Saturday 28th June 2008
Del Salereo had arranged a stage for Solar Radio at the Carnival de Cuba event in South London, and had asked me to come down and play a set.
I left just before 10am, picked Stuart (My bro) up on the way then bombed down the M40 towards London.
Rather than driving through London to Southwark, I decided to ditch the car in West London and catch the tube. So we parked just round the corner from Latimer Road tube station, caught the tube to Baker Street, then changed to the Jubilee line to Canada Water. The weather was great, but that meant the tube was hot!
We got to Canada Water station, then it was a short walk to Southwark Park. We met Del at the Solar Radio stage, James Anthony from Solar Radio was dj'ing, playing a relatively laid back 80's soul set. I was due on at 3pm, so went for a walk round the site and to get some food. It was early, but the Carnival was already quite busy. Bought a couple of CD's and said hello to Luis at the Mr Bongo stall, before heading back to the stage for the start of my set.
It wasn't too busy at this stage, and the people that were there, were getting into the soul that was being played, so it was slightly daunting to follow. I started with Mi Salsa from the DJ Duste CD, then Lebron Brothers Salsa y Control - good tracks to bridge the musical styles. As my set progressed, the crowd in front of the stage got bigger and bigger, spilling out round the sides, with quite a few couples dancing. It was a great sight to see so many 'non-salsa' people really getting into it. Particular highlights from my set were Tabaco y su Sexteto's 'Ponte en Ritmo' and Sizzla's re-dit of La Playa Sextet - those two really rocked!! (You can view my complete playlist here )
At the end of my set, I handed over to Ginger Tony, again from Solar Radio, who progressed into Latin Jazz and Boogie, and did a good job of keeping the crowds attention.
Hung out for a short while before heading off (we were due to have a stall at the Colliery Club in Coventry), so didn't get to see the rest of the event, but heard everything went really well. Dj Cruz (aka Robert White) even played a set. Left Stu at the Carnival (he ended up travelling home on Sunday morning with a heavy hangover!), then caught the tube to the car and headed back up the M40. Popped home, quickly got changed, then drove over to the Colliery Club, arriving at about 8:30pm. Mel was already there, as the Carpe Diem Student Group were due to perform later in the evening.
Set up the stall, watched the classes, chatted to a few people.. All the usual stuff. The performance was on just after midnight and the team did an outstanding job and received loads of positive feedback - nice one girls!! We left around 1am - I was absolutely shattered!!
Friday
No Salsa tonight - after a particularly hard weak at work, I was shattered by the time Friday evening came around.
Saturday
Began my weekend Salsa shenanigans by going to Michael and Maxine's class at the Custard Factory in Birmingham. The classes take place in the main Dance Studio. These two, along with Keefe, are extremely good teachers and I would attend on a weekly basis if I could.
Later in the evening, we'd planned to go to the Colliery Club's first birthday party, which is a joint promotion between Latin Motion and SalsaDelic .
Mel, Cat, and I left quite late, and we picked Sofia up on the way. Sofia has been dancing in Birmingham for about 18 months now, and she joined Mel's student team a few months ago. She's only recently started coming out on our travels but is due to head back to live in France in a couple of weeks!
We got to the Colliery Club at about 11pm. It's a large, open-plan venue, with a huge sprung dancefloor and was fairly full by the time we arrived.
The shows were on at about midnight and were by the Seraphim and Con Tambor Student Groups. I was particularly impressed by the Con Tambor show, although both groups did really well! A particular highlight was that Mark, an old friend of Mel's, was part of the Con Tambor group - we had no idea he'd been rehearsing with them!! I videoed both performances, so they'll be online soon.
After the shows, the guest DJ for the night, DJ Clave (aka Mark of Salsa Oxford ), took over and span a good wide selection for the crowd, keeping the dancefloor busy throughout.
We stayed until just before the end then made our way home. I'd had a couple of drinks, so Mel was designated driver - made easy by the fact that she's not drinking at the moment :-)
Sunday
A long day at Scala beckoned, with Mel due to teach a class at 2pm, me to DJ from 10.30pm, and the night ending at 6am. A last minute hotel room booking was needed, and we just managed to get ourselves a triple room at the Travelodge, 5 minutes from the venue.
Mel, Cat, and I set off, again picking Sofia up on the way, and headed down the M40 to London. Didn't have time to park, so I dropped the girls off outside the club about 5 minutes before the class was due to start, drove to the hotel, parked, and walked back to the venue.
The Scalalatina events are promoted by Joe Davids of The Latin Collective , and this particular event was part of a weekender billed as the London Latin Minifest, a prequel to August's Latinfest. Nelson Flores was the headliner of a huge list of guests and residents.
This was my first time attending a Salsa event at the labyrinth that is Scala. Mel was in the top room, so I headed up, and chatted to David Hynes for the duration of her well-attended class. We then watched a couple of other classes before heading for food at a local Italian.
Once we'd eaten, it was back to the club, and we watched a couple of Nelson Flores' classes while catching up with a few people. Once they were over, we managed to get a video interview with Nelson, followed by him telling us a few stories off camera!
Back to the hotel to get changed. We'd only booked the one room, a rather cosy triple for the four of us. I got freshened up, grabbed my CD folder and camera, then headed back to Scala, leaving the girls to do their thing.
I was due to play the warm-up set, up to the first lot of shows. Really enjoyed my set, and managed to squeeze in a few gems while keeping the dancefloor full! Got a great compliment from Julian The Duke, so that topped the night off well!
Scala was quite packed by the time I finished, and the first set of shows. I ended up leaving around 2am, flagging after a long day and a bit to drink! Mel and Cat got back at about 4am, while Sofia stayed to the end, rolling in at about 6.30am.
After a few hours sleep, we went for breakfast at an old favourite in Stoke Newington before heading back.
Next up - the Salsa Central first birthday on the 31st…..
Mel had been booked to teach and me to DJ, on the Saturday night at Fever Dance Studios in Preston. This is a monthly night that's building steadily. We'd been once before at Cat's invitation.
Mel did her class, footwork and styling, teaching a short routine, and I did the music for her then started the Dj'ing off. Amos is the resident here and was a great host.
The venue is a proper dance studio with the most amazing floor, mirrors across the whole of one of the long walls, and a great sounding system that's embedded into the ceiling. The whole place is really nicely kitted out.
I played the first 90 minutes or so, progressing through my tunes, and managed to get away with dropping a few of my new finds from the likes of Hector Rivera and Serafin Cortez.
We left the venue at 11pm, on a promise to attend the One Love party in Birmingham. Made good time and got to the Irish Centre just before 1am. The party had been moved from it's usual room upstairs to the more cavernous option downstairs. There was a good turnout, and the dancefloor was kept full by the resident DJ, Roger, who was spinning some good tunes but could do with using headphones - some long intro's on a few of those tracks!! Maverick took over and did his thing before we left shortly before 2am. I do like the One Love parties - they always seem to get the vibe right at their events.
Bank Holiday Sunday = No work tomorrow. We thought we'd go and check on the Salsa Frog event at Isis in Nottingham. This party is run by DJ Ricardo and Steve 'El Capitan'. We took two cars up, and had a little trouble on the way, but that's a whole other story. Got to Isis just after 11pm and the party was in full-swing.
Slap, who produces the Salsa Notes articles on this site, then took over on the decks. It was the first time I'd met him in person, let alone heard him play, and he did a cracking job (so much so, in fact, that he'll be appearing at one of the Salsa Central parties at some point!).
At midnight, Salsology Dance Company performed. They've really got this routine nailed!! Once that was over, it was time for Ricardo to unleash his tunes and do a bit of dad-dancing behind the decks! The dj's were getting quite a few drinks in and once Ricardo had finished his set, it all seemed to get the better of him and he had a sleep at the back of the club. Steve finished the night off, keeping the dancefloor busy right until the end.
We left just before 3, did a couple of drops on the way home, and eventually got in at 5.
Friday 4th
We'd planned to go to NY for the week to coincide with Mels birthday, and she just happened to mention that the Boston Congress was happening the weekend before, so we 'may as well' go to that as well. I agreed.
Our flight left about 45 minutes after the scheduled departure of 4pm on the Friday, and we landed at Newark Airport in New Jersey at about 7.30pm EST. Did the long-winded immigration thing, then caught the Air Train to Dollar car rental.
Sorted the car out, and made sure we got Satnav as well, then we were on our way in our nice new Chrysler Sebring.
