That’s right! San Diego is gaining a new salsa dance venue and the Grand Opening is set for Tue Sept 14, 2010 at the Keating Hotel. The event will also be a celebration of Mexican Independence featuring Orquesta Tabaco y Ron and Oddy Pena y su Bachata Magic.
There will be multiple dance shows and a free salsa lesson beginning at 8:30pm courtesy of Ooh La La Dance Dance Company. If you plan on going make sure you get there before 10pm to get in free, otherwise it’s $10.00.
If you haven’t been to the Keating Hotel before it’s easy to find with access through the Merk restaurant on 818 5th Street, next to Croces.
Join us as we celebrate one final time at the old Cafe Sevilla location. The event starts at 8pm and this time there will be a LIVE BAND to enjoy beginning at 10pm.
For many Latin Americans, tradition plays a huge role in the development of not just the culture but also the music that comes from that culture. This is clearly evident in the work of Cuban Son Band Septeto Nacional. Since 1927 the Cuban band has worked tirelessly to keep the traditional Cuban son alive and little has changed for the 4th generation of the band that currently tours today. San Diego will be able to experience true, authentic Cuban Son at their upcoming Anthology concert here in Little Italy on September 3rd. Recently I was lucky enough to talk with Francisco Oropesa from the group about the history and tradition of Septeto Nacional. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.
Ritmo Bello: Francisco Oropesa, it’s great to finally sit down with you to talk about the legendary Septeto Nacional. Okay, let’s begin. Can you give my Ritmo Bello readers some background on the band’s origin and the original leader, Ignacio Pineiro?
Septeto Nacional: The Septeto Nacional was officially founded on December 13, 1927, by Don Ignacio Piñeiro at 56 Pocito Street in the neighborhood of Pueblo Nuevo, in Havana, Cuba. Additional founding members were Juan de La Cruz Iznaga, Francisco Solares, Jose Manuel Incharte, Alberto Villalón, Bienvenido León y Abelardo Barroso. Another early member was Lázaro Herrera. He became the first trumpeter to record Cuban son in the newer septet format. Prior to this, the group was a sextet, as were the vast majority of son groups in Cuba at the time. The addition of the trumpet was a major innovation in the development of Cuban son.
Ritmo Bello: What exactly does ‘septeto” refer to, the group members themselves or the instruments? What’s the history behind the name?
Septeto Nacional: Septeto (Septet) refers to the number of muscians in the group (seven musicians, each with an instrument). Ignacio Pineiro played a significant role in changing the number of musicians in the son format to seven from the original six.
Ritmo Bello: Most folks may not be familiar with the difference between modern salsa music and Cuban Son. How would you describe the differences and what do you see as the advantages of one music form over the other?
Septeto Nacional: First, the son is played with acoustic instruments. Some of the early instruments are no longer used as frequently, such as the Marímbula (used as a bass – constructed of several metal strips attached to a box) and the Botija (a jug – like those found in the Kentucky black jug bands).
The son played by Septeto Nacional is special. Ignacio Piñeiro’s unique arrangements and compositions are infused with many of the African derived music traditions found in Cuba, such as Rumba (the Rumba complex includes: Guanguancó, Yambú and Colombia) and Abakuá. He created and enriched his music with all these elements.
Ritmo Bello: Although Septeto Nacional is known for its rich musical history I’m sure you have an opportunity to make new music. How and where do you find inspiration for creating new music?
Septeto Nacional: The most important objective for our group is to keep the original repertoire and preserve the Rumba style Ignacio Piñeiro brought to the son.
When we make new music, we’re inspired by our excellent musicians and composers. However, we always make sure to conserve the traditional character and brand handed down by Ignacio Piñeiro.
Ritmo Bello: As a history buff I always like to see the greater picture and understand how music has evolved through certain events. How has the Cuban revolution in 1959 affected music coming from Cuba such as Cuban Son?
Septeto Nacional: In our case, the group has not been affected. We have always received our country’s full support. We tour and perform a great deal and through this, we receive much admiration and respect in Cuba and throughout the world. We are proud to be the ambassadors of Cuban Folklore, a title we’ve held since 1929, and represent our traditional music at the highest levels.
Ritmo Bello: Can you tell me a little about the albums that Septeto Nacional has released to date?
Septeto Nacional: A vast number of recordings have been made since 1927. Between 1959 and 2010, more than 20 albums have been released. Some of the latest and most significant recordings are: Poetas del Son (Chant du Monde label – Grammy nominated, 2002), El Sabor de la Tradición (Ferment 2005), Noche de Conga (Egrem 2007), Desafiando al Destino (Bis Music 2009).
Ritmo Bello: Are there current plans for new CD releases coming up soon?
