Latin Dance Store, a salsa dance clothing supplier, is offering our Meetup.com members and Ritmo Bello readers a special 5% off all purchases when you use coupon code “SDSALSAMEETUP”. This new sponsor offers a variety of tops, dresses and accessories for the salsa dancers in your life.
Our second new sponsor, Burju Shoes, is well known in the salsa community for her innovative salsa dance shoe designs. Burju is offering our Meetup.com members and Ritmo Bello readers a great discount of 10% all products if you use coupon code “RITMOBELLOPROMO”.
1stWednesdays of the Month with Meetup.comis coming up again and with it a great opportunity to meet new people here in San Diego. It’s hard to believe that this is the twelfth and final Meetup event for 2009 at Cafe Sevilla!
Pleasebring any new, unwrapped toys for donatingto the Marine Toys for Tots. We will have an area on site at the event (8pm to 10pm) to collect any new unwrapped toys to help out the less fortunate during this Christmas season. For those of you unfamiliar with the Marine Toys for Tots organization check out these videos here that explain some of the great services they provide to our community:
This monthly event held at Café Sevilla is a great way to break the ice with new people in a safe and friendly environment.Just like last month, the event is FREEto attend!
The event is open to everyone so feel free to come alone or bring any friends. We’ll meet downstairs at 8pm in the VIP area of club that will be reserved for our group. Just look for the Meetup.com signs. Valeriewill give a free salsa lesson starting at 8:30pm.
Back by popular demand, Café Sevilla is planning one last yacht party for 2009.
For those of you that attended the last few yacht parties you know that this will be a great event that should not be missed.This time around Café Sevilla is providing a more intimate experience with a different twist.
Join Cafe Sevilla and Ritmo Bello along with 450 guests as we celebrate along on the waters of the Pacific.
The Adventure Yacht is an intimate boat that holds only 450 guests.You will be able to enjoy breathtaking views of the San Diego bay by night.
Some other highlights of the night will include:
* 2 Floors of music (Live Salsa Band & Hip Hop )
* Professional Photography
* An Outdoor deck to enjoy the California Ocean
* Complimentary Tapas(These were really good last time!)
* 2 fully-stocked bars
* Official After-party at Sevilla nightclub
The San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group along with Ritmo Bello will be there to enjoy the evening with you. For more information about the event and to RSVP please visit the Café Sevilla Boat Party Page.
See you on the Café Sevilla yacht and message me via Twitter at @RitmoBello!
Although San Diego has many different dance companies, each one shines in their own special way. A good example of this is Alma Latina Dance company. Directed by Gabriela Equiz and Sergio Jasso, their dance company is known in San Diego and throughout the world as one of the best around (they are currently ranked #5 in the world in the On 1 division of the ESPN World Salsa Championships).
Apart from world class salsa dancing, Alma Latina is also known for its great work with dancers of all levels, including kids. I recently sat down with Gaby and Sergio to discuss their dancing, what motivates them, and what they have in store for San Diego salsa dancers. I hope you enjoy the interview!
Ritmo Bello: Sergio and Gaby, thanks for taking the time to address the Ritmo Bello dance community. Let’s begin.What would you say is the main focus of Alma Latina Dance Company?
Alma Latina Dance Company:We focus on helping salseros dance better than they ever thought they could and even helping them get to competitive levels while enjoying the process. Many people have told us that they really enjoy our sabor and the attitude that our dancers project on stage!
Ritmo Bello: What are the origins of your dance company? Why did you choose Alma Latina Dance Company for your name?
Alma Latina Dance Company:As a child, I went to a performing art school in Mexico City and loved it- all I wanted to do everyday was sing and dance. I realized that Tijuana didn’t offer anything like that, so I decided to start a performing art school in the summer of 2005. Later, I asked Sergio to come and help me instruct the boys in salsa dancing and we became partners. Then we expanded into teaching salsa to adults in 2006 in Tijuana and in San Diego in January 2008. We just started teaching in Los Angeles as well.
Ritmo Bello: What type of salsa dancing does Alma Latina perform? What types of influences have impacted how you both dance salsa?
Alma Latina Dance Company:Unlike other salsa companies, our dance teams aren’t exclusively On 1 or On 2- we focus on the musicality and that means we train our dancers to easily switch into whatever timing the music calls for. You’ll see that our salsa choreographies usually incorporate many other dance influences: hip hop, ballroom, modern, flamenco, ballet and tap- it gives our routines their distinct style. On top of that, both Sergio and I contribute different aspects of what makes us so strong: Sergio has a strong sense of musicality ( & humor) and that comes through in our choreography and I have a good eye for lines and details and tend to polish and perfect things.
Ritmo Bello: Does Alma Latina Dance Company have a particular focus on teaching certain age groups to perform?