It took us a while, and many wrong turns, just to get out of the airport, then we were on our way through New Jersey, across the George Washington Bridge, then onto the interstate through the Bronx. It was Friday evening, which is a notoriously busy time to be driving in the New York area. So, traffic was very busy and I was trying to get used to driving on the right, etc…
It's about a 4 hour drive from Newark to Boston, and we made good time.
The Boston Salsa Congress was held this year in the Boston Marriott Cambridge, across the river from Downtown Boston. We got there and checked in at about 1am, went to our room, had a quick freshen up and change, then went downstairs to the party. To say we were tired would be a severe understatement!!
Choco (The co-promoter) and Marlon "International" Mills were at the entrance and greeted us, then we made our way through to the main room. Unfortunately, we missed the live band for that evening (Grupo latin Vibe), but the dancefloor was in full swing and the atmosphere was great. We stayed for about an hour, before tiredness got the better of us.
Saturday 5th
Breakfast, then we went though to the Congress area. The event essentially takes over an area of the hotel, with a long corridor outside the main room used for vendors. The main party room, which holds well over 1000 people, is partitioned into two during the day for the workshops.
All of the workshops were very well attended from what I saw, and included classes from Hacha y Machete, Joel & Ana Masacote, Nelson Flores, Al Espinoza, and many more.
We had a new 'SalsaMafia' t-shirt design done before we went out and took some samples with us to give to a few of the teachers, who wore them in classes and around the congress in general.
Mel did a couple of the classes (I only had a party pass), then went out before a quick bite to eat then some rest before the evenings events.
Fully refreshed, we caught the second half of the evenings performances, and I got to see one of may favourite shows by Masacote. After that, it was a short break while the chairs were cleared away, then the party began.
The live band this evening was Ensalado de Pulpo, which is Gilberto "Pulpo" Colon Jr and his band. They performed the majority of songs from the new 'Hot Bread' CD which really rocked the dancefloor. Pulpo enjoyed himself so much, he played an extra song, kicking in the piano intro while the DJ had started to credit them over the mic at the end of their set.
Then, it was time for the DJ's to do their thing, and the music here was great!! My favourite DJ's from this event were DJ Rob Suave and Dave Montreal
We stayed until near the end, then called it a night.
Sunday 6th
We spent Sunday hanging out around the Congress area, and got a few interviews for the site. Mel did a couple more classes and a one-to-one, dinner nearby, then the evening was upon us again.
We missed the shows this time (Sorry Marlon), but made it to the party. Again, some really great music!
Monday 7th
Big Breakfast, checked out, then the 4 hour drive back from Boston to NY. Dropped the hire car off, then Airtrain to the station, followed by the train to Penn St Station in Manhattan.
We'd again rented an aprtment for our stay in NY, the other side of Manhattan this time, on the Upper East Side a few blocks from Spanish Harlem. We caught a cab from Penn Station, sorted the keys, had a quick freshen up, then jumped into another cab to El Barrio Music Center.
We were greeted by Lou and Frankie, and spent some time catching up and going through cd's. While were were in the store, we saw Cheo from New Swing Sextet ride past on his bike. Lou called him and got him to pop into the store. Chatted to Cheo about the Salsa Kingdom festival which they're playing at, and he made us promise to take them on a trip to see the Beatles sights in Liverpool while they're over.
Bought some cd's, then popped back to the apartment to settle in properly.
During the evening, Lou took us out to dinner at an Italian on 3rd Ave, a short walk from the apartment. No Salsa for us tonight.
Tuesday 8th (Mels Birthday)
Got up late and headed downtown for breakfast/brunch. Mel wanted to go to the Brooklyn Diner, which we'd been to last time we were over. Got my bearings a little wrong and took us round in a circle before finding the diner right by where we'd started.
From there, we went to Capezio so Mel could stock up, then caught a taxi to El Barrio and Mel went to get her nails done while I went to El Barrio. Mel popped in with her shiny nails and we hung out there for a while.
We decided that I might need a bigger suitcase as a result of all the shopping we'd done (CD's and Mambofateegz clothing which we'd picked up for the shop), so got a rather large one from a place in Spanish Harlem for $35.
We'd been invited to the launch party for the new CD 'Pulpo's Hot Bread' by Gilberto Colon Jr and his band that evening. The project is headed up by Chris Soto of the Mambo project, and the event was great - very busy, with a whole host of musicians and press in attendance. Mel took the camera and the 'girl with the british accent' (If you've got it, use it!) managed to get a load of great photos.
Victor (HYM) and Joel (Masacote) had both made the drive from Boston to support Chris. Joel got a little lost on the way, ending up on 172nd st in the Bronx, but got there eventually.
We managed to get a video interview with Pulpo between sets, in the band room downstairs. Oscar Hernandez sat in on the interview and made a cameo appearance. We also managed to interview Jamie Maestro and the guys from Nuevotec who returned the favour by interviewing us about the Salsa Central project. Not sure I like being the other side of the camera!
Overall, the event was a great success and we were really proud of Chris, who is our team member in the US.
We stayed until the end, chatting with Lucho Cueto of Black Sugar Sextet, then Joel drove us and Lou to Club Rush, which is where Marlon is holding Tuesday nights while the Link Lounge is being refurbished. We stayed there for a while, Lou and I chatting at the bar while Mel did her thing.
Wednesday 9th
Got up late, then had breakfast at a place not far from the apartment, then caught a cab to B&H to buy me a camcorder. Got myself a nice little HD number, then we walked up towards Times Sq. On the way, Mel spotted a nice handbag which she bought (yes, she can be very girly when she wants to be), then we went to Foot Locker where we got Mel a nice pair of Shox and a pair of trainers for her friends newly born daughter.
Back to the apartment to drop the bags off, then we caught a cab to El Barrio for our daily fix of CD buying (we're like a pair of junkies when we're in NY).
Once we were done there, we caught the subway to Burke Ave in the heart of the Bronx, and waited for Mels aunt to pick us up, as her family were taking us out for dinner to celebrate her birthday.
We'd actually caught the wrong train (the track splits during rush hour) and ended up a little further away. We waited near the station for her aunt, and it was starting to get dark. I stuck out like a sore thumb, and got a few strange looks!!
Eventually, we got picked up and went to a Japanese Steakhouse in Pelham. Our food was cooked in front of us, then Mel received a Japanese rendition of Happy Birthday, before we left and were dropped back at the apartment.
I'd been chatting with Jose from la Excelencia for the last couple of months about an interview and we had decided that a video interview would be best. We'd managed to arrange for them to come round the apartment this evening.
Jose (songwriter and conga player), and Julian (arranger and timbalero) turned up as agreed at 9.30pm. Did the interview, then they stayed and chatted for a while before leaving at around midnight. These guys are inspirational and had some great stories!
Thursday 10th
Breakfast at the same place, then a cab to El Barrio. The driver was new to the
job and took us the wrong way up lexington Avenue, despite me shouting
"No, don't turn here, it's one way… No, Stop, No…." etc. We had 5 lanes
of traffic oncoming, so he did a swift turn and got us back on track.
Eventually, we got to El Barrio and didn't tip the driver!!
Said our goodbyes and headed back to the apartment to finish our packing. Chris Soto picked us up at 2pm, then had to pop by Casa Latina and El Barrio, before heading downtown to Alphabet City to a vinyl record shop. After that, Chris drove us to the airport and we said goodbye.
Checked in, and had to pay $100 because both our suitcases were well overweight (I wonder why!!). Caught our overnight flight back to the UK.
Friday 11th
Landed at 8am and drove home. Another trip over!!
Many thanks to all the guys for their hospitality!
Ok, so this time I’ve actually been out to salsa, which is a good start for a blog about salsa! This week I chaperoned my newly introduced salsa side kick James to the Gregson Centre in Lancaster. Two classes are taught here every Thursday, starting at 7, by Janik, with social dancing afterwards. We were a little late and so missed the start of the class (my fault as the designated driver!), but James quickly joined in, whilst I went to get the drinks in. The class was full, starting at a beginner level going through some of the basic steps before quickly moving on to a more improver level. James stuck with it, and was keeping up well, I thought! I do think though that James, and possibly the majority of the class, could have benefited more from the class being split in two, to give people the opportunity to make sure they are thoroughly comfortable with the basic steps and have had an introduction to timing in music before moving on to turn patterns that are more of a improver sort of level. Just my humble opinion! So, with the 1st class over, James sat out the second, a definite improver level class, which he will be ready for in a month if he practices (you listening Jim bob?!?), again the class was really full, obviously a popular choice for Lancastrian salseros. It was getting on for 10 when the second class ended, and Janik kept the music going, as people continued the dancing. James and I had some dances before heading off.
