Pacheco.

Fania began with Larry Harlow and the production of El Malo by Willie Colón and Héctor Lavoe in 1967.
Fania Records gave the genre its definitive backing by recording and distributing the albums of the great majority of salsa stars of the 1970s.

Within this company, the Fania All Stars were formed, an orchestra that brought together a large number of musicians and salsa singers such as: Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Johnny Pacheco, Rubén Blades, Héctor Lavoe, Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, Bobby Cruz, and guest artists such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, and Eddie Palmieri.

The Fania All Stars instrumental ensemble represented the new tours of Caribbean music in the 1970s. In addition to the piano and bass, the presence of percussion instruments such as timba, tumba and bongo were used extensively by Puerto Rican and New York orchestras since the 1940s.

The wind instrument section was made up of three trumpets and three trombones, a rather strange endowment in the Caribbean musical tradition that would shape the particular sound of Salsa to this day.

The absence of the saxophone was remarkable, since at that time it belonged to musical concepts of the past and to the magnificence of the Big Band. The substitution of the saxophone for the trombone made it possible to differentiate, to some extent, the sound of salsa from the traditional Cuban sound.

Finally, the presence of the Puerto Rican Cuatro played by the musician Yomo Toro, who joined the group to bring the guitar from the rural Caribbean to the urban music scene (both the Cuban Tres and the Puerto Rican Cuatro), stands out.

The Puerto Rican Cuatro acquired the status of soloist and flagship instrument in the Fania All Stars while establishing the instrumental and sound differences with Cuban music.

Salsa and more Salsa is the commercial term used since the late 1960s — Genesis of Salsa

Genesis and expansion of salsa: chronology of themes

In 1969, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico recorded “Falsaria”. This song, initially a bolero, was interpreted as salsa.

Also Willie Colón’s orchestra with Héctor Lavoe as vocalist, recorded “Che che cole” and other important songs.
In 1965 Joe Cuba Sextet, with the singer Cheo Feliciano, recorded the song “El pito (I’ll never go back to Georgia)” and the same year the duo composed by Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz recorded the song “Comején”.

In 1971, Eddie Palmieri recorded the song “Vámonos pa’l monte” and Cheo Feliciano, as a soloist, recorded “Anacaona”.

In 1972 Fruko y sus Tesos, in Colombia, recorded “A la memoria del muerto”.
In 1973 Raphy Leavitt with La Selecta Orchestra recorded “Jíbaro soy”. At the same time, in Peru the song “Llegó la banda” by Enrique Lynch and his band was recorded, the same one that would be popularized by Hector Lavoe a year later.

In 1974 Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco recorded “Quimbara” and the salsa version of the Peruvian song “Toro Mata”, and Ismael Rivera did the same with “El nazareno”.
On the other hand, the Fania All Star festival held in Zaire that same year was an outstanding event in the diffusion of salsa.

In 1975, Venezuela’s Dimensión Latina, with Oscar de León as vocalist, recorded “Llorarás”, Fruko y sus Tesos recorded “El preso”, and El Gran Combo from Puerto Rico, “Un verano en Nueva York”. Héctor Lavoe began his career as a soloist with the song “Periódico de ayer”.

In 1978 La Sonora Matancera recorded “Mala mujer”. Likewise, the duo formed by Willie Colón and Rubén Blades published the album Siembra, which contained emblematic salsa songs such as “Pedro Navaja” and “Plástico”.
In 1980 Henry Fiol released his songs “Oriente” and “La juma de ayer”.

From New York, salsa expanded first in Latin America (especially in countries like Cuba, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and obviously Puerto Rico.
In the eighties it reached an important diffusion in Europe and Japan.

Miami became a kind of “second metropolis” for Cuban music, given the specific weight of the large number of Cuban immigrants.

The Cuban community became an important reference in the life of the city of Miami, contrary to what happened in New York, where the Puerto Rican influence prevailed.

Salsa after the seventies

Eighties
During the eighties the sauce expanded to Europe and Japan. In this country the Orquesta de la Luz was born, which became popular in Latin America.

At the end of this decade the so-called “salsa romántica” emerged, a style that became popular in New York, characterized by slow melodies and romantic lyrics, that is, a concept similar to the lyrics of the ballad but with a salsa rhythm.