Alma Latina Dance Company:We don’t like to limit ourselves to any age group: We have people 3 years to 70 years old. But we do earn a lot of attention for the accomplishments of our young dancers: Our kids couples took 1st and 2nd place in three age divisions in the first Annual Kids Salsa Convention in LA, and Albert Torres has invited our kids to be featured in a showcase at the 2009 World Salsa Championships in December! We’ve recently decided to form a non-profit around our kids dance troupe. Our Mission statement is to connect kids to culture using Latin music and dance to promote discipline, pride, health, and the history of Latin culture all while having fun. If you or someone you know would like to make a donation, please contact us at Info@AlmaLatinaDanceCompany.com
Ritmo Bello: Are you taking on new dancers now? How does someone audition to be a part of your salsa performance team?
Alma Latina Dance Company:YES!!! We are always taking new dancers for our Amateur & Intermediate teams. We also have Semi pro and Professional levels that do require a private audition- but we can do that anytime- just send us an email: Info@AlmaLatinaDanceCompany.com. In addition, we have members of each team learn the routine of the team above them so they are always challenged and so they can get ready to step up a level.
Ritmo Bello: I understand that your dance company operates out of Tijuana , Mexico as well as San Diego, California . How has this impacted the types of dancers you train?
Alma Latina Dance Company:I think it has made all our students really happy and inspired- there is such diversity in the dancers! The San Diego students always comment how they love the warmth of our Tijuana studio culture (we all kiss hello and goodbye to everyone at our TJ Studio). And our Tijuana students love the enthusiasm of our San Diego dancers! Also, a big plus is that all our dancers can come to the Tijuana studio and practice for free whenever, and there is always a Social going on at Alma Latina … I am not joking, there is a party every night…. And then TACOS at a stand by our studio We’re working to bring that same atmosphere to San Diego- starting on November 14th, we’ll have a monthly Social in San Diego too. Our new studio, The Woodroom, is in Northpark, which has a big neighborhood party called Ray At Night. As part of that event, we’ll be offering a free beginner lesson from 7:30-8:15 and free social dancing open to the public from 8:15-10:00 (just in time to head out to the other salsa clubs and socials)!
Ritmo Bello: Where has Alma Latina Dance Company performed?
Alma Latina Dance Company:We love to perform locally as well as at all the big West Coast Congress events like San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Arizona and San Francisco. We have also regularly traveled to the Acapulco Congress, the Mexico National Championships in Mexico City, and the World Salsa Championships. We recently performed at the Mayan Team Competition and WON- we are so excited to have earned that distinction! We are also really pleased to have been invited to headline the Seattle Salsa Congress over Thanksgiving weekend. We are hoping to add Europe to our list of performance destinations in the next year!
Ritmo Bello: In many of those performances and competitions you’ve won a number of awards. Can you share with us some of your best memories involving winning those awards?
Alma Latina Dance Company:Yes- we are so proud of our many dancers who have done so well in competition! Just this year we have claimed 6 first places and 6 second places in competitions Nationally and Internationally.
Competing is really hard work but we love it- it is the best learning experience. Competing takes all the challenges of performing and adds judges into the mix! You learn to cope with your nerves and the pressure– and dance regardless. The challenge is doing it like it is a show even when you see the judges just in front of you. You want to think that they are going to be entertained!
Admittedly the competitions add pressure, but they also push us to grow as dancers and be the best performers we can be. That’s where the great memories come from: working together towards a goal and achieving it- and traveling as a group to perform for very appreciative audiences!
Ritmo Bello: Is is true that you’ve been ranked within the top 10 salsa dancers in the world according to the ESPN World Salsa Championships?
Alma Latina Dance Company:Yes, we are currently ranked 5thin the world and this year we want to go back and rank higher if possible! It is really hard because you compete with the best in the world and everybody is improving and getting ready- there’s no way to get an advantage…so imagine!!! But I think we could do something good this year…
Ritmo Bello: How was your experience at the San Diego Salsa Festival this year?
Alma Latina Dance Company:Great! We closed the show on Friday and performed the 2nd to last number on both Saturday and Sunday- just before Yamulee from NYC closed the show- and after great dancers like Adolfo Indacochea, Hacha y Machete etc.- what a compliment! We were incredibly flattered by the fact that we got standing ovations on Friday and Sunday.
Ritmo Bello: In your opinion, what is the best thing about dancing salsa in San Diego ?
Alma Latina Dance Company:Everything! The people are genuine and nice, there is a huge number of incredible dancers, and everyone has a good attitude.
Ritmo Bello: I’ve noticed that there are a number of videos on YouTube showcasing your salsa dancing. How do you feel about being a virtual salsa celebrity for the YouTube crowd?
Alma Latina Dance Company:I think that YouTube has helped us a lot. We find a lot of people who have never seen us in person but they follow us on YouTube. We have even had people hire us based on that- can you believe it? We hardly can!
Ritmo Bello: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Ritmo Bello readers about your dance company and yourselves that we haven’t covered yet?