At the end of the last blog, an SC member requested I mentioned the types of music that are being played at the places I’m going to… so here goes! First a disclaimer, I’m no expert, but I’m learning… you can’t live in a house of TWO salsa DJs (when I’m in Birmingham that is) and be part of the SC team and not pick up something, they’d kick me out! I’m aware of the debates of the sorts of music played out in the clubs and at different events. My honest preference is for what I consider to be good quality salsa by the likes of Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz; El Gran Combo, Larry Harlow; Roberto Roena; Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe; Brooklyn Sounds; Jimmy Bosch and etc etc. Good strong base-lines and strong melodies either from brass or piano that MOVE YOU , rather than you moving just because there’s some music playing. I’m not a fan of the so called “funky salsa” or r’n’b salsa and I confess I get irritated when Ricky or Shakira come on at a salsa night. So that’s my musical taste briefly summed up! The music at the Gregson last Thursday included tracks such as a remix of “I like it like that” (a track I love in its original state by Pete Rodriguez) and the ever popular “Aisha” by Africando, there were a couple of tracks I didn’t recognise, salsa with a dance beat underneath, and Ricky did make an appearance. The music at the Gregson was admittedly not my cup of tea, but… everyone else seemed happy and the atmosphere was good (….The debate continues…).
On Saturday I went to the bi-monthly event hosted by Phil and Karen of Salsa northwest at the Longridge civic hall, just outside of Preston. The guest teacher was Dr Rumba and his dance troupe E4:24 who came over from Ireland especially for the night. Classes started at about 8.30, Phil and Leah took the beginners class on the stage which James took part in, whilst I took part in (most of) Dr Rumba’s class, disappearing to take some pics for the blog. He was a funny guy and a clear instructor, assessing the level of the class and pitching it accordingly, introducing some more complex moves towards the end of the routine, whilst his partner Dee made sure the ladies were happy with their steps. He had an infectious fun attitude that had the class relaxed and everyone seemed really receptive.
Apparently it was a quiet night for the Longridge, but there was space on the dance floor and no stubbed toes, so I was happy with that. Now let me rack my brains to try and remember the music… thinking…anyone who knows me will know what a dizzy forgetful thing I am and will be impressed at me remembering anything…. I remember a few Alex Wilson tracks of his newest album Inglaterra, and (sorry Phil!) I also clearly remember Shakira at one point! On the whole though, there was a mix of music, catering to a range of tastes, never getting as “dura” as I would have liked, but you can’t please everyone! Besides, the DJ kept the majority of patrons off their bums and on the floor and the atmosphere was good.
At this point I must apologise to the lady who asked me if I would lead her! I’m learning how to lead, but I bottled it! I promise I will practice and next time hopefully I will be able to lead without boring you to tears or treading on your toes too much!
The performance by E4:24 who flew in especially that night went down well, performed to the Salsa Celtica track: “El Agua De La Vida” combining Traditional Irish dancing with cross-body style salsa.
James and I headed off shortly after this as we had a bit of drive back to Cumbria. Nearly running out of fuel when we got off the motorway, because I didn’t check the gauge until after I’d dropped James off and then had to drive to find a 24 hour garage in south Lakes at 1 am, not an easy task! Oh well, wouldn’t be an SC trip (even though its only one team member there L ) without something going wrong would it!
Next events: Penrith this Saturday hopefully, dependant on transportation! Also the Gregson on a Sunday at some point! Also the new party night starting on the 8th March at Fever Dance Company Dance Studios in Preston.
Any other events people know about then please let me know!
Take Care Salseros,
Cat.
Well its 2 weeks since my last (and first) blog entry documenting my experiences of Salsa up north (more specifically north-west i.e. Lake District/Cumbria and north Lancashire), and well I haven’t done any more salsa since… except for practicing shines and spinning drills in my bathroom, but an interesting salsa blog that does not make! (Speaking like Yoda, suddenly am I…hmm…strange that in’t it?!)
Anywhooo, my lack of salsa has not been due to the lack of salsa on offer, far from it, more a sudden surge in productivity PhD wise, net result, no salsa! So to make up for my failings as self appointed salsa blogger of the Lake District I thought I would post a list of the places I intend or would like to get to, found by web searches and recommendations…
1) Salsa Party in't Keswick on't 26th Jan.
I’ve put the details of this on the Salsa Central calendar, Keswick is such a lovely town (see pictures below) on the shores of Derwentwater surrounded by some of the most dramatic summits in the Lakes including Skiddaw and Blencathra with the Helvelyn range to the south, my second favourite Lake in the Lake District, firmly in Wordsworth Country, John Ruskin and all of that! Such a wonderful part of the world, salsa here would be simply magical! This was on my list of places to go and report back on, alas I won’t be able too anymore. But at the next party I will be there, camera ready!
2) Salsa In't Pe nr ith
After the last blog I’ve had several recommendations to try Salsa Silhouette (guest teachers at the Keswick Salsa Party) in Penrith (north Cumbria) … so they are definitely on the list… offering classes followed by a social every Thursday.
3) Salsa In't Lancaster
Moving out of Cumbria to north Lancashire, I’m yet to visit the Gregson Arts and Community Centre in Lancaster (picture of lancaster to the right) this year, where salsa is held two nights a week. On a Sunday its Jason of Dance with Passion with classes and social dancing and on a Thursday its Janik. I’ve been to these previously, with really positive experiences, so again these are also “on the list”!
So that’s it for now, below is a list of websites of teachers and promoters that I’ve found so far for this region of the UK, please if you have any more post a comment below or send be a message ( jex@salsa-central.co.uk ) and it will be added to the growing list. I heard a rumour of a Cumbrian Salsa Festival this year… if anyone has any details please let me know! Any road, tara for now, ass gan yam! (See here for translation from Cumbrian to English!)
Back soon with some sort of actual review of Salsa in’t North! Meanwhile I leave you with another Cumbrian view, this time Borrowdale across Derwent water, enjoy!
Salsa North West: http://www.salsanorthwest.co.uk/
Salsa Silhouette: http://www.carletonwebsites.co.uk/salsa/class.htm
Sizzling Salsa: http://www.sizzlingsalsa.com/
Club Latino: http://www.clublatino.org.uk/index.html
Sacred Salsa: http://www.sacredsalsa.co.uk/
Photo courtesy of me ol’ man!
As this is my first blog I'd best introduce myself.... My name is Catherine or Cat for short and up until Christmas I was living in Birmingham, doing a PhD and salsa wise, training with Mel C and Carpe Diem Dance Company. For January and February I've moved back to my home town (or village) of Arnside in south Cumbria to have some quiet to finish writing up my thesis and was a little worried that whilst I was here I would, god forbid, miss salsa. Sooooo many folks said to me "oh, you're going back up north... bet there's no salsa there" blah blah blah.... so I've decided whilst I'm here to let everyone south of Manchester know exactly what salsa there is up here! That way you Salseros can visit the Beautiful English Lake District in Cumbria (for instance) and shock horror, maybe dance some salsa too!!!
To succeed in my mission I'm going to try to go to one or two salsa things a week in south Cumbria/ Lancashire region and report back about my experience! To help me I've enlisted fellow salsero James, to accompany me (i.e. taxi me! You don't get far without a car “up here in't fells”!) and make sure I don't make too big a goof out of myself as I usually do! James is a brand spanking new salsero, still wet behind the ears after having started learning just 3 months ago. I'll put a picture up soon so that the ladies can recognise him, grab him, and get him on the dance floor so he can practice his moves! Lol. My little sis Lizzie may also tag along from time to time, for some moral support for James, but mostly she thinks she’ll get her drinks paid for if she comes out with me! Tight fisted northerner!
So my first outing was to an on2 class on Monday evening in Preston... yes that’s right folks... on2... in Preston! Actually maybe I should attach a map to show the location of Preston.... and Cumbria! ……..
Ok see map for locations! The class was by Thanassi and Kasia of Sizzling Salsa in Preston ( www.sizzlingsalsa.com ) and Salsology, Manchester. They run on2 classes on a Monday and a Thursday at the same venue (Roper Hall, Preston city centre) between 7 and 10pm. There are 3 levels; beginners, improvers and intermediate with social dancing until 10pm. James and I both did the beginners as leads. I’m working on my lead on1 so thought I’d try on2. I then did the other two classes as it was only £4 for all three classes with an NUS card, £5 without NUS, bargain! Meanwhile James went to get some chips instead of practicing his on2 timing for his basic steps and turns… tut tut tut!! Nice chips though!