This new manifestation of salsa was soon assimilated by Puerto Rican artists such as Frankie Ruiz, Eddie Santiago, Paquito Guzmán, Marc Anthony, Willie González, Cano Estremera; Cubans such as Dan Den, Rey Ruiz, Issac Delgado, and even Nicaraguans such as Luis Enrique.

In Colombia

Colombian Salsa

Salsa in Colombia, in the 1970s, was linked to groups like Fruko y sus Tesos through the company Discos Fuentes de Colombia and the group The Latin Brothers.

In 1988, the record company Discos Musart published the series of LP Salsa Colección Estelar, which caused an increase in popularity and led it to compete with cumbia.

In the eighties groups like Los Titanes, Grupo Niche, Orquesta Guayacán, Joe Arroyo appeared. Also in the eighties, the Cuban Roberto Torres and the Colombian Humberto Corredor developed in Miami the concept of charanga-vallenata.

Venezuelan Salsa

From the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s, the “tropical dance music” orchestras such as Alfonso Larrain’s (1947), La Sonora Caracas (1948) or maestro Billo Frómeta’s, Billo’s Caracas Boys (1951) or Los Melódicos (1958), combined in their repertoires cumbias, merengues and other Antillean rhythms with Cuban genres.

This determined the emergence of a movement that later influenced Venezuelan salsa.
In this sense, we can talk about artists such as Canelita Medina, Federico y su Combo Latino, Los Dementes or the group of the musician Carlos Emilio Landaeta, known as “Pan con queso” of the Caribbean Classic Sonero.

The salsa in Venezuela counted with groups like the Sonora Maracaibo, the Grupo Mango or Dimensión Latina, from where figures like Oscar D’León came out.

Also musicians like Nelson Pueblo added influences of llanera music to native salsa.
From 1990 to the present.
Salsa registered regular growth between the 1970s and 2000 and is now popular in many Latin American countries and some areas of the U.S. market.

Among the singers and groups that stood out in the nineties we find figures such as Rey Ruiz, Luis Enrique, Jerry Rivera, Dan Den, Marc Anthony, La InRosa, Víctor Manuelle, Michael Stuart, Celia Cruz, Maelo Ruizdia, La Sonora Matancera, DLG, Gilberto Santa .

The most recent innovations in this genre include mixing rap or reggaeton with salsa dura.
Salsa is one of the genres of “Latin” music that has influenced the music of West Africa.

An example of this influence is the group Sonero Africando in which New York musicians work with African singers such as Salif Keita and Ismael Lo.

The irruption of sensuality
From the eighties onwards, salsa orchestras began to move away from loud sounds and “descargas” to a more cadenced and melodic sound, accompanied by lyrics with abundant references to love and sexual relations as the main and, in some cases, exclusive reason.

This music was called “erotic salsa” and had as maximum exponents Eddie Santiago, Frankie Ruiz, Rey Ruiz, Willie González and Luis Enrique.

The categorization of erotic salsa resulted in the name of the previous genre as “salsa dura”, which suffered a decline in production and popularity at the same time that the new genre was consolidated. It is worth noting that in these opinions and texts about salsa there are any number of singers who are still active with it today and there are an infinite number of recordings made by them or orchestras that were not made known and that is where the work of the music lover or DJs comes in, IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF LATIN AMERICA.

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Salsa Pal Bailador

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Salsa Pal Bailador. The success of a passionate venture that goes against commercial trends

Salsa Pal Bailador - Anniversary — Salsa Pal Bailador – Anniversary

By Roberto “Vene Barral”

Last Saturday, May 6, the Garufa concert hall in A Coruña, a beautiful city in Galicia, central Spain, hosted the 5th Anniversary of Salsa pal Bailador. This event, created with the humble goal of offering a space to enjoy only quality salsa, has now become one of the most successful social events in Spain.

On the surface, the idea seems simple: organize a monthly event that brings together and gives free rein to all those who are passionate and nostalgic for pure, unadulterated salsa. But we must remember that we live in a consumer society that constantly tells us what we “have” to listen to, what fashions and styles are in and out. This is where SpB took a bold stand, going against what DJs and events were promoting at the time.

SpB emerged when kizomba, an African rhythm from Cape Verde, was spreading from neighboring Portugal into Spain. Along with the already established bachata, these were the trendy styles played at every social event that wanted to be a hit with audiences. But SpB’s proposal was even more daring. Not only did it focus exclusively on the most classic, least commercial, and least-known salsa, but it also had the audacity to schedule the event on a difficult day—Sunday—and at an even more challenging time: in the evening, starting at 8 p.m.