Alma Latina Dance Company:We want to thank you and all of the San Diego salsa community for your support! We feel really blessed to be teaching here where people really believe in us.
Ritmo Bello: Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Alma Latina Dance Company:Yes- please contact us- we are still growing and want to serve the needs of the San Diego Community!
1stWednesdays of the Month with Meetup.comis coming up again and with it a great opportunity to meet new people here in San Diego. This time the event will have a different twist in that we are asking people who attend to donate food to the St. Vincent de Paul Villages in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Pleasebring any NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS for donatingto theSt. Vincent de Paul Village and Food pantry. We will have a box on site at the event to collect any canned food and other non-perishables to help out the less fortunate during this Thanksgiving season. For those of you unfamiliar with St. Vincent de Paul’s Villages check out the videos here that explain some of the great services they provide to our community:
This monthly event held at Café Sevilla is a great way to break the ice with new people in a safe and friendly environment. Just like last month, Café Sevilla has eliminated the cover charge for Wednesday so it will again beFREEto attend!
The event is open to everyone so feel free to come alone or bring any friends. We’ll meet downstairs at 8pm in the VIP area of club that will be reserved for our group. Just look for the Meetup.com signs. Valeriewill give a free salsa lesson starting at 8:30pm.
As any salsa dancer will tell you, it’s ten times better dancing to live music as compared to recorded music. The obvious reason for this is that the salsa dancer can really connect with the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement of the live entertainer as the performance goes on.
Johnny Polanco and his group La Conjunto Amistad are a prime example of how great live salsa music is to the dancer and listener alike. With years of experience in the salsa music world, Johnny Polanco is a rare gem that plays frequently in the Southern California area. I had a chance to talk with Johnny Polanco before his upcoming performance at Anthology night club this Saturday October 17 and learned that if something is to be done, you ‘DO IT WITH SALSA!’ I hope you enjoy the interview which follows below.
Ritmo Bello:Johnny, thanks for taking the time to address the Ritmo Bello dance community. Let’s begin. What would you say is the main focus of your salsa music?
Johnny Polanco:Hi John. The main focus of my music are two reasons. One is to make everyone dance. Secondly is to give the listener a great visual through our performances. Everyone listens to CD’s. But it’s a lot different when you actually see it “live”. The listener can actually feel and absorb the music. It becomes more versatile. And the most important issue about a “live” performance is that the number can be stretched out a little longer, thus letting the band be more creative. Especially during the solos.
Tito Puente once told me, “Live tells no lie”. AND THAT’S SO TRUE. In this age of recording and digital “Pro Tools” you can do wonders in the recording studio. But you can “clean it up live”!
Ritmo Bello:What are the origins of your salsa music career?
Johnny Polanco:My career begin in the Bronx, New York City. I performed with various bands, in the earlier days, but the first known band I played with was with JOHNNY PACHECO and PETE “EL CONDE” RODRIGUEZ. I was 17 years old.
Ritmo Bello: Why did you choose La Conjunto Amistad for your band name?
Johnny Polanco:I choose Conjunto Amistad because the band was composed of all of my friends.
Ritmo Bello: What types of influences have impacted how you’ve created your salsa music?
Johnny Polanco:The conjunto music of ARSENIO RODRIGUEZ, who is one of the most well known Cuban tres guitar players. Also the BIG 3 bands of the fifties that consisted of TITO PUENTE, TITO RODRIGUEZ and MACHITO. The sounds of trio music like LOS PONCHOS and TRIO MATAMOROS also played a role.
And believe it or not, the music of the big band era featuring FRANK SINATRA, TONY BENNETT, JOE WILLIAMS, SARAH VAUGHN and many others from that era were so musically rich for me to listen.
Ritmo Bello:How and where do you find inspiration for creating new salsa songs?
Johnny Polanco:The inspirations come to me in spurts. That’s why I always try to have something to write notes or my cell phone to record the moments. My song feature all different types of topics. If you listen to my latest CD, “AMISTAD PARA EL MUNDO ENTERO” you will see the many topics.
Ritmo Bello:What has your experience been like working withDimelo Records?
Johnny Polanco:My experiences with Dimelo Records has been an enjoyable one and something that I wish I would have done years ago. Nissim Baly is a great guy and is very business savvy in the direction that the recording industry has been heading. He possesses very strong marketing skills and that has contributed immensely in the success of the bands under his label. Not to mention his assistant Valerie Guzman. She is definitely on the ball at the office.
RitmoBello: Can you tell me a little about your CD’s that you’ve released to date?
Johnny Polanco: Absolutely. Amistad Para El Mundo Enterois my best production yet. It has 14 original, never recorded numbers. It features some of the best musicians in Salsa music today such as RAY DE LA PAZ, FRANKIE VASQUEZ, AZUQUITA, FRANKIE MORALES, JIMMY BOSCH, ARTIE WEBB, NINO JESUS and others. The production was great. It took a while but I’m very happy with it. I also put on it, my version of ”Happy Birthday”. It has been very popular in all the clubs.