The classes had a good turn out, but not so busy that Thanassi and Kasia couldn’t dance with everyone and give individual advice on technical aspects and styling, and the atmosphere was really great. Lots of laughs, people weren’t afraid to ask questions and all the steps were clearly broken down whilst keeping a swift pace to the class. My fellow class mates were all really friendly, everyone introducing themselves, which is a small thing, but nice! No egos anywhere in sight! After the classes there was time for social dancing before the venue turns back into a “normal” club. Shame it had to end really! Chatting to one guy after the class, he was surprised I’d come down from Arnside, and gone “south of the border” to Preston, but at a 30-35min drive, its really nothing. In fact it’s the sort of class that people form nearby towns/villages should really make the effort to drive to and support. There are larger cities with bigger salsa scenes that don’t have these kinds of classes with such good and friendly instructors available. Preston, Lancaster, Kendal etc get your asses there!! And anyone else from further a field, why not check it out your selves?
Ok, that’s enough of that…. Next blog will probably be for a social dancing thing in Lancaster, a little closer to home this time, and will try to get some pics for that one and for this class too as I’ll no doubt go back whilst I’m here! Tune in for more “Salsa in’t North”! Ta’rah for now and I leave you with a beautiful Cumbrian view to entice you!
Left just before 7pm and dropped by Stu's on the way to pick him up. He squeezed in the back of the car, surrounded by the stock for our stall that wouldn't fit in the boot. Traffic was good, and we got to York in good time. Dropped Stu at his B&B, then went to our hotel to check-in, wash, change, before picking Stu back up from his and heading to the first night of the parties.
The weekender takes place at St John's College in York, just outside the city centre, and is a university campus. The party takes place in the Temple Bar, which has a foyer just outside, with a bar :-) This is also where the stalls are located.
The main hall was in full swing and busy, with a good crowd dancing to the guest band, Bourbon y Tequila. This was my second year here, and is a very friendly weekender, where everyone seems to know each other.
Tony Piper, who promotes the event with his wife Mary, dj'd the fairly short slot between the bands sets, then the band were back on for their second set which comprised some covers of familiar material interspersed with their own recordings.
Once the band were finished Dr Salsa was the DJ for the evening, familiar to us from his stints at Latin Motion, George played a good set with a complete mix of music which really kept the floor rocking! I celebrated with a couple of beers then a couple of Jacks!!
The party was on until 2am, but we left at 1, weary from a full day at work and the drive "oop north"!!
Breakfast in the morning, then a short drive to the venue just before opening. Mel and I started setting up the stall, then Stu arrived to help out. Terry and Jo arrived not long after, who were selling shoes on our stall. They'd had a bit of trouble with their stock delivery the night before so couldn't set up on the friday night as previously planned.
While we were all setting up, the venue opened up and people started to register. Within minutes, it was a scene reminiscent of a plague of locusts as women spotted the shoes. As a guy, I'll never understand women and their obsession with shoes - watching them in action was scary!!
The day was taken up mostly with hosting the stall, and occasional ventures into the Temple Hall to take some photos and film some class footage. Stu had a pass to attend the afternoon classes - he chose to take part in Franklyn and Brigittes Level 2-3 Turn Patterns and Styling workshop, then Lee Hunters Level 2-3 Turn Patterns class, both at Mels recommendation. Both classes were well attended and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
We packed up around 8pm, had some food, then the shows started at 9.
We were due an hour of shows. The first one was by a couple from Cali, Colombia. This show was quite a bizarre experience - it turned out to be an extract from a theatre-type show and ran for over 20 minutes. The audience seemed quite perplexed, but entertained nontheless. Once that was done, the remaining shows were of a more typical format, with my personal highlights being Mo T's new group show.
Mel and I popped back to the hotel for a change of clothes, then were back at the venue for just after 11. Had a few dances, drinks, and hung out with Lubi for a bit, then the night was over.
That was it for the weekender, and a good time was had by all. I'll definitely be back next year!!!
MONDAY
Our flight was scheduled for 2pm from Heathrow. Having learned from past experience, and due to moderate snowfall on Sunday night, we left at 8am - plenty of time to get there!! ;-) Got to the airport in plenty of time (for once!!), parked, got the shuttle bus to the terminal, and dropped our bags off (I'd done everything online the day before, just to make sure!!).
The flight went ok, and we landed it JFK at 4.30pm local time. We'd arranged a private rental of an apartment on the Upper West Side, so got a taxi there.
After a quick power nap, we decided to go to Salsa con Mambo , which takes place at Session 73 on 73rd and 1st Avenue in Manhattan. We got there just before 10.30pm, and were greeted by the two girls at the desk. Paid our $12 entry each and went in.
The venue was a fairly small bar, with a band setup in the corner next to the dj area. We left our coats in the cloakroom, with a guy who was making an unsuccessful effort to memorise everyones name, grabbed a couple of beers from the bar, then watched the dancing.
At 11pm, the guest band were on for their second of 3 sets. The band in question - New Swing Sextet!!! They really rocked, and we managed to grab an interview after the set, then they were on again for their last set at 12.30. The promoter of the night, DJ Babaloo , was very welcoming, and gave plenty of mentions for Salsa Central over the mic ;-) Left the club at closing (about 1.30am).
TUESDAY
Woke up quite early and went for breakfast at Tom's Restaurant, then walked it off over by Morningside park before heading into the Bronx to meet up with Chino Nunez. Got to Chino's studio for about 1pm, and were made to feel very welcome. He made us tea, and we had a chat before doing the interview. After a couple of hours at Chino's. he took us to meet George Delgado. We had a chat to George, and did a quick interview with him, before heading back to the subway. On the way, we stopped at a Caribbean food place for dinner. Some of the customers thought it was bizarre that a white english guy was eating West Indian food in the Bronx!!
In the evening, we headed downtown, to The Link , which hosts a salsa night on tuesdays, run by Marlon International and Dave Montreal. The place was busy, but it was easy enough to dance, and the vibe was great! We also met Chris Soto here. We didn't stay late, as we were both tired, so left before midnight and caught the subway 'home'
WEDNESDAY
Time for a bit of CD shopping! We'd planned to meet up with Chris Soto, who was going to take us to a couple of CD shops in Spanish Harlem. We caught the bus across town, and walked along Tito Puente Way, then up Lexington into the heart of 'El Barrio'. By chance, we stumbled across the El Barrio music shop at 116th and Lexington. Chris had gotten a bit delayed at work, but this was one of the shops he'd planned on taking us to. Lou and Frankie, from the shop, helped us with our selections, then we were off downtown.
Stopped for a bite to eat, then headed to west 34th St, to B&H Electrical. We needed to get a camcorder for Chris, so he could get some interviews for the website when we're not in the U.S. Chris met us at B&H, then drove us back to the apartment. On the way, Mel got a call from Jimmy Bosch, asking if we wanted to go to his for thanksgiving evening. Nice!!!
Tonight, we'd arranged to go to LQ nightclub, to interview Frankie Morales, who was performing, along with Ismael Miranda. The club was in midtown Manhatten, and is a large glitzy place. Not really my style! Paid our $15 each to get in, then went and had a quick chat with Frankie. Unfortunately, we didn't stay long, as Mel was quite ill - passed our apologies for the cancelled interviews and left.
THURSDAY
Thanksgiving day! Before that though, we needed another fix of cd shopping, so headed back to El Barrio and hung out there for a while. Early afternoon, we were picked up by Mels uncle and taken into the Bronx for thanksgiving at her family's place. Lot's of food!!!!! I was stuffed, but we still had to eat at Jimmy Bosch's!!! He arrived at Mel's aunts place at 8pm to pick us up and take us over to his place in New Jersey. More food, beer, and a few games of cards, then Jimmy dropped us back at our apartment in the early hours.
FRIDAY
No Cd shoping today! However, I needed a haircut, so Mel had booked me in at her friend Aisha's place in the East Village. We headed down there with Lauren, Mels cousin, and once that was done, we went for a bit of shopping in Soho.
In the evening, we went to SOB's , where Larry Harlow was playing for their 25th Anniversary. It's a fairly small venue, but perfect for the occasion, although there were a few slight problems with the sound system. Everyone was given a free Larry Harlow CD on entry, and there was some filming for a new Fania documentary. We couldn't get a table to have dinner there, so left after Larry's first set, and stumbled upon a Spanish Restaurant round the corner. Top food at this place!!!! Once we'd finished there, we headed up to Frankie Martinez's social, which takes place on the 11th floor of a building in midtown Manhattan. Got there and the lift was broke!!! So, 22 flight of stairs and we were there. The place was like someone's living room that had been cleaned out and fitted with a soundsystem, albeit quite a large living room!!! The vibe here was really good - the standard of dancing was excellent, as you'd expect, but not a hint of arrogance, everyone was here to party!!!