Perhaps in other parts of the world, organizing such an event would guarantee success with the public. But here, for the reasons already explained, it was a real challenge that was only expected to work because of the sheer tenacity that comes from having a passion for what you do.

So who are the impulsive salsa enthusiasts behind the success of Salsa pal Bailador?

DJs - Salsa Pal Bailador — DJs – Salsa Pal Bailador

For one, there’s one of the organizers of these sessions, Martín Fernández, an Argentine who has lived in Galicia for decades. He turned salsa and this event into his dream and his challenge, striving not only to make each edition better than the last but also to bring in dancers, DJs, and collaborators from other parts of Spain and abroad (Portugal, Italy, etc.). More importantly, he has tried to support all the local schools, dancers, and DJs in Galicia, as well as the salsa orchestra created by Galicians, the Orquesta Sonoridad. This is something to keep in mind, as the exposure for all these artists is possible thanks to the celebration and promotion of events like this one.

For its 5th anniversary edition, we enjoyed workshops and shows by Erik and Monika Eym Salsa from the Basque Country and Nuno and Rita from Portugal. There were also local shows like SSN Dancers, a group from a school in Betanzos, and Soulswing, a magnificent group of dancers from A Coruña, led by Javi Azúcar, who is a choreographer and guest DJ at several SpB sessions.

Over the years, many artists have participated in SpB sessions: figures such as Juan Matos, Yemambo, Carla Vocconi, Carlos Flow, Zergyo and Eva Mambo, Rui and Leonor, Nuno and Nágyla, or the local groups Mambo Sins and Son Candela, choreographed by the talented dancer Nuria Rodríguez Dieste, just to name a few.

Second, we have the two hosts who not only help organize all SpB events but also work hand-in-hand to ensure that each SpB session ends later, with more people asking for just one more song to dance to. I assure you that if the rules didn’t require a closing time, we would have the first after-hours venue where people consumed music, not substances, to stay awake. They are Manu Rumberito and El Nene del Bronx.

Salsa Pal Bailador - dance with me with Lugo - DJ Rumberito + El Nene — Salsa Pal Bailador – dance with me with Lugo – DJ Rumberito + El Nene

They are as unique as they are complementary, two tireless treasure hunters, searching for gems that haven’t yet been played on our dance floors, are unknown to our ears, or are classics we haven’t enjoyed in a long time or don’t get to hear very often. This is a luxury that, in these times of commercial music suffocation, very few of us can enjoy.

In addition, their passion for always seeking a more authentic, raw, and—why not say it?—more imperfect sound, but also one that is more acoustic and real, led them to start using vinyl records in their sessions. This trend has become SpB’s hallmark and has spread throughout Europe over time. Fortunately, we can now enjoy it at more and more events.

And, since passion is a state of mind that takes root everywhere, they found their alter egos in Madrid. Of course, they couldn’t celebrate SpB’s anniversary without them. These two turntable phenomena, Chema Sr. Importante and Marcin Martinelli, were the two guest DJs for such a special occasion. Other famous DJs have been featured at SpB sessions, including Hugo Leite, Nuno Melo, Dj Mito, Alexis Rodríguez, and Chris Beat, along with other local DJs such as Melao, Montuno, Sergio Elbembee, and the aforementioned Javi Azúcar. These DJs, like the guest dancers, aren’t unapproachable people; they come down to the dance floor to dance, chat, and enjoy themselves with the audience like everyone else.

Salsa Pal Bailador - Anniversary - DJs and workshops that will be presented — Salsa Pal Bailador – Anniversary – DJs and workshops that will be presented

At this point, many of you may be wondering: How is it possible that in a medium-sized city without a large Latin American population, an event featuring such a particular style of music can be so successful?

Well, it’s true that, fortunately for Galicians, in addition to having been welcomed with great hospitality in all the Latin countries to which we have emigrated, we have many returnees and natives from across the Atlantic living with us. This gives us the opportunity to enjoy many Cuban, Venezuelan, Colombian, and other styles of music and orchestras, which are very successful among both Galician and Latin American audiences.

But the truth is, we can say that they are different phenomena. People go to listen to the traditional music of these groups or orchestras for the pleasure of hearing those familiar tunes; it is more of a sensory delight.