Septeto Nacional: Our latest album is titled Sin Rumba, No Hay Son from Harmonia Mundi/World Village Records. We’re launching it on this U.S. tour. The official release date is September 14th. The CD has 14 great tracks. We hope our fans enjoy it and that it’s a success on the global market
Ritmo Bello: What song from your group best epitomizes true Cuban Son in your opinion?
Septeto Nacional: Indisputably, there are many songs from Piñeiro that exemplify the Septeto Nacional. However, in my opinion, the most universal is Échale salsita (throw a little salsa on it!). The term “salsa”, the blanket word we use today to describe tropical/Latin music, can be traced to this son composition.
Ritmo Bello: What type of awards has the group received over the years on account of Cuban Son music? Which ones are you most proud of receiving?
Septeto Nacional: I think the most significant awards the Septeto Nacional has received are the gold medals from the Seville World’s Fair in 1929 and the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933. Equally as important, the group is also a recipient of the Cuban Cultural Heritage Award of Distinction. We’re proud and honored to be so recognized.
Ritmo Bello: What are you future plans concerning your music?
Septeto Nacional: To continue the worldwide promotion of Ignacio Piñeiro’s music, identified globally as Cuban Folklore.
Ritmo Bello: As a salsa dancer I have to ask, what do you think about the growth and popularity of dancing to salsa, Cuban Son or other types of Latin music?
Septeto Nacional: In many countries we see salsa dancers dancing on rhythmic elements of the Cuban Son. We also see many people come to Cuba to learn popular dance, some of them have dance academies that exist in different countries. I think it’s great to see so many young people eager to learn how to dance to this music we all love. Cubans breathe their music and dance (both in popular and folkloric forms). It’s a constant presence in our lives, from morning to night. Cubans live it every minute of the day – in their homes, on the streets, festivals, clubs – music, dance and art are a constant presence in Cuba. It’s a part of our lives from the time we’re born. We know and understand all Latin rhythms and trends from all parts of Latin America.
Septeto Nacional: The audience can expect to listen and dance to the best Cuban traditional music, the most authentic and best preserved Cuban son in the style of Ignacio Piñeiro.
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?
Septeto Nacional: We hope the San Diego public enjoys our music and our interpretive quality. We’re the 4th generation of Septeto Nacional and have played over 500 concerts in over 36 countries over the past 10 years.
Ritmo Bello: Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Septeto Nacional: They can contact us by email at echalesalsita@cubarte.cult.cu or by phone in Cuba 535-2829003 or 537-8635736. Ask for Frank or Ricardo.
Ritmo Bello: Francisco, on behalf of the San Diego salsa dance community and Ritmo Bello thank you for your time! It has been an honor to talk to you today.
Septeto Nacional: Many thanks to you and the Ritmo Bello audience. We hope to see all of you at the Anthology Jazz Club shows.
This is a great video showing a stellar performance by Positive Energy at the recent Grupo Niche concert here in San Diego. You’ll notice the first part is tango inspired and the latter portion switches to salsa dancing. A great performance overall…
Remember that you can help improve the quality of these videos to high definition format by donating to the Ritmo Bello HD YouTube Fund. Every dollar counts and we appreciate your support as we try to improve our videos for the San Diego dance community. Below is the widget where you can help:
San Diego’s newest high end venue for Salsa and Latin dancing located in downtown La Jolla below George’s on the Cove is now open for dancing! Tikul Coastal Mexican cuisine now offers Salsa , Bachata, Cha cha cha and merengue on their menu each saturday night for the month of August and possibly beyond.
Apart from being a great new alternative for your Saturday night salsa dancing, the venue is FREE all night long.
If you’ve never been to Tikul check out this video about the new dance venue:
Tikul has a spacious outdoor patio area and ocean views from the west side of the complex complete with nice wood dance floors. The club is hosted by Salsa Inferno under DJ Tony Caligagan, a longtime friend of Ritmo Bello.
Just a quick heads up that this Saturday July 17th Rumba Entertainment is hosting the San Diego Colombian & Peruvian Independence Day Celebration at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel. The event is featuring a Vallenato group as well as a salsa and cumbia band. If you’ve never heard vallenato you are in for a real treat, check out the video below for a taste that music:
The 4th Annual San Diego Salsa Bachata Festival 2010 is September 16 – 20 and Ritmo Bello is giving away a full access VIP pass! The Full access VIP event pass will give you access to all evening and day shows, competitions, and social dancing including the pre-party Thursday September 16th. The passes are normally $200 but here is your chance to get one FREE. This year we are doing something a little different to determine who will win the VIP pass and we’ll be using YouTube to help make that decision.