SATURDAY
Felt like pancakes today, and had been told that the ones served at the Fairway cafe were good, so went there, then strolled breakfast off by walking to the Dakota Apartments, then through Central Park. Caught a cab up to El Barrio for our next fix of CD buying!! It was Frankies day off today, so Lou helped us out and we left with another sizeable purchase!
Later in the afternoon, we went to 170th St in The Bronx, to the Yamulee studio, where Mel took part in Cindy's styling class, then a two hour shines and partnerwork workshop.
Got food on the way back, then ended up staying in for the evening - the week was starting to catch up with us!!
SUNDAY
I'd been phoning Larry Harlow all week, to try and arrange an interview, but he's a busy guy. Thought i'd try one last time before we went to get breakfast. "Why don't you come over right now" he said! Brilliant!! So, caught a cab over and met Larry Harlow. He showed us round his apartment, including his collection of rare musical instruments and paintings, and we saw his Fania gold discs, before doing a quick video interview. He also gave us a couple of signed CD's to gve away in a competition!!
Went from there, back to El Barrio for our last day of CD shopping, and to say goodbye. We caught a cab from there, to midtown, so Mel could go to Eddie Torres' class, but not before she'd cured the shopping itch in Capezio, who were having a serious sale!!! Mel did Eddies footwork class for a few hours while I watched, then back to the apartment before Mels family picked us up for dinner.
Went to Havana Central near Times Sq for some cuban food, during which a bottle of hot sauce dropped from one of the tables upstairs, missing Mels head by inches and smashing on the floor behind us.
On the way from there to the car park, a car was reversing down the one way st, and missed me by a fraction - someone had it in for us tonight!!!
Got back to the apartment fairly early, but were feeling a bit worn out, so Marlon came round for a chat and so we could do a quick interview with him.
Once Marlon left, we needed to try and fix our toilet, which had become blocked earlier in the day, and tried unsuccessfully to get a plumber to visit at 2am. I went to bed while Mel carried on trying to sort it out.
MONDAY
Got up early this morning, and went to get a plunger from the hardware store, and a couple of drinks. Managed to fix the loo, packed our bags, left the apartment for the final time and headed to Toms for breakfast before getting the subway to JFK and our flight home!!
I'd intended to get to the Latin Motion Halloween all-dayer from the start at midday on the Saturday, but had a bit of a lie-in and get there at 2pm, just in time for the lunch break, during which a 'Rhythm and Timing for Dancers' workshop was scheduled. I sat through the whole of the workshop, run by Mauricio Reyes and Richard Sealey, which I thoroughly enjoyed. After that, Inaki Fernandez and Susana Montero had an intermediates Bachata class, which I watched for a bit, then filmed at the end. During this class, I also had a chat with Richard Sealey about his workshop!
Next up was the Tango workshop, again with Inaki and Susana. I didn't fancy taking part, so watched this one as well, filiming again at the end. Said goodbye to a few people, then left to pick Mel and Cat up from the city centre - Mel had been teaching at the Dance Xchange, then went shopping with Cat!
Had a quick Chinese, and planned to leave at 6:30. Stuart had spent the day at Airsoft - like paintball, but a bit more serious!! And it hurts!! He skipped dinner after a day running round getting shot, and rushed round to ours in time for our 6:30pm departure time. We were just starting to get ready at this time.
So, we ended up leaving after 7pm, and got to the venue just in time for Mel to start her class. I took part in this class, after a day spent watching from the sidelines.
After that, the party began. To help keep up our energy levels (and celebrate Anna's birthday), a table had been filled with plates of fruit, around a large bithday cake :-) Not one to waste any time, Cat appeared with a handful of grapes and strawberries, no doubt preparing for a night of serious dancing!! Then another handful.... and some melon.... and some more!!
The party was kept in full swing by DJ Mike and DJ Mani, and I had a few dances, using the routines i'd learned over the last few weeks.
After a couple of dances, Cat started complaining of having a stitch!! Surprising, that!! So spent some time doing "grape styling" and "the crab" (Don't ask!!!... Well, do actually, next time you see her!).
We ended up leaving the party just after midnight (It had been a heavy day for all of us)... Next stop, the Harlow gig, then New York!!!
Was browsing thru some of the salsa pics, and started to realise a couple of things--
1--- why do people dress for salsa events, like they are going to dig for coal ??-- casual is good, but this is way beyond the pail in many cases . surely-- a little pride should be in attendance ?
2--- have never seen so many appendages sticking up and out and in numerous other positions-- remember-- how you present yourself whilst dancing, is the image you give to those who do not know you !!
Window dressing, is all part of the total package-- so- Detail, detail and more detail .
We'd arranged to have a stall at the UK Congress, so the Friday morning arrived and we had all the stock we needed - cd's, dvd's, clothing, shoes, etc. Earlier in the week, Mel had decided to book herself in to get her hair done on the Friday morning. After the trauma of our Poland trip, I decided to take no chances and arranged to drive down with Sizzla early, leaving Jojo to stress!
We left at about 10am, and had to stop off in Hampshire to visit the offices of International Record (Salsa-International, Latin Soul, Mary Lou Records) to pick up some more stock for the stall. Had a coffee and chatted for a bit with Ian Morrisson, then back on the road to Bournemouth and the BIC, the new venue for the UK Salsa Congress!!
Got to the BIC at about 3pm, found our table upstairs and round the corner from the top of the escalators - the perfect spot to not do much business, as everyone was downstairs in the registration area along with all the other stalls!! We started setting up, then Mel and Jojo arrived just after 4pm. Me and Sizzla left the girls on the stall and went to sort out our B&B.
We were staying just up the hill, about 10mins walk from the BIC (we drove though). Went to check in and there was already someone in one of the rooms we'd booked! However, there was another room free, luckily!! Checked in, then headed back to the BIC and worked on the stall until just after 8pm. Went to the local Chinese for dinner, then headed to the venue to watch the shows. In between each show, there was a sketch of either a newsreader or 'roving reporter' to fill the time, which would have seemed a good idea in theory, but didn't quite seem to work and seemed a bit of a last minute idea that had been rushed together. Once we'd finished watching the shows, we headed back to get changed, then it was the first night of the party.
The main venue was the Purbeck Hall - a domed wooden room - and was fairly busy!! The music was good, but the room seemed to lack the atmosphere I was expecting - may have been the (very) high ceiling, or lack of moving lights or projections. The atmosphere in the Cuban room was better, and was where Jojo spent most of the night. I left the party at about 2am, and ended up being woken at about 4 by Mel (didn't have a key), then at 5 by Jojo, who couldn't get in the front door.
A big breakfast was required the following morning, courtesy of Jorge, our hist for the weekend, then back to work from 10am. Saturday was a lot busier, and our spot at the top of the escalators paid dividends that day. Another day of hard work over, an authentic seaside dinner of fish and chips, watched England beat France, a quick powernap (well, 2 hours!), then back to the venue for about 1am.
The Saturday night was a lot busier, and we got there in time to see Frankie Morales perform. It was DJ Mauri's birthday on the Sunday, so he was quite hammered by the early hours and seemed to be enjoying the show!! There were a lot of circles going on (where everyone stands around, watching the 'good dancers'), but they seemed to be either by the main door, or by the bar, which made getting in and out or buying a drink a bit of a hazard!! Jojo hated this and again spent the night in the Cuban room! Me too!
The next morning, we arrived with our stock, ready to set up the stall at 10am, only to be told that we couldn't trade there. Donny Osmond was performing that evening, and most of the stalls had to be moved as a result. We ended up moving into one of the bar areas along with a few of the other vendors, which was actually a better setup than the original pitches, but the whole thing was still very unorganised and we lost a couple of hours trading time that we'd paid for!!
Another hard days work, dinner at the local chinese again, then a rather subdued effort at the party!!
I drove back with Mel then next morning, and Sizzla took Jojo. We stopped off at International Records to drop off the unsold stock and have another chat and brainstorm over coffee before heading home.
We (Mel, Cat, and I) were invited to the Wieliczka Conress and were due to fly out from Coventry on the Friday afternoon to Katowice. Mel had to get her hair done first, which meant we were cutting it a bit fine, but should get to Coventry with plenty of time to spare. Cat and I packed everything while Mel was getting her hair done, then headed to her hairdressers to pick her up, then straight to Coventry… easy!!!