However, when we talk about a social event, we associate it more with fun, leisure, and enjoyment in the sense of recreation. That’s what dancing at a social event means to us, where people of any age or condition simply let the music guide their bodies for pure joy, without any other pretensions.

It might be easy to conclude that this is the reason for the success of this type of event, and why they are so popular in this corner of the country. But we must remember that we are talking about A Coruña, a place that does not have the size or population of other large cities like Madrid, Barcelona, or Valencia. It’s a place where public attendance at these social events is high, where several social events are organized every week and on several days a week, and yet the public has been responding for decades. So what’s the secret?

Without wanting to diminish the great effort made in many other places, which despite this does not always have the deserved result, I believe that part of the success of this event is due to the courage to commit to formats or ideas that may not have an immediate and massive response or support but which, in return, offer sufficient quality to end up convincing even the most skeptical.

Therefore, in these times of commercial bombardment and mass-produced products, committing to creativity, innovation, and quality is a risky move. But we all know that if you don’t take risks, you don’t win, and SpB has taken that risk. As a result, every year it attracts more people from more places, including Portugal, Madrid, Valladolid, Asturias, Valencia, the Basque Country, Barcelona, etc. That is why, on its fifth anniversary, it has reaped its well-deserved rewards.

Salsa Pal Bailador - Congratulations — Salsa Pal Bailador – Congratulations

Congratulations to SpB and to its loyal audience, which is growing every day. Keep betting on quality!

Next event:

Salsa Pal Bailador

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Sala Garufa Club C / Riazor 5, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

After the success of its fifth anniversary celebration, the Salsa Pal Bailador event returns on Sunday, June 4, to the Salsa Garufa Club in A Coruña, Spain. It will be a night of PURA SALSA, featuring 100% vinyl with DJs Manu Rumberito and El Nene del Bronx. There will also be two shows featuring the talents of Baila Conmigo Lugo and Euphoria Ladies Project from Vigo.

More information:

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson

North America / USA /

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson is a testament to the power of music and one man’s indomitable spirit. The passion project of Peruvian-born, Miami-raised producer / multi-instrumentalist / arranger Tony Succar, Unity features more than 100 musicians, such Latin superstars as Tito Nieves, Jon Secada and Obie Bermudez and the mixing magic of Jackson’s legendary engineer Bruce Swedien in the first ever Latin album salute to The King of Pop.

Fueled by his relentless commitment, quiet determination and passionate faith in the loving message behind much of Jackson’s music, Succar has spent the last four years carefully creating Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson. He overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, turning each roadblock into a stepping stone to take the project to new heights. In the process, he married Jackson’s timeless pop and R&B tunes, such as “Thriller”, “Bilie Jean”, and “I Want You Back” to his glorious salsa and tropical rhythms, creating innovative, vibrant arrangements that snap to life with exhilarating energy.

“American funk, soul, jazz – all those styles that were influencing Michael – were inspired from African music”, Succar says. “Same with Afro – Peruvian music, Cuban music. These songs were meant to be. Their original flavor lends itself to these Latin rhythms”.

Succar, 28 grew up listening to his parents play Jackson’s music, and by 13 had begun his own music career. He started on piano and segued to percussion, graduating with a degree in jazz performance at Florida International University in 2008. But it wasn’t until after the superstar’s untimely passing in 2009 that Succar, who earned his Master’s in Jazz performance from FIU in 2010, took a deep dive into the music and the man.

Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson - Flyers — Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson – Flyers

“That’s when I became a fanatic, memorizing all his lyrics” he says. “He was an amazing singer. I started analyzing every single detail”.

As Succar pored through Jackson’s material, revisiting songs like “Man In the Mirror”, “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Care About Us” – all of which are reimagined on Unity – he came to a realization: “Michael wasn’t only a musician, he was a spiritual person. He was speaking to people’s hearts through his music. He was a true role model and leader, not only in the music industry, but life in general”, he says.

Concurrent with his discovery, Succar arranged a salsa-infused version of “Thriller” for a Halloween party at Miami’s legendary, now closed Van Dyke Café. The reaction was so immediate and overwhelmingly positive to the performance of this new arrangement, that Succar recorded a version in his bedroom with his band, posted in online and gave away copies. Djs started playing the track and Succar began getting requests from around the world for a full album of Latin – flavored Jackson songs. “That sparked it”, Succar says. “I was such a fan. I felt like I had to do something”.