Ritmo Bello: Are there current plans for new CD releases coming up soon?
Johnny Polanco: The last CD has only been out for 9 months and DIMELO RECORDS is going to release it on their label soon. My next CD is going to be recorded live on a venue to be announced later. I feel that this will really capture the true sound of the band.
Ritmo Bello: I’ve noticed that there are a number of videos on YouTube showcasing your salsa music. How has YouTube and other types of social media like Facebook and Twitter helped you gain more exposure worldwide?
Johnny Polanco:It truly has. My music has reached places throughout the world that I haven’t traveled to yet. We have had the pleasure of working with Albert Torres, who has been my personal manager for 15 years. And he is helping create and participate at all these Salsa Congresses world wide. These types of social medias have been a blessing. Also non commercial radio has played an important part also. They play everyones music and we are very blessed to have Canto Tropical and Alma Del Barrio here in Los Angeles.
Ritmo Bello:What are some of your best memories from your performances? Are there any in particular that stand out in your mind?
Johnny Polanco: Oh GOD, there are so many because each of those have left me with something unique. Such as performing for our new L.A. Philharmonic conductor from Venezuela, Gustavo Dumadel a couple of weeks ago at the Hollywood Bowl. He is the first Hispanic to lead this great orchestra. Working with Prince in Las Vegas was great too. He is an extraordinary musician. Doing the 2007 Playboy Jazz Festival., the 50th Anniversary of the Grand Prix in Macau. Doing our Mayor’s Inaugural Ball. And the many Salsa Congresses throughout the world such as in Spain, Toronto, Japan, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Vancouver etc.
Ritmo Bello: I’ve seen you perform in San Diego in the past. How often do you make it down to San Diego and when can we expect to see you again in America’s Finest City?
Johnny Polanco:I don’t perform as much as I like but I will be performing Sat Oct 17th at Anthology. This is the premier venue to perform in San Diego. It is such a beautiful supper club with great sound, food and hospitality. I am so looking forward to it!
Ritmo Bello: What advice can you give to up and coming salsa singers?
Johnny Polanco:The best advice is to listen to the old stuff from the early years. Especially from the 70’s. All those guys are now salsa legends now. PERIOD. I had the pleasure of working with many of them. Their sonero’s and deliveries are unmatched. Any vocalist after that era will tell you that they were influenced by them. If they don’t admit it, they are just plain lying.
Ritmo Bello: Is there anything else you’d like to share that I haven’t covered so far?
Johnny Polanco: You covered many of the issues that are important to me. But the final thing I would like to say is to please support live entertainment. It take an enormous commitment for someone to get musicians together and form a band. And a lot of work to get music and the administrative side of it in getting booked. It’s not easy. But we do it to spread the music, make you feel good, help you meet new friends, dance to great songs, see musicians do what we do best and let’s face it guys. The most beautiful women in the world are dancing to salsa and waiting for you. So if you guys aren’t Salsa dancing, you better get some lessons because you are DEFINITELY missing out. Most clubs offer lessons. So you have no excuse. Ever wonder where your best friends at? He is at a salsa club dancing away with the girl of your dreams Ha, Ha.
Ritmo Bello:Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Johnny Polanco:Yes. My website iswww.johnnypolanco.net Also we have a hotline where you can find out where we are at on a weekly basis at 562-220-4929.
Ritmo Bello:Johnny, thank you so much for your time and I hope to attend some of your salsa performances in the near future.
1st Wednesdays of the Month with Meetup.com is coming up again this week and with it a great opportunity to meet new people here in San Diego. This time the event is FREE to attend too!
The monthly event held at Café Sevilla is a great way to break the ice with new people in a safe and friendly environment.This month we are going back to basics and having a simple Meetup event without any overarching theme. Roman Castro Photography, a sponsor for our Meetup group, will be on hand at 8pm to take pictures of the event. As an added bonus, Café Sevilla eliminated the cover charge for Wednesday so now it will be FREE to attend!
The event is open to everyone so feel free to come alone or bring any friends. We’ll meet downstairs at 8pm in the VIP area of club that will be reserved for our group. Just look for the Meetup.com signs. Valerie will give a free salsa lesson starting at 8:30pm.
Local San Diego salsa dancers Christina Santana and Pepe Alvarez were recently highlighted on national television as part of their appearance on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Here is the YouTube video of the pair during the audition for the show.
Ritmo Bello congratulates Christina Santana on moving on to the next step for competing in the show!
If you’ve been a part of the salsa and Latin jazz music scene for a while I have no doubt you’d recognize Tito Puente. Known throughout the world as “El Rey” (the King) of the timbales and “The King of Latin Music,” Tito Puente left an incredible legacy of Latin jazz and mambo music.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Tito Puente Jr. continues that great musical tradition and brings new life to Latin jazz and mambo today. Tito Puente Jr. will be performing live in San Diego on September 5th at Anthology in downtown’s Little Italy district. Ritmo Bello was fortunate enough to connect with Tito Puente Jr. before his upcoming San Diego show and talk with him a bit about him being the standard bearer of Latin jazz royalty.