Got to junction one of the M5, traffic was at a standstill heading north, so we decided to get on the A34 and jump on the M6 further down. Ended up stuck at roadworks-from-hell for about 25 minutes – and no-one was working on them!!!!
Anyway, got past that, onto the M6 and I put my foot down in an effort to get us to the airport in about 15 minutes.
We got there, parked, and got to the check-in desk about 5 minutes after it had closed. Thought we could blag it, but boy were we wrong!!!! The evil !@*%& behind the desk was not interested and seemed to take great pleasure in our misfortune. She wouldn’t help us with any alternatives or suggestions, so home we went, but we weren’t to be beaten!!
Got on the internet, and Cat was on the phone for about 30 minutes trying to find an alternative flight to Poland, or the nearest country possible. We found one from Liverpool airport at 10pm, so booked that, and decided to get the train to Liverpool, and use our flight back to Coventry. Drove to Birmingham, got the train to Liverpool, bus to the airport, checked in, and the flight was delayed by an hour and a half!!!! Typical!!!!!
Mel and Cat amused themselves for a couple of hours by playing the baby grand piano that’s in the departure lounge, much to the amusement of the other passengers!!
We arrived at Katowice airport at 2-30am, participated in the scrum for baggages, then went to collect our hire car. It should all have been straightforward from here, but the car hire place was closed – despite our reservation confirmation confirming everything!! We called the phone number and woke someone up at 3am, and after a debate, agreed that he would come and sort the car for us. So, 4am and we were hiring our car – it turned out that no booking had been made, so the guy was none too pleased but helped us out nonetheless.
So, off we went on the A4 to Krakow ☺ Surely we’d be at the hotel and in bed in just over an hour.
A missed turn and we ended up on a side road in the middle of some woods on the way to the Slovakian border!!!!
We got back on the main road, obtained directions from a service station, and headed down the 44 road to Krakow – not quite the same as the motorway from Katowice to Krakow, this was a slightly potholed windy road, blanketed in fog. We eventually got to the Motel Gorska at 7am, had breakfast, then went to bed!!!!!
We all got up at about 12-30am, met up with Sizzla and Ricardo, then went to workshops. Mel and Cat went to Neeraj Maskara’s Cha Cha class, and I went to Mambomikes mens styling workshop.
Later we drove into Krakow centre for dinner, and Mel managed to find a salon to get her nails done. We waited, hungry!!! Went to the restaurant recommended by the salon staff, and ate a hearty meal (enough for ten!!)
Spent 25minutes trying to get on the road back out of Krakow, showered and changed at the hotel, then headed to the Wieliczka Salt Mine for the party.
It was a great party in a fantastic location 150 metres underground. We stayed until 3am, slept, got up at 7.30am, quick breakfast, then our brief stay in Wieliczka was over. It was time to try and get home!
This was a fantastic event and we were honoured to have been able to attend the very first one. Will we be going next year? Definitely!!! Will we be better prepared for travel? Absolutely!!!!
Mel (Mel C), Cat (Cathjex), My Brother (Devin Dash) and Me (Torqueo) decided to drive to the Antilliaanse Feesten from Birmingham. We hired an MPV and set of at 8.30pm on the Thursday. Our ferry was at 2am from Dover to Dunkerque. An hour into the journey, I jokingly asked if everyone had their passports. My brother had forgotten his!!!!! We turned round, raced back to Birmingham, then had two and a half hours to get to Dover from Central Birmingham. We managed it…. Just!!!
Managed to grab an hours sleep on the ferry, then drove through the remainder of France, then Belgium, to the festival location at Hoogstraten, which is near the Dutch border. We arrived at about 8am, pitched our tents next to the group from Chester, had breakfast in the campsite tent, then got a couple more hours sleep. Later in the day we drove into town to get a couple of disposable barbecues and some food, so that was dinner sorted! The whole campsite at this festival is electric - because they allow cars to be parked with the tents, there are loads of makeshift soundsystems wired up to car batteries so the whole place is like one big party!!
Popped back to the campsite tent after eating, where a band was playing and everyone had a dance!
We walked up to the actual festival site later in the evening. It takes your breath away on first entering - so many people and different stalls and tents. Checked out the Salsa club tent, then went over to one of the two main stages where Joe Arroyo was due on. The Colombians went mad for him and a few jumped onto the stage, one girl nearly pulling him over. Really enjoyed the first part of his set. We then went to get some food - the food area has anything you could possible want, with food from across the globe!! Drank a bit too much Rum and was shattered so went back to the tent with Mel. Stu and Cat stayed out to watch Pitbull.
On the Saturday, we went backtage with Mike from FunkySalsa and met Louis, the organiser of the festival, so that we could interview him. We then popped into town again for more barbecue provisions, and I ended up reversing the hire car into a tree - not sure how that happened, as I'd asked 'will we be able to get the boot open because of that tree' when I parked! Lucky I had zero excess!! Anyway, the next couple of hours consisted of prawn and chicken skewers, a fair bit of beer and rum, some campsite games, dancing, then back to the festival site!!
We had meant to see Kassav, but they weren't due on yet so went to the other stage to catch the beginning of N'Klabe's set. We ended up staying for the whole set to allow Cat to drool over the Sax player!! Plus, they really rocked the place!! Went for a bite to eat after that, then checked out La India for a bit. Back to the Salsa tent, then home to the campsite.
After all that, it was soon Sunday morning, and time to pack up the tent and head for the ferry for a bit of dancing and frisbee at the docks!
Will definitely be back next year, and the year after….. As festivals go, this one has the best atmosphere of any that I've been to, and I've done the lot!! For those that don't like camping, there are loads of B&B's and guesthouses nearby, but you'll miss a lot by not being on the campsite!!
So we’re all tucked up absolutely battered. Slap shuffles out of bed for a fag (not that kind) He ambles towards the balcony covering every piece of carpet in the process. Rich sensing danger leaps out of bed (never seen him move so quickly) and stops slap from leaning out the balcony. It’s a 50ft drop. The Mojitos have really kicked in now and slaps language skills have totally deserted him!!!! It was quite a touching scene, two men locked in an embrace, wearing underpants. Rich supervises slaps fag break then escorts him back to bed.
Bang!!!! There’s an earthquake in the room, Rich and I wake in state of shock fearing for our lives. But Slap’s still asleep!!! The earthquake was slap’ snoring. He continues and goes through his full repertoire: the Elephant on coke, the Walrus on heat, the Tardis landing and the famous dead man (the one with the lengthy pauses in-between snores) Its 12 midday, I felt like I haven’t slept. Slaps still in full swing only this time it’s in stereo; his lower regions are now harmonising if you get my drift. Ricky’s sprawled out on the bed, t-shirt wrapped round his head in an attempt to drown the noise. His 1970s y-fronts around his hips, all that’s missing are the handcuffs. Reminiscent of one my old films, but we’ll leave that there!!!
We all up in a sense, we stroll to the main square using the longest route possible, navigation is not one of Slap’s strengths. Having walked past the same Restaurant 3 times (Ricky is dead fussy) we decide to enter. Slap and I order in French, Ricky’s using perfect English only a bit louder than normal. Ricky’s is slowly piss*** the waiter off (he’s good at that ask the lads) Drinks are order, Ricky orders an Americano, the waiter brings some exotic cocktail (blue Hawaiian I think) Ricky starts to steam. Our orders arrive Rich asks for salt and gets tomato sauce, Rich starts to chunter again.
Florian turns looking typically French, shades, face, stubble, gallic expressions, coffee the whole French thing. |So it’s back to the hotel freshen up then taxi to ile Barbe. I’m first up on dexx, knocking out a nice blend of salsa dura and Cuban (it’s a bit of a mixed crowd. Florian takes over straight into his old skool salsa, the dancers are feeling are feelin it. Rich is next up and keeps the crowd swingin with a blend of rare and new stuff.. The dance area empties, Manolito’s on stage, he’s armed with a 15 piece band. They start to rip it up big time. They’ve got the crowd singing, swaying, dancing and jumping. These guy’s are imho are extremely and must be seen. Oscar Hernandez is in the wings, feeling the vibes and watching Manolito on keyboards. Manolito calls him over, next thing Oscars on Keyboards!!! Manolito watching and lovin it. Oscar after the initial shock starts to get his groove; the crowd are going nuts. Manolito takes over.