He launched a Kickstarter campaign and raided more than $10,000, which allowed him to record basic tracks and the idea and harmonious ideal of Unity was born. “The one thing that stood out in Michael’s usic was love. The reality was unity,” He says. “I also wanted the title to stand for something: a real marriage between Latin roots and American pop culture and to help keep Michael’s legacy alive”.

Part of keeping Jackson’s legacy alive meant incorporating elements of the original production in each of his fresh renditions for Unity. “Even the horn lines, I would transcribe them from Quincy Jones’ produtions and then apply them to the arrangement in a different way,” Succar says. “The essence of every song was respected. I gave it my best to create this very thin line between what Michael did with his production and what I brought to the project”.

As Succar proceeded, an astounding number of coincidences buoyed the project. Succar’s initial plan was to record the album with one vocalist, soulful Broadway veteran Kevin Ceballo, but as Succar finalized the arrangements, the idea of a compilation album cae to him. The first artist he reached out to was legendary salsa singer Nieves. He heard nothing back for months . Then, one day in the studio someone suggested Nieves fo “I Want You Back”. Succar explained he’d had no success contacting Nieves.

It’s turned out a studio visitor knew Nieves, called his manager, sent Nieves an MP3, and within 10 minutes, Nieves was on the phone asking when he should come in to record his vocals.

Nieves became the project’s godfather, bringing in other Latin stars, such as India and Jean Rodriguez. “If it weren’t for Tito, I would never have been able to develop this into what it is, “Succar say. “He really opened the doors for me”. Nieves even brought in his son, Tito Nieves Jr. to duet on the album closer, an emotional take on “You are Not Alone”.

As the project progressed, Succar sought out Secada, but once again, was running into walls. He had switched to a different studio and the recording engineer just happened to have worked wih Secada and upon hearing Succar’s story, gave Succar the singer’s direct email. Secada immediately replied that he wanted to record “Human Nature,” his favorite Jackson track.

But there was more to come. Succar contacted Swedien about mixing some tracks, but failed to get a yes after more than a year’s effort. He met his engineer Nick Valentin through a mutual friend, who piped up that he’d been Swedien some music and next thing Succar knew, he’s sitting beside his hero at Swedien’s ranch as Swedien mixed “Earth Song” and “Smooth Criminal. “He was the cherry on top,” Succar says. “When we were mixing, he would put up the original Michael songs and put on our remixes to compare and contrast. He mixed the tracks on the same Harrison 32C model console he mixed ‘Thriller’ on”.

The groundbreaking album, a joint project between Universal Music Classics, Universal Music Latin Entertainment and Universal Music Mexico, embodies Jackson’s spirit of harmony and bringing diverse cultures together through music.

Members of Unity, The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson

Where there once was nothing but a dream, Succar now sees unlimited possibilities. Not only will there be a tour to support Unity: The Latin Tribute to Michael Jackson, but he is considering future Unity projects that could salute the music of other timeless artist, such as the Beatles or the Bee Gees, filtered through a Latin musical lens. “Unity is going to become a movement,” he says. And given how far Succar’s come already, who could possibly doubt him?

The Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival

North America / USA /

The Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival, Aug 24-27, 2017

The Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival - 2017 — The Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival – 2017

Performances films Lectures Dance Workshops

What better way to enjoy Albuquerque’s warm summer nights than with Latin dancing!

The Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival is three days of instruction, workshops lectures and dancing under the stars. Learn at multifaceted workshops the many Latin dance styles, or for beginners the Salsa Dance Bootcamp. Music’s and concerts make it an unforgettable event.

Know the directors!

John E. Mancini:

Music and Arts have been a part of Mr. Mancini’s life since a young age, Performing in Musicals such as The Sound of Music as Maximilian Detweiler, Bubble Trouble, and in Camelot with the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera now Musical Theater Southwest. Mr. Mancini has participated in choral singing again since his youth, from elementary school through high school and college and was a member of the New Mexi-cords, the Barbershop Chorus.

He also studied professional voice with David Majoros professional Baritone from New York City. Within the past 3 years Mr. Mancini began to study dance at the Arthur Murry Dance Studio in ABQ, including smooth and rhythm forms. Mr. Mancini was introduced to Latin Club dancing about 3 years and has become an avid enthusiast. As a result of this he became actively involved with the formation and operation of Guanabana Productions, Inc. DBA the Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival.