To be considered for the full event pass simply:
1. Create a 2 minute or less YouTube video
2. that explains why you choose to dance and why you would love to attend the Festival, all at no cost to you
3. and makes mention of Ritmo Bello in the video submission.
The winner will be chosen based on:
1. Creativity
2. Message clarity and relevance
3. Motivation and inspiration
4. Overall impact
To be eligible for the contest please submit your YouTube video link to bello_jf@ritmobello.com by Friday, August 20th, 2010. The winner will be announced on RitmoBello.com Monday, August 23rd, 2010.
Good luck to all of you and don’t forget to submit your YouTube videos by the deadline!
After 22 years, Café Sevilla is trading their subterranean salsa dance venue on Fourth Avenue for a larger, more heavily trafficked Fifth Avenue location.
Although I love the current location for Café Sevilla, I have to admit the changes sound good. The new location between J and K streets will boast a larger dining room and tapas bar than the current location. Even better is the expanded room for live entertainment as the club will take advantage of the 3,000 more square feet they will gain in the move.
I think the new location on Fifth Avenue will help the restaurant and bar attract a whole new group of people who have yet to experience Café Sevilla. As a dancer I’m going to appreciate the same great Café Sevilla but with lots more room to go out and dance. As I find out more information about these changes I’ll let you know. Until then let’s keep enjoying the current location on Fourth Avenue and join us on August 4th for the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group’s next 1st Wednesday Event.
Here is a recent video of one of Majesty in Motion’s performance teams as they showcase their dance at Tango Del Rey. Make sure to check Ritmo Bello’s YouTube Channel for more videos.
For anyone on a budget, you know its important to spend your money wisely to make sure it stretches to cover all your expenses. If you are like me, one of those expenses includes maintaining and updating what you wear to go out salsa and Latin Dancing.
EK Clothing (you’ll remember I interviewed Nicole, the owner) does a great job of offering both men’s and women’s dance wear at really good prices. I recently visited their website and saw a large array of new styles and selections for your dance needs. Check out EK Clothing today!
Congratulations to San Diego local salsa dancer Christina Santana as she advances to the top 10 of So You Think You Can Dance. Below is a video of her recent 2nd successful audition:
You can learn more about this great local dancer in this interview that was conducted recently on the set of So You Think You Can Dance:
Make sure to watch and support our San Diego salsa dancer on So You Think You Can Dance!
Local San Diego dance company Deseo Dance is back home in America’s Finest City! The group, led by Serena Cuevas, recently visited New Zealand, Australia, and Japan as part of their 2010 Spring Tour. The first video above is a compilation of that trip and gives you a glimpse into what it is like to travel the world as part of a salsa and bachata dance team.
The next video below is a funny one of Oliver Pineda and Kevin Malpas dancing with a “calendar version” of Serena:
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.
Here is another great video taken from last year’s San Diego Salsa Festival. It features Alma Latina kids doing a great salsa performance. The video shows that you are never too young (or too old in my case!) to learn how to salsa dance. Check out the original Ritmo Bello video above and visit the Ritmo Bello YouTube Channel to see more great San Diego Salsa dancing videos.
Also don’t forget that I’m still trying to raise funds to upgrade these videos to HD quality and you can help! (click here to find out more!)
If you’ve seen our Ritmo Bello YouTube videos online, you know that we cover all sorts of local San Diego salsa and Latin events. In doing so we hope to give you, the viewer, a small glimpse into the breadth of talent and life that comes from our local dance scene. Someone recently asked me why we haven’t upgraded to high definition for those videos. Here is what our current videos look like in standard definition (this is a great performance but unfortunately you see how grainy the video gets):
Contrast that with this YouTube video shot in full 1080p HD video and you can clearly see the difference:
So why haven’t we upgraded to HD yet? It’s simply outside of our current monthly household budget (we need that to live). Many of you may not realize that Ritmo Bello is run by Elizabeth and myself (John) here locally using funds from our own pockets. The total costs include maintaining the Ritmo Bello website, camera equipment, editing software, website bandwidth, and covering the costs of attending many of the events that appear in our YouTube videos. In addition to this, we cover the full costs for maintaining the popular San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group directly from our own budget as well.
HOW YOU CAN HELP!
We set up a “challenge” to see if the local San Diego salsa and Latin dancers can help us bring our YouTube videos to full HD quality. Below you will see a donation counter that will track any monetary contributions or donations you are willing to provide us (even if it is just $1.00). Your donations go directly to our costs of upgrading to an HD camera, obtaining quality editing software, and other things we’ll need to make the leap to high definition. We have close to 3 months to reach our goal and we encourage you to contribute whatever you can by simply clicking on the “ChipIn” button to make a donation:
Thanks and we appreciate whatever you can do to help!