I get the call to backstage to interview Oscar(see it’s not all play folks) Slap and Rich are in tow. It’s too noisy, Manolito is still creating a storm on stage ,we agree to wait. So we’re backstage with the Spanish Harlem guys, we take a few pics, talk casually, you know regular stuff!! Turns out Slaps knows more about the ban members than their mothers. This guy’s musical knowledge is phenomenal.
So we’re hanging with Oscar, Joe Walsh, George Delgado, Willy Melendez chillin and chattin, Slap had achieved demi god status. Hello, Slap manages to find the hospitality drinks(they weren’t really missing) We felt out of place not drinking with the boys so why not!! We wondered on to the stage wings with our beers. Manolito must have thought we were SHO, he waved, we gave him the thumbs up and shouted nice job bro(naw I made that bit up but it was in out minds) They finish their set, they were really pumped. We were backstage; high five were flying all round, yes you got it, Slap Rich and I were included(gtfoh). They must have bad eyesight to assume Rich was a band member!!!!
I am buying some new Dance trainers but not sure which ones to buy.
At the moment I have a pair of Bloch trainers. Bloch have brought out a trainer designed especially for salsa but I want to know if they are worth the extra.
Can anyone recommend any others?
Thanks
Jill
So this is me….. Juan.
I’m a bear on a mission to meet as many interesting people as I can. I thought I might share where I’ve been and who I’ve seen with all of Salsa Central.
My first salsa weekend has been HUGE. It kicked off with me meeting Asere at The Ironworks, Oswestry on Thursday night (12/07). What a brilliant gig. The boys couldn’t wait to get their photograph taken with me AND what a photo to start off my salsa blog!
However, this was only the first night of an extremely busy extended salsa weekend. I had to catch up on some serious beauty sleep before I hit Club Candela the next night.
It’s Friday……. It’s Shrewsbury……. It’s Club Candelaaaaaaaaa !!!!!
I knew JoJo had a soft spot for small furry things so it wasn’t long before she’d nestled me in her elbow ready for a paparazzi call. Yeah, yeah… Lee Hunter couldn’t wait to squeeze into the photo as well. I had a wicked night.
Hopeton stopped off for a 'man to bear' chat, and then Diablo came to give me some advice on which CD’s I should really have in my collection.
Towards the end of the night I tried to persuade two lovely ladies they needed to take me home with them… but they weren’t up for it. Damned shame!
Ok………… so I started off on Thursday, partied some more on Friday and decided to give my paws a well earned rest on Saturday. But, come Sunday, I was off to Ipanema, Birmingham.
Now, I’m a bear that hates getting my fur wet……. so I’m sure I’ll be forgiven for looking at the weather forecast and deciding NOT to go to the all day event, and just hitting the after party. My first job was to get to Edlin and give him a hand to choose some pumping tracks. Then Rohan came along and really started to come on to me in a big way! As you can see, I was trapped between a rock and a hard place with a look of blind panic starting to spread across my cute widdle face!! Anyway, excellent night all round.
So I got to bed in the early hours of Monday morning. Although I’d had a few late nights all on the run, as the serious salsero I am, I couldn’t pass up on a few hours of practice at the Buttermarket in Shrewsbury. As far as I’m concerned…. you can NEVER get enough salsa. The only problem was that Rohan is the teacher, and after meeting me the previous night, he just couldn’t keep his hands off me! I mean, that face says it all (mine, not his!!). Still, I got in a hour of rueda and an hour of x-body before a wee spot of social dancing to Rohan’s DJ-ing.
And there you have it…… my salsa debut. What a weekend to kick it all off with.
Now you know my face… make sure you look out for me. You never know what gig I’m going to be at next, and I just LURVE having my photo taken with all you salsa folk out there.
See you at the next one……………………….
Juan
Well, if you have checked out the video gallery, you will realise that the start of my trip didn't go according to plan. To be honest, I don't tend to have a plan as I normally pack at around 1am, get hardly any sleep and then tear *ss to the airport the next day!
This is exactly what happened, as after getting in from Thai Boxing (my friend Linsay had flown over from Belfast to travel with me and was sitting in my living room, my nephew had very kindly picked her up so I could kick Steve's *ss, again!) we decided it would be a really good idea to play on the Wii, until 12:30am!!
Cue frantic 1am packing scenario (thank God my sister Theresa came round and did my ironing for me that evening!)
The following morning, we arrived with a few minutes to spare (or so we thought) and made our way through to the departures lounge. I changed some money on the way through (mental note, never change money at the airport, con artists!) and we met up with some of the guys from Brum who were already in there.
We chilled for a bit and then I realised that we hadn't checked the screen for a while or heard any announcements so I went over to check things out and to my horror, saw that our flight had been delayed by 5 hours!!
Now, five hours in Terminal 1 would've been alright as there are some great shops in there, but we weren't in Terminal 1 were we!!!
Anyway, to find out how we kept ourselves amused, check out the video below:
' Hamburg Salsa Congress - Four & a Half Hours at Birmingham Airport'
{flv}airport{/flv}
Stay tuned for Part 2!
The Clubs - The Dancing - The People....
3 Nights a week used to be a minimum for me...
The great thing about Salsa is that you can choose to go without planning weeks in advance... Infact many's the time when I've suddenly found out my kids are not spending the night with me and so releases me to dance...
I used to print out Salsa Jive's weekly classes and store them in a folder which was left in the car... along with dance shoes and Joop (you need a strong fragrence in Salsa)...
Every new venue would require an entry in the Sat Nav (which I call Di - short for Directions) and I would also type in what night the venue had dancing...
All this seems to be a distant memory - but last week I found myself revisiting old haunts - sampling new places and restoring my faith in Dancing (see previous post !)
..
Friday - The Chapel Cheltenham...
There was nothing on regionally for me... Birmingham seemed too far for some reason and there was nothing west of London (M4 Corridor) or South of Bristol.. which explained the Huge influx into The Chapel in Cheltenham..
Joy an instructer from Swindon/Chippenham was there as was many of the Swindon/Oxford crowd (presumably because nothing else was on).. A few from Cardiff I recognised and the rest from Glos and Cheltenham...
The dancing was of a higher standard than usual although too many dips going on... (I like to leave my dips on the buffet table where they belong)
Very pretty girls in Cheltenham - call me un-PC if you like but hot pants and tight tops... short skirts and deep red lipstick, a pretty face and lovely smile pretty much seals the deal when it comes to choosing who I dance with.... disgraceful ladies I know... sorry...
me thinks I may get into more hot water on this subject so quickly back pedals with
of course there are many women I ask that look good dancers that I will also choose...
Phew ...did I get away with that ? NO ? Bollocks
Anyways... Highlight of the evening was a dance with a beautiful Special Needs Teacher from Cheltenham who stopped mid dance to wave at her son who was staring through the open door of the club hoping to catch sight of his mum...
The experience un-nerved me a bit - but decided to wave also at the young chap - who didn't look old enough to be carrying that Smirnoff Ice - and complement my Dance partner on looking so young (far too young to have a lad that old)... which helped get over the fact that I felt that I was being judged on how good my dancing was or "What the f*** is that bloke doing holding my mum so close"..
Sunday... Aztec Wine Bar - Bristol
Sunday nights are a good learning night for me... but can also be a lazy night... laziness overuled the burning need to improve my technic and I decided on 5 min drive rather than 1hr and bridge fee to Cardiff - where Andy Witt - one of my fav teachers was starting a new venue up -
This was as a replacement for the popular Wharfe venue that stopped Salsa some 6 months ago - proberbly when they eventually worked out that the revenue from 100 salsa dancers = 3 pissed up Rugby fans...
Anyways... Aztec West it was and "lazy" pretty much sumed up the atmosphere...
Dancers....regulars from North Bristol...
I think I had danced with 80% of the 15 women there before.. (100% by the end of the evening)...
The music was OK - not loud enough - the dancefloor good... and the venue not a bad one - but I don't see numbers getting above 50 long term... I may be wrong...
Thursday... Le Diab'litho - Paris
The Diab'litho is pretty much the best club in Paris well at least the best on a weekday.. Good value at €10 entrance which includes Soft Drink and Buffet (Nice Chilli and rice thankyou very much).
Its in the North of the city 2 stops from Gard Nord.
The class was Rueda which explained the cuban bias later in the freestyle.. A good mix of abilities and I'm sure the UK ladies would love it as I counted 16 guys waiting to pounce by the dance floor at the end of the lesson...
The guys all seemed tall to me and too handsome by half - so took the terribly polite english stance - trying my best to be Hugh Grant and coming across as Mr Bean...
However - I was not refused once and had some lovely dances... I did however feel quite old... It was a trendy club and most were under 30... No-one spoke English - or at least they told me they didn't... The Music was classic Cuban - no Reggaton - No Bachatta..