Julie Brovko (Treasurer and Volunteer Coordinator):

Julie began dancing as a child but did not discover Latin dance until her freshman year of college. After her first salsa class, she knew she was hooked. Julie moved to Albuquerque in 2009 to start a doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of New Mexico and immediately sought out the dance community. Her work with the ABQ Latin Dance Festival started in 2010 when she volunteered to run he registration table and she has been increasingly involved ever since.

Wellington Guzman (Vice President):

Wellington hails from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He loves music, dancing and people. He has been involved in multiple aspects of Latin music offering in Albuquerque and New Mexico. Since moving his family to New Mexico in 1995, he’s been promoting and producing salsa and merengue music events here for the love of the genre ever since. He is a well-known radio personality on KUNM and has been DJing for over 18 years. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Wellington [yet], you will soon! He is just ½ a degree of separation from anyone and everyone here in New Mexico.

Kari Leiting (Secretary):

Kari began with vaious forms of dance at the age of four. This love of dance led to teaching in Chicago and Minnesota. While teaching dance, she discovered her interest in Latin dance. Kari moved to Albuquerque in 2009 to start the clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of New Mexico. She has enjoyed the fact that the Latin dance community is so much broader in Albuquerque than in the Midwest. Her work with the ABQ Latin Dance Festival started in 2010 when she volunteered to help monitor classes and her involvement has increased each year since.

Idalia Lechuga – Tena:

Idalia is in her second year volunteering with the ABQ Latin Dance Festival and focuses on the Marketing/PR and Government Affairs strategy. A few of Idalia’s passions are music, dance and art. She dances salsa, flamenco and Tango, which she believes are three of the most passionate dances.

She has degrees in Economics, Political Science and International Politics and is fluent in four languages: Spanish, French, Italian and English, and has traveled to fifty four countries around the world. She has studied in several countries such as Chihuahua-Mexico, Pamplona-Spain, Paris-France and at the University New Mexico, to name a few.

Idalia Lechuga - Tena — Idalia Lechuga – Tena

During her undergraduate career, she wrote an electronic academic research bool on “The Positive Effects of the Immigration Spectrumin the United States in the Economic and Political Sector, with a concentration in Latino immigration” which she has written in Spanish, French and English and has presented in coferences at Universities throughout the U.S.

Idalia loves classical music, opera, mariachi music and is an avid violinist. She has played with the Albuquerque Philharmonic when she is not too busy with the many organizations she is also a painter, mostly oil and she describes her art style as early DaVinci and late Picasso. She loves spending time with her family and her Chihuahua dog Kochinada.

Idalia is the owner of ILT International, LLC a consulting firm that offers services in Government and Political Affarirs and Marketing and PR in English, Spanish, French and Italian. She also started a winery in Chihuahua, Mexico in partnership with her father. Idalia currently serves as Communications Director with the State Programs. She has served in high level administrations and is heavily involved in local and statewide politics, international groups, and in her local community, she serves as president of her neighborhood association in the International District in Albuquerque.

Santiago Candelaria:

Santiago Candelaria sits on the board of directors of the Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival as a representative of the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC).

He has been a very proud staff member of the NHCC’s Performing Arts program for more than 11 years-an organization he’s proud to serve, humbled to represent, and grateful to be a part of. It is part of the NHCC’s work ethic and organizational culture to encourange staff to work with the community and with presenting partners in this capacity.

Service on other organizational boards by NHCC staff members in an important part of the Center’s work culture because it strengthens community bonds, continues to raise the bar for programming quality, and allows the Center to be of service to the community, both locally and at-large.

Santiago has an extensive history with social styles of dance. Previously, he was ballroom dance instructor at Strictly Dancing in Santa Fe, now the Dance Station. He worked as an instructor with High Altitude Swimg, teaching swimg and Lindy Hop and was a founding member of The Santa Fe Social Club, teaching salsa and training instructors. In Albuquerque Santiago has worked with Salsa Baby and Salsasana. He has choreographed for Fright Night, 5$ a Day, and Disco Gravy on film as well as for numerous theatrical performances.

Jessica Montoya (Director of Programming for Dancers/Performers)

Jessica is a native New Mexican born and raised in Taos, NM. She began dancing at the age of 4 years old at the Betty Winslow Dance Studio. At the age of 16, Jessica studied abroad in Valencia, Spain, where she studied Flamenco.

