SeaWorld has a great tradition of bringing Latin culture to visitors for its Vive La Musica festival. Running throughout all of May, the festival allows weekend guests to experience Latino culture through food, artisan booths, and of course great Latin music. The concert series, the highlight of the event, will take over Shamu Stadium on weekends and showcase some of the best internationally known Latin music performers such as Julieta Venegas (check out her music videos below) and Elvis Crespo.
All concerts are included with park admission and park admission is required. Wristbands will be required to enter Shamu Stadium for headlining concerts each evening and only one wristband per person.
SeaWorld admission is $69 for ages 10 and older and $59 for ages 3–9. I think the best way for guests to experience Viva la Música is with a Fun Card, which is the same price as single-day admission. With the purchase of a Fun Card, families can pay for a day and come back again and again in 2010. This offer gives guests the opportunity to enjoy unlimited access to an exciting lineup of artists during Viva la Música, plus, all the amazing animal encounters and family fun the park offers year round.
This is a little different but very cool. Dimelo! Records now has a Congo USB Flash Drive that is actually shaped like a Conga drum! The drive has capacity to hold up to 2GB of memory and is ideal for transporting your personal data, documents, photos, Jpeg’s, and or MP3’s.
The drive works with any system supporting USB 1.1 or 2.0 standard protocols Including LCD TV’s, Set Top Boxes, Receivers, Digital Instruments, Keyboards and or Computer Operating Systems:Windows 2000, ME, XP, Vista, Windows 7, MAC OS 8.8, OS 9 and OS X.
What’s really cool is that Dimelo! Records includes 20 Free Salsa MP3s Pre-loaded On The Conga USB Drive. You get samples of the best In Latin Music with Dimelo! Records recording artists: Chino Espinoza, Lucky 7 Mambo, La Charanga Cubana, Orq. Tabaco Y Ron, and Johnny Polanco. You can buy the Original Conga USB Flash Drive online at Dimelo! Records. Check it out!
That’s right! For those of you that went to Gilberto Santa Rosa’s and Oscar D’Leon’s concerts here in the past you are in for a treat. Both professional salsa soneros will be in concert together at Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort. The show is being produced by Eddie Rodriguez for LatinWorks Music and tickets are already on sale for this event.
To get a glimpse of what this show will be like check out these YouTube videos of each performer from when they visited San Diego:
A Time to Dance Studio is actually selling tickets for a special price of $40 for 2 tickets. You can find out information about this special ticket pricing on the special RSVP page here. See you all at the Gilberto Santa Rosa and Oscar D’Leon concert!
Although the San Diego Salsa Bachata Festival is not until later this year if you’ve been to the event in the past you know the rooms and tickets sell really fast. Angel Rivera, one of the main producers for the event, recently released this informative video that explains how you can obtain rooms and tickets. It also does a really nice job of showcasing the myriad of changes that are in store for this year’s festival including the new venue at the Town & Country Resort Hotel and Convention center and the new focus on bachata.
Ooh La La Dance Company, directed by Salsa Susie, will be celebrating their 2 year anniversary on April 24th, 2010. As you may recall, I interviewed Salsa Susie for Ritmo Bello a while back and since then she’s been hard at work with her dance company bringing great events to us here in San Diego.
Below is an overview of what is going to take place on April 24th along with pictures of Ooh La La’s dance teams and kids. To find out more information about the event and to RSVP please visit the event page on the San Diego Salsa and Latin Dancing Meetup Group. Check it out and see you all at Ooh La La’s 2nd Anniversary showcase and Party!
Ooh La La 2nd Anniversary Showcase & Social -SATURDAY, APRIL 24th, 2010
5:00pm-10:00pm
Its Ooh La La Dance Company’s 2nd Year Anniversary! We are hosting a Showcase, Fundraiser & Latin Dancing Social at the FIREHOUSE YMCA LA JOLLA! Please come celebrate with us, get inspired by dance shows, and dance the night away with us! Jack & Jill Contest with Great Prizes!
LINE UP OF SHOWS:
Ooh La La KIDS
Ooh La La TEENS
Ooh La La HOT TAMALES INTERMEDIATE
Ooh La La HOT TAMALES SEMI-PRO
Ooh La La COSABELLAS PRO
Ooh La La COSABELLAS AMATEUR
D.o.C by KRIS BABAO
Kalena Poulson Singing with Kris & Susie Solo
Featuring Dance Shows: Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha Cha, Burlesque, Samba, Cabaret, Lifts & Tricks & Hip Hop.
Only $10 Admission Fee which partial proceeds go towards our costumes. All Ages Event. All Kids under 10 get in FREE.
5pm-6pm – SALSA/BACHATA LESSON
6pm-7pm – DANCE SHOWS
7pm- JACK & JILL SALSA CONTEST
7:30pm-10pm – SALSA, BACHATA, CHA CHA CHA SOCIAL DANCING
FIREHOUSE YMCA LA JOLLA
7877 HERSCHEL AVE
LA JOLLA, CA 92037
Purchase Tickets by contacting Susie at 805.252.6900 cell or emailing to reserve seats.
www.OohLaLaDanceCompany.com
info@OohLaLaDanceCompany.com
SPACIOUS Dance Floor
Great Sound System
Centrally Located in La Jolla’s Posh Village Area
Awesome Latin Music
Crowd Contests
Snacks & Bottled Drinks for Sale
Ooh La La Merchandise, Apparel & Shoes for Sale
Ooh La La SALSA WORKSHOP by #1 3X Undefeated ESPN & MAYAN Salsa Champion- ABEL PENA!
Learn the secrets of dancing like a Champion. Improve your Performance Level! Improve your Spins & Turns! No Partner Needed. You can be a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Salsa Dancer for this Workshop!