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Ritmo Bello: Tito Puente Jr., thanks for taking time to the talk to the Ritmo Bello readers about yourself and your music. Let’s begin with a question I’m sure you get all the time. How has being the son of the famous Tito Puente affected your decision to pursue a musical career for yourself?
Tito Puente Jr.: Music was always a part of me growing up, but by choice - my father never forced it on me. Of course, being my father’s son poses challenges in the sense that it’s next to impossible to follow or match such an incredible talent, so I’m very clear that my mission is not to try and compete, it’s simply to entertain audiences and carry the torch of my father’s music to a new generation of people.
Ritmo Bello: When and how did you begin your own musical career?
Tito Puente Jr.: I started in the mid 1980’s surrounding myself with all types of music growing up in New York City, where there were so many influences. Professionally I started on the trap drum kit when I was 16 years of age, working in different nightclubs in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
Ritmo Bello: It’s clear that you are often compared to your father, Tito Puente and his musical style. For those unfamiliar with Tito Puente can you explain how you might be similar and different to his legacy?
Tito Puente Jr.: I think of course one blatant similarity is that I look a lot like him! I seem to have a connection with older fans that were fans of his and to younger ones as well. I have a certain quirkiness about me when I’m performing that people seem to enjoy. I dance and sing like my father did when he was younger in the 1950s, but I give it a modern edge, like a taste of Latino classic and urban mixed up with cha cha and mambo…
Ritmo Bello: How and where do you find inspiration for creating new music?
Tito Puente Jr.: My father taught me to always surround myself with creative people, as they will serve as inspiration…it works.
Ritmo Bello: I know that you have collaborated and performed with many notable artists in the salsa and Latin jazz world. What are your most memorable performances that you’ve had over the course of your career?
Tito Puente Jr.: Well, I’ve been fortunate to have many: Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz and José Feliciano come to mind. But I think the most influential would have been with my father himself – being on stage together.
Ritmo Bello: Can you tell me a little about the albums that you’ve released to date?
Tito Puente Jr.: I’ve had three major label releases to date but the most exciting is my new album coming out next month entitled “Got Mambo?”. It’s a really exciting project where I step up my game with original material and some great guest artists like Jon Secada and others.
Ritmo Bello: Are there current plans for new CD releases coming up soon?
Tito Puente Jr.: “Got Mambo?” is scheduled for a late October release, along with a new music video, tour and the whole internet promotion scene.
Ritmo Bello: I know that you, like your father, are a master at percussion and in particular the timbales. What is it about this particular instrument that excites you the most? Are there other instruments that you feel comfortable performing with as well?
Tito Puente Jr.: I have to correct you – I am a student of percussion, not at all a master percussionist. I would hope through practice and time I could be. My father was a “master.”
Timbales have a distinct sound in all aspects of music plus it gives an engine to any song. I also enjoy piano and bass.
Ritmo Bello: On a side note, I know that you’ve expanded into different enterprises including acting as the official spokesperson for Havanera Co., a clothing line I absolutely love to wear myself. How has this and other experiences outside of your music affected your musical career?
Tito Puente Jr.: In today’s world attaching yourself to a brand is important. I like to be a part of certain brands which can help bring our Latin music to the masses. The consumer is looking for more now. Branding and endorsing certain products and items has helped me bring my music to other parts of the globe.
Ritmo Bello: My first contact with you was via Twitter and I was impressed to find you using the medium to reach out to your fans. How has social media like Twitter and Facebook impacted how you interact with your fan base?
Tito Puente Jr.: Amazing how Twitter and Facebook has gotten me directly in touch with the fans. It’s the new millennium of marketing and promotion for any artist out there. And yes it’s really me responding to you!!!
Ritmo Bello: Although I know that you perform great music, do you ever get an opportunity to dance to salsa or Latin music as well?
Tito Puente Jr.: I do, at home in front of my kids because that way I will look silly for them and not the rest of the world. I have great rhythm in my blood but it doesn’t seem to travel to my feet that well.
Ritmo Bello: I’ve heard that you’ve also given back to the community in a number of ways. Can you share with me some of the fundraising events you’ve supported?
Tito Puente Jr.: The cancer, leukemia, diabetes and AIDS foundations are the ones closest to my heart since I have people and personal friends who have these horrible diseases. I love animals as well so give back wherever I can for them.
Ritmo Bello: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the San Diego salsa and Latin dance community that we haven’t covered yet?
Tito Puente Jr.: Get ready to mambo and cha cha the night away on September 5th at Anthology…and bring your dancing shoes!
Ritmo Bello: Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Ritmo Bello: Tito Puente Jr., it has been an honor to talk to you today. On behalf of the San Diego salsa dance community and Ritmo Bello thank you for your time!