Upon returning, she performed dinner shows at the Historical Taos Inn and festivals around New Mexico. She also continued studying Flamenco with Maria Benitez summer programs in Santa Fe, and later with Eva Enciña & Pablo Rodarte at the University of NM. Continuing her education at UNM, she also studied Jazz (Contemporary and lyrical) and Hip Hop with the renowned Loren Fletcher Nickerson.

After graduating from UNM with a BA in Psychology / Communications and an endorsement in Performing Arts, she decided to get back into her Latin Roots and put her energy into Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha and Reggaeton.

You can also find Jessica teaching Salsa skills and drills classes at Defined Fitness (Riverside) and Maple Street Dance Studio in Albuquerque, NM.

Omaha Ballroom. Make the world a better dancing place!

North America / USA /  Omaha

Omaha Ballroom was established in 2004 when founder, Elizabeth Colclasure decided to create dance while having fun.

With her passion she continued to grow the studio and invited some of the top instructors of Omaha to teach with her she continued to grow the studio and invited some of the top instructors of Omaha to teach with her.

The studio has variety of independent instructors including her husband James Colclasure Jr. who is a professional dance instructor how moved to Omaha in 2015.

James and Elizabeth are currently competing together and with their students at competitions all over the U.S.

With the popularity of the television show “Dancing with the Stars” Omaha Ballroom has grown tremendously. To give back, Omaha Ballroom’s volunteer their time to train local celebrities and put on “Dancing with the Omaha Stars” charity event.

Omaha Ballroom is located at 5038 South 153 Street Omaha, NE 68137 Located one block north of Q Street, in Walnut Grove Plaza, behind Crane Coffee and Omaha Oral Surgery Clinic

Hours are by appointment and group class times only, and you can register visiting http://www.omahaballroom.com/register/

Charities they have domated to

The Ronald McDonald House 2010, 2011, 2012
Angel Among Us 2012
The Sunshine Kids 2013,2014 and 2015
The Sunshine Kids and Angels Among Us 2016

What they offer:

Personal Dance Training: Learn faster and have fun with personal dance training!

- Come in as a single or with a partner, the pricing is the same.
- Choose a convenient time that fits in your schedule.
- Pick the Style of dances you want to learn.
- Achieve your goals such as competing, wedding dances, or showcases.
- Learn how to lead and to follow with help from our instructors.
- Get the individual attention to help you learn faster

Wedding Dance Lessons: Omaha Ballroom specializes in WEDDINGS!

Make your big day even more memorable with private lessons from Omaha Ballrom. They can help you with your first dance as husband and wife, the father/daughter dance, the mother/son dance, and even your wedding party entrance.

DJ Services: We’ll make sure everyone is dancing!

The service is very affordable. Over 15 years of experience. Get to know you and work with you.

Not only can they play the right music, but they can teach over 20 styles of dance before and at your event. DJ weeding ceremonies, receptions, outdoor/indoor events, private parties, birthday parties, proms, homecomings, and more!

Group Class

Weekly Group Class Calendar (May 8^th – August 3^rd)

Monday:
- 6:15 pm Beginners West Coast Swing
- 7:00 pm Beginners Smooth Dancing
Wednesday:
- 6:15 pm Beginners Smooth Dancing
- 7:00 pm Beginners Latin and Rhythm Dancing
Thursday
- 6:15 pm Beginners Country Dancing
- 7:00 pm Beginners Line Dancing

Smooth: Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot
Rhythm: Rumba, Cha Cha and East Coast Swing
Country: Two Step, Country Swing and Polka
Latin: Salsa, Merengue and Bachata
Line: Country, Hip Hop and Top 40 music to line dance to

Sips and Dips

Friday, June 23th 7 – 9 pm “Wine and Line Dancing”

The dancing only stops when you need a refill for wine. Bring your pals and learn some line dances. We will teach you the most populars ones to top 40 music and country!

“Friday, June 30th 7 – 9 pm “Grease Night”

Grease is the word! We will be giving away prizes, doing a little hand jive, and teach you the moves from the movie. We will be dancing to the songs from the soundtrack and playing Grease movie trivia.

Friday, July 21st 7 – 9 pm “Ballroom Beach Vibes”

Dress in your summer gear and get ready to learn how to dance for the beach. We will be serving fruity drinks and teach you how to dance to summertime tunes! Leave your surfboard at home and get ready to boogie.

Photo 3: Position of the feet while dancing - Omaha Ballroom — Photo 3: Position of the feet while dancing – Omaha Ballroom