Ooh La La BURLESQUE WORKSHOP by L.A. Choreographer- Bree Melanson
Learn to Dance Burlesque Like the Pussycat Dolls! Flirty, Sexy & Fun choreography for the Ladies!
Salsa dancers sometimes hit roadblocks in their dance development that may seem insurmountable. Due to physical or even mental constraints, many dancers have been challenged as they learn the dance. Many times how they respond to their challenges serves as inspiration for us all.
One individual in particular epitomizes this in his own development as a salsa dancer. Dancing salsa with one leg and a crutch, Reinaldo Ojeda shows us all that even the most challenging constraints can be overcome. Below is a short interview of Reinaldo Ojedo, a truly exceptional salsa dancer.
Ritmo Bello: Reinaldo, thanks for agreeing to sit down for this interview. Let’s begin. Being a salsa dancer with one leg really sets you apart from anyone else in the world as a dancer. What sorts of challenges did you face when you were first learning to dance salsa?
Reinaldo Ojeda: My biggest challenge was the disability itself I suffered at birth due to my umbilical cord . It caused trouble in my left leg and the cord cut off the flow of blood causing the leg to die in the my mother’s womb. My family treated me as a normal child nonetheless and I played with my brothers and cousins at my grandparents house growing up. We always met during weekends to share a luncheon or a birthday and I grew accustomed to playing soccer and other games with them up to the age of 5 using a crutch. As I got older I realized other kids not part of our family would look at me differently and question my abilities to play with them. By the time I was 7 though I had grown in confidence and even played soccer at my school as part of the team. It was during this time that my mother taught me to dance and I was always around my family who were all musically inclined. My uncles and Grandfather Carlos Cabrera had a band were they sang boleros and I was able to get exposure to all types of music like salsa, meringue, etc.
Ritmo Bello: What motivated you to begin salsa dancing?
Reinaldo Ojeda: My love of dancing came about a few years ago with my brother when we were frequenting a bar in Bogota called THE BRIDGE PA¨ALLA. One day a few salsa dancers appeared, dancing very nicely and introducing me to the dance. At that time I did not think I had talent for it until the owner of the bar Arvey Walteros proposed that I try to learn the dance and perform in front of his customers. I took on the challenge and was a hit not just at his bar in Bogota but in other places I performed. The experience opened my thoughts to other things I could with my life including something different like dancing.
Ritmo Bello: As a Colombian American I know that Colombian salsa dancing has a huge impact worldwide through cities such as Cali. Being from Colombia, can you describe how Colombian salsa dancing has influenced your development as a dancer?
Reinaldo Ojeda: Salsa dancing in Colombia is best known not only as a quick dance but also for the technical side of it as well. Its been difficult for me to keep my speed and technical dance moves up to what is known in Colombia, but I’ve worked hard to not fall behind. I perform at the best salsa academy in Cali, Swing Latino, on a monthly basis doing salsa cabaret shows. I take pride showing my skills and demonstrating to people in Cali that salsa dancers from other parts of the country like Bogota have their own salsa talent.
Ritmo Bello:What advice can you give to someone who may be disabled but wants to learn how to dance salsa as you did?
Reinaldo Ojeda: In life we all have some sort of disability whether its physical or mental. This is true even with the most ‘perfect’ of people. In many ways the real disability though is a mental one that prevents us to do things even if we can physically. There are examples of people like me who have worked hard to do things in life despite disability such as the Mexican singer Toni Melendez who even though has no hands still plays guitar with his feet. I think you need to look at these good examples that God has sent to the world to show that disabilities don’t necessarily have to limit us.
Ritmo Bello: What has been your best memory from your salsa dance experiences?
Reinaldo Ojeda: My best experiences have been through traveling to other countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, the United State, Italy and other places I never though I would visit and show the world that there exist a reality beyond my disability. Through my travels I’ve also been able to show that Colombia is not all bad as some may think and that we also have a joyful culture in Colombia.
Ritmo Bello: I understand you are actually a Gold medalist in the Para Olympics. Can you tell me a little about that experience and how it’s impacted your salsa dancing?
Reinaldo Ojeda: Well for swimming I was part of the Colombian swim team and I feel fortunate to be able to participate in that. As we say in Colombia you should always be “echando pal ante” or striving to move forward and this experience has helped push my salsa dancing development. With the support of my parents, my wife Claudia Patricia and my daughter Nicol Saray I feel that they have been my heartfelt motivation to pursue this and dancing.
Ritmo Bello: Do you have any plans of visiting San Diego, California in the near future? Perhaps to go to the upcoming San Diego Salsa Bachata Festival in September?
Reinaldo Ojeda: I don’t have any current plans at the moment. I would like to attend the San Diego Salsa Bachata festival and I’m currently looking into finding funding to allow me to perform at that event.
Ritmo Bello: What advice can you give to people that are new to salsa dancing?
Reinaldo Ojeda: Learning how to dance is not always easy but with work its rewarding to know that you can get to a high level of proficiency. People can get to the level of dance where they can even perform like me with that hard work and dedication taking them to levels they may not have even thought possible.
Ritmo Bello:Do you have contact information in case anyone from the Ritmo Bello audience wants to contact you?
Reinaldo Ojeda: Sure. If anyone wants to reach me they can communicate with me in Bogota, Colombia through:
They can also visit YouTube and type in my name, Reinaldo Ojeda, to find lots of videos of my dancing like the ones appearing in this interview.
Ritmo Bello: Reinaldo, Thank you for your time and everything you to do inspire salsa dancers worldwide.
Reinaldo Ojeda: Thanks to Ritmo Bello for giving me the opportunity to do this interview. I want to send a very special greeting to all my fans in Colombia and worldwide, that God bless them always. Remember that salsa is life!