Tito Puente Jr.: Muchas gracias and thank you to all the Tito Puente fans and the new Tito Puente, Jr. fans…I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!
Last month our group met for Tapas and drinks upstairs at Café Sevilla before going to the salsa club for lessons and the live band. For those of you unfamiliar with Café Sevilla, the venue is known for its great Spanish Cuisine and as a great salsa dance venue. The photos, taken by Roman Castro Photography (a Sponsor for our Meetup group), give a glimpse of the great people that attended and the fun time we had. This month we are having a DRESS IN RED theme where we encourage our members to wear any red shirts, skirts, dresses, shoes, etc to identify members of our group at the club.
We plan to meet DOWNSTAIRS at 8pm to take advantage of the free lesson offered by Valerie at the club. If you don’t take the salsa lesson you are invited to join us in our special VIP area of the club set up for Meetup.com members.
The event is open to everyone! Bring your friends or come alone to meet some great people. We’ll be there by 8pm.
Salsa dancing is truly an international phenomenon. Although the majority of salsa dance songs are in Spanish, the actual dance is enjoyed all over the world by all types of people. A friend of mine named Tarrence is lucky enough to travel all over the world and he’s shared stories of the great salsa dancing he’s found in places like China and Japan. He introduced me to Eiko Tanaka, an accomplished salsa dancer that lives in Japan and we talked about salsa dancing’s effect on the country. I hope you enjoy the interview!
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Ritmo Bello: Eiko, thanks for agreeing to sit down for an interview. Let’s begin. Many people in the United States don’t realize that salsa dancing is really popular in Japan. What is the salsa dance scene like where you live in Japan?
Eiko Tanaka: Hello, it is my pleasure and thank you so much for having me.
With regards to the salsa scene in Japan, I don’t know the exact figure, but I have noticed that the salsa population has grown quite a bit within the past 10 years. Many people have visited the US to take salsa classes to study and partly due to the increase of salsa Congresses around the world, I think people have become aware of the spread of salsa in an international scale.
Ritmo Bello: I understand that you learned salsa dancing outside of Japan. What was your first contact with salsa dancing? How has salsa dancing affected your life?
Eiko Tanaka: My first contact with salsa was in Cuba. I particularly liked the traditional Cuban son dance and music but I also liked the Cuban “casino” which I believe what people refer to it as ”Cuban salsa”. I enjoy all styles of salsa and it really gives me a lot of joy.
Ritmo Bello: I know that you manage a dance company now in Japan. What are the origins of your dance company? Is there a story to how it was formed? Do you perform at any of the Salsa Congresses or festivals?
Eiko Tanaka: My dance group is an all female show dance group. My choreography is based on ballet, contemporary, afro-cuban as well as Cuban popular dance, all of which I learned at the dance school of “Tropicana” night club in Havana, Cuba. I also incorporate salsa movements and steps. I have performed in many festivals and Congresses including the Japan Salsa Congress and the LA (West Coast) Salsa Congress. I will be performing at the Japan Salsa Congress this year.
Ritmo Bello:For someone like myself that has never been to Japan what can you share with readers about the best way of finding out about salsa dance events happening in Japan?
Eiko Tanaka:Yes there are many salsa events every month, and as far as Tokyo is concerned there is the Salsa Hotline Night which is a salsa event that takes place every month and in June 2009 marked the 139th event. Almost all the groups that perform in the Japan Salsa Congress and other Congresses participate in this event to showcase their performance. And of course in addition to that, there are many events at various salsa clubs.
Ritmo Bello: What has been your best memory from your salsa dance experiences?
Eiko Tanaka: My best memory would have to be when I danced at the stage of Tropicana show . Established in 1939, Tropicana used to be the playground for the rich and famous before the revolution, and it became known as the most attractive, luxurious nightclub in the world. Al Capone hung out there, Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker and Nat King Cole performed there. Today the place is one of Cuba`s main tourist attraction. To me it is such a magical place and feel incredibly lucky to have had the experience.
Ritmo Bello: I know you actually conducted professional photography while in Cuba as well. Can you tell our Ritmo Bello readers a little bit about that time?
Eiko Tanaka: Yes. I lived in Cuba from 1998-2000. I met this photographer called Raul Corrales who was one of the most respected photographers in Cuba. He had been the official photographer of Fidel Castro for few years and also had documented Cuba during the revolutionary era as well as taken photos of people like Che Guevara and Ernest Hemingway. He has given me many valuable advices on photography and I developed and printed all my photos in the dark room I made in the bathroom. My interest was in capturing the life of the Cuban people but I mainly took photographs of Tropicana dancers backstage. I am actually planning to publish a black and white photography this year.
Ritmo Bello: Do you have any plans of visiting San Diego, California in the near future?
Eiko Tanaka: I would love to visit San Diego one day. If I have the opportunity to participate in LA Congress I will stop by San Diego.
Ritmo Bello: What advice can you give to people that are new to salsa dancing?
Eiko Tanaka: It’s a beautiful and fun dance form so just enjoy it! It’s important to feel the music and not get too caught up in the technique.
Ritmo Bello: Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Eiko Tanaka: Yes people can email me at eikotropicana@yahoo.co.jp. I also have a web site www.eikotropicana.com
Ritmo Bello: Eiko, Thank you so much for your time and I hope to travel to Japan sometime to salsa dance with you!
Eiko Tanaka: Thank you so much and I hope you will visit us one day !!
Salsa music is always changing.For the trained ear the different styles and evolving types of salsa music immediately stand out.Indeed, over the years there have been numerous changes to the music we identify as salsa.
La Excelencia, a New York City based salsa orchestra, epitomizes the culmination of many of these changes that we’ve experienced with salsa music.Co-owned by Julián Silva and José Vazquez Cofresi, the vibrant and fresh salsa band is amassing a global fan base while staying true to their roots.I had the unique privilege of interviewing Julián and José recently on behalf of the whole band and learned quite a bit about these salsa music evolutions.
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Ritmo Bello:José and Julián, thanks for taking the time to address the Ritmo Bello dance community. Let’s begin. What would you say is the main focus of your salsa music company?
La Excelencia:Our main focus is to bring salsa to a wider audience and to have salsa music serve as a voice for our community. Part of our goal is to include social messages in our music and at the same time give our audience a whole new experience they thought they couldn’t get with salsa.
Ritmo Bello:What are the origins of your salsa band?
La Excelencia:We started La Excelencia in 2005, in the city of New York. Jose and I met back in 1995 and spent several years playing salsa in other bands. We moved to NYC in 2001 with the hopes of releasing a CD under a record label we had just signed with. Unfortunately (or fortunately) after a couple of years the deal went sour and we decided to leave the label. After that experience, we left very disillusioned with the way the music business is run and with the way salsa was being portrayed. From that, the idea of La Excelencia and Handle With Care Productions was born. We wanted to make great music, write great music and distribute great music all ourselves, and do it our way.
Ritmo Bello: Why did you choose La Excelencia for your band name?
La Excelencia:Well first of all we wanted to give the band a name that paid somewhat of a tribute to those bands in the 70’s we admired so much. (La Perfecta, La Solucion, La Fania, etc.) And secondly the name “La Excelencia” was chosen by me as a way of push us to live up to what the name claims, Excellence. When I first came to the band with the name they all got a little nervous, saying” well …we better not suck….” But I know that when we are on stage and we hear the MC announce our name, we have to give it all we have in order to live up to the name.
Ritmo Bello: I understand that La Excelencia is known as a “salsa dura“ band. For those unfamiliar with this term can you explain a little bit about what this means?
La Excelencia:Salsa Dura is a term used to describe our type of salsa; hard, rough and raw. The focus is on the music not the image. We raise social issues in our music and well as talk about thing that happen in everyday life, without the sugar coating. What you hear and see is what you get.
Ritmo Bello: What types of influences have impacted how you’ve created your salsa music?
La Excelencia:Well if we are talking about musical influences, the list is endless. I will say that the music that influences us is not just salsa music, but all types of music. There are a lot of great bands out there with something meaningful to say, and we hope that people not only dance to our music but also listen to our music.
Ritmo Bello:I’ve heard people say that salsa music is primarily music from the 70’s and 80’s with no real new innovation. Do you believe this is true? Is salsa a dying form of music in terms of genre?
La Excelencia:Well for a long time salsa music of the 70’s has been considered the only true salsa. But I believe that it’s for one reason …. And that’s because it gave us Latinos/ Latino Americanos a voice. There have been attempts to rejuvenate salsa or like you stated revive salsa, but in my opinion all the industry has done is kill the essence of true salsa. They have made salsa about image and not about the music. Salsa was our rebel music and in the past 2 to 3 decades is has become meaningless noise. Fortunately, despite all of that, salsa is alive and well. The longevity of salsa is not due to the commercialization and popularity of cookie cutter salsa but completely due to the underground scene that has never bought into the mainstream. With the support of dancers and fans alike, that don’t care about money and only care about great music, salsa will never die.
Ritmo Bello:How and where do you find inspiration for creating new salsa songs?
La Excelencia:Our inspiration comes from our experiences. I for one never sit down and say “today I’m going to write a song”. Songs come to me with stories I hear, with things I see or read about. It pretty much my thoughts put to clave. We refuse to put covers songs on our CDs for the sole fact that we want to express our thoughts…not someone else’s. There are a lot of bands that have found success on other people’s words and/or music and claim that it’s a tribute to the artist. We believe there is no better tribute to our predecessors than to keep writing NEW salsa, so that we can keep salsa moving forward.
Ritmo Bello: Where has La Excelencia performed?
La Excelencia:We have been lucky enough to have performed in numerous venues in the United States and Europe. This includes New Orleans Jazz Fest (Louisiana), Lincoln Center (New York), Copacabana (NY), Latin Quarter (NY), Sobs (NY), Afro-Latino Festival (Bree, Belgium),
Norwegian Salsa Congress (Oslo, Norway) New York Salsa Congress (NY), Connecticut Salsa Fest (Hartford), Austin Salsa Festival (Texas), Moomba Club (Montreal, Canada), just to name a few. We also have a couple of upcoming tours to promote our new CD that you can check out on our website,www.laexcelencia.net. Some of the dates include: Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Bree, Brussels, Leeds, London, Brighton, Morocco, and Cyrus.
Ritmo Bello: Can you tell me a little about your CD’s that you’ve released to date?
La Excelencia:We released our first CD entitled “Salsa Con Conciencia” back in 2006. It received great reviews nationally and internationally and sold over 9000 units without major distribution. It was also the winner of the Vox Populi award for Album of the Year by the Independent Music Awards. Many of the songs from that album hit the top 20 chart in the US and Europe and we included in over 20 different Latin music compilation CDs including one sponsored by UNICEF. Also, the hit single “La Lucha” was the featured song in the independent film “The Big Shot Caller”.
Our second CD is entitled “Mi Tumbao Social” and it was released in January of this year. So far it is being considered by many to be one of the best CD’s to come out in the past decade. As with the first CD, it is an independent production that we have put together to showcase our raw sound, and once again write about social issues we face in the world today.
Ritmo Bello: Are there current plans for new CD releases coming up soon?
La Excelencia:Even though “Mi Tumbao Social” was released less than 3 months ago, we are already thinking about and starting to write the next album. We are constantly being inspired by the world around us and thanks to all the positive feedback we get from our fans, we are eager to share to give them what they want … More salsa!!! But one thing that we take very serious is the quality of the music we put out. A lot of thought goes into what songs actually make it onto the CD. We want to make sure that our fans get the best of us.
Ritmo Bello: I’ve noticed that there are a number of videos on YouTube showcasing your salsa music. How has YouTube and other types of social media helped you gain more exposure worldwide?
La Excelencia:It’s been great, as an Independent artist we wouldn’t be able to compete without these media outlets. We have been able to reach people from all over the world.
Ritmo Bello: Does La Excelencia have any plans to travel to the West Coast soon, including San Diego?
La Excelencia:We are actually extremely excited that it’s looking very promising for us to hit the west coast this summer, including San Diego. We don’t have anything confirmed 100%.
Ritmo Bello:Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
La Excelencia:Of course, please feel free to contact Jose Vazquez-Cofresi or Julian Silva atinfo@laexcelencia.net or at 646-241-5501. You can also check us out on the web atwww.laexcelencia.net, there you can find links to our MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. You can purchase our CD’s atwww.cdbaby.com or atwww.descarga.com.
Ritmo Bello: José and Julián, thank you so much for your time and I hope to attend some of your salsa performances in the near future.
La Excelencia:John we want to thank you for allowing us the opportunity to share our salsa with the salsa community on the west coast.
I went back recently to their website and noticed that they’ve done a great job of expanding their video selection under Dimelo! Records TV. The videos I posted here are a good sampling of the type of events Dimelo! TV covers. Check out their website for more information. See you all on the dance floor!
That’s right!Ritmo Bello launched exactly one year ago this day and it’s been quite a ride. The picture I posted here is from the original Ritmo Bello website. You’ll see that over this year our website has undergone many changes.
Covering San Diego dance topics ranging from Salsa events to Tango performances, Ritmo Bello has been a fun endeavor for me personally. Thanks to everyone that has contributed content to Ritmo Bello articles over this last year.
San Diego has a diverse Salsa and Latin dance scene as many of my articles demonstrate.This next year I hope to bring you all even more great dance information.
The economy has been the front and center topic these last few weeks as we hear about the collapse on Wall Street. All of us are affected to some degree and this also includes those of us that are part of the San Diego dance community.
One message I saw circulating on the internet mentioned that salsa dancing is a great way to work through the financial stress that we are all experiencing. Indeed, I think its important to keep doing the things that keep us strong emotionally during this time and for many salsa, tango, and other forms of latin dance are such activities. Although salsa and latin dancing may cost some money in terms of club cover or dance lessons, many times the ocassional expense is worth the huge benefits you can receive from the dance.
We all know too that small businesses have been hit hard by these tough economic times. The salsa and latin dance community as a whole can help support those businesses that help to create the dance experience we all enjoy. E.K. Clothing, a small business I interviewed recently, is one such business that could benefit from our patronage. The company has extended free standard shipping of any purchases of $50.00 or more if you use the special promo code “RITMOBELLO” (it ends 12/31/2008). If you are not familiar with E.K. Clothing, you can check out their great assortment of salsa dance wear and shoes on their website.
Feel free to leave comments if you have other ways to keep positive and support the dance community during these economic times.