The Standard in Paris is much higher than the rest of France - I danced in Nice last month and found they have only recently (2 yrs) got the bug in that region... Paris was good but only compares to a good night in Brum/Newcastle/Nottingham and falls short of London (though pains me to say it)... and Barcelona - which is BY FAR the best place to dance in Europe.
So we’re in Lyon, at the business end, having taken a tour of Geneva. It’s at this point that Slap and I discover Ricky’s French is limited (he knows jack sh**) having trying to converse with a local in loud English with rabid hand movements. We discover that a taxi is required to find the Hotel Du Paris.
We locate our hotel and hit the sack for a couple of hours, we’re trashed. We’ve been travelling since 8:30 am, it’s now about 7pm.
We freshen up and contemplate our next move………a few beers. We’re quite chilled and relaxed now but still a bit tired. We’ve got a choice- go and see Oscar D’leon or sink more beers. Ricardo’s not due to play till about 11/12ish in a club so it’s a close call. It’s around 10pm now. We opt for Oscar. A short taxi ride and we’re there.
There are three days of open air music and bands, festivals don’t always have workshops etc. We arrive at Ile Barbe, the open air venue, security is mega tight. Because we missed the artist validation period we can’t get in. Ricky starts a lively debate with security in his best French!!! Slap and I take two paces back!!! Finally he calls Florian(check his interview)his DJ buddy. It’s handshakes, hugs and kisses all round (when in Rome) He gets us in.
We get our passes sorted out, we’re all called Ricardo!!! Slap and I are issued press passes. It’s a nice warm evening, the crowd number about 3000+ The whole event is well organised, no queuing at the bar, good facilities, numerous vendor stalls decent dance areas and free drinks courtesy of Flo.
The DJ is playing a nice mix of music; it appears to be Cuban orientated crowd in terms of dance styles. The are a few in liners sprinkled around keeping it nice and tight. An announcement is made Oscar is on.
The 16 piece band are on warming the crowd up with the backing singers, the crowd are lapping it up. Oscar leaps on wearing the tightest strides you could imagine. He was running up and down the stage, I feared for his condition. He must be late sixties at least. Anyway the band had lots of energy and drive; they belted out all the old favourites, the crowd joined in. You name it they played it. Live music give songs a different dimension. Songs you hated suddenly have a different feel; my hips were moving.
Ricky uttered a comment which Slap and I will never forget. I’ll spare his embarrassment and keep it a secret. But if you see him ask him what he said.!!!
At this point we’d met Aimeline(check video interview) We had to leave to get to Woodlands one of three festive after party venues. Florian ushered us over to the VIP area. They had a stretch limo waiting for us ( ok it was a people carrier) We were chauffeured to the club. We received a nice greeting from security, Ricky passed up the offer of testing his French again.
The club was empty, just a few teenagers loitering around. I thought we’d walked into a youth club. The club has three main sections, a chillout area with seating to the left, the main dance floor centrally placed. Then off to the right tucked away are a small number of small alcoves. This place used to proved adult entertainment!!!!! There was the odd strange instrument draped on the walls in this area. We looked at each other thinking ……..yes, say no more.
The club was still dead, Flo assured us people would come. Flo’s now on dexx banging out rare salsa vinyl grooves, stuff to kill for. The teenagers at this point were eating each other. Slowly the club starts to fill. Ricky at this point starts to get a point twitchy. It was either the prospect of playing to the dead, changing his music selection or he really had a twitch. I have a Dance with Aimeline, the kids give us strange looks.
Aimeline is now in the booth, she really looks the part. She plays the whole shabang, few salsa monga, bachata, meringue, and straight up salsa. The clubs filling up nicely. The party‘s in full swing. Aimeline’s done a tremendous job in warming the crowd up. The dancers have arrived.
Flo gives the bar staff a mild dressing down for charging us. Drinks are now courtesy of the management. The mojitos are tasting even sweeter now. It felt like the Carlsberg ad moment.
Ricky’s on dexx now ,cues up and his away. The crowd love it. Ricky starts to do his dad dancing in the booth then thinks better of it. Slap and I manage a few dances in between re-fuelling. It’s very rare an opportunity like this presents itself where good music is really appreciated. The circular dancers and on liners were having a good time. Forgot to mention the club is basement level, it’s like an oven, but what club isn’t.
It’s about 4ish, we’re beat and decide to call it a night. People are still arriving!!! Flo sorts out the Taxi. It’s off to bed for us.
Monday Night is Cardiff Night...
Cardiff is a great place for dancing – no question…
There is a huge choice of venues and nights – a thriving community.
Now you may ask why I would travel from Bristol where there are plenty of Salsa classes and one Monthly event (Que Pasa) to pay an extra £5.10 bridge fee and £6 entrance to dance in O’neills Cardiff. To be honest I’m not sure myself… I just get a feeling about where I want to go – sometimes its based upon having a chat with some people I know, sometimes its wanting to dance where nobody knows me, sometimes its where I will get the most out of a teacher, and I used to go to one venue just to see one woman (but that’s another story !)
I haven’t been dancing for weeks (not since Cheltenham – 2/3 weeks previous), for me this is a LONG time… there is a good Salsa addiction graph ...see below
I’ve pretty much gone through this 36 month graph now and back struggling to go once a week… this showed last night as I became more and more frustrated with my dancing…
The lesson was good fun (Charlotte) although for me a woman teacher is no good for me (unless its one to one)… nothing is better than a guy telling you how to lead a move – but that’s a another topic
It was only when I started dancing that I noticed that
a) My legs were tired
b) I had forgotten LOTS of moves
c) I was getting out of breath
This is soooo not me… well maybe.. a bit…. I think I know a lot of moves – a bit like I think I’m a better dancer than I actually am.
But I did used to be able to dance 5 nights a week into early hours get up do a school run – work in an office all day, play gigs all around the country , then do it all again… (hmmmm…however this did land me in hospital a couple of years ago…).
Anyways it was all going wrong yesterday –
Its been a long time since I’ve looked at my dance partner halfway through the song and her eyes a glazed over – or shes looking for where her next dance is coming from…
For me ….Bachatta doesn’t indicate the rush to a beautiful woman ….and a long slow sensual dance on the half full dancefloor..
It indicates a trip to the bar for an expensive red bull – or in last nights case, a ninja style slow exit grabbing my coat from the shadows…
I left at 11pm (embarressed that I was leaving as hardened Salsa crows were still paying there way into the club)..my “Salsa tail” between my legs.
If there were no Lows – there would be no Highs.
I join Suzy and the kids for breakfast (Sophia and Amelia, fantastic kids) I pass on the full fry up option and settle for cereal. I’m treated like royalty at Ricky’s, I’ recommend it folks. Breakfast out the way we start to pack the car. With minutes to spare slap surfaces from hibernation looking quite refreshed.
We’re now on the road, the M1 on our way to the airport. I’m riding shotgun , ricky’s driving and slap’s in the back. Ricky’s blastin out some the tracks he’s gonna drop in Lyon, hey…….some real killer stuff bro. After twenty minutes slap starts to top up his beauty sleep(trust me he needs plenty) The weather changes for the worst…it’s lashing it down, Ricky starts to chunter about visibility and lorries. We decide to stop for coffee before we kill him!!!
The weather breaks and we’re on our way again. Rick’s still blastin out kick ass floor jams. There’s a strange smell in the car, Slaps catching wasps in his mouth but trousers cough at the same time!!! We’ve made good time and arrive at the airport. As usual there’s a massive queue at the checkout. Finally it’s our turn. Ricky and slap get referred to the customer service desk, they’re not booked on the flight. I also get referred. We’re puzzled!!!!!!!
Queuing again Ricky considers our situation, he asks for my flight details. “Guys” he said, “we’re in a serious situation, we’re at the wrong airport.” GTFOH is my reply. We’re in Luton our flights are from Stanstead. Ricky starts to panic; frantic phone calls to France are made. Slap and I remain cool and discuss our situation with the customer service consultant. We have a number of options (at this point Ricky’s apologising profusely, you could see the veins throbbing in his head) Firstly there are no flights to Lyon from Luton. Making Lyon on time was gonna be difficult. After a calm discussion and weighing up our options(including transfers from Poland and Estonia)we agree to fly to Geneva then get a train to Lyon!!!
During the course of the day Ricky had gradually relinquished all responsibility for our predicament and blamed me and Slap, how did he work that one out!!!!
Our flights on time, we land in Geneva. There’s little time between connections from the airport to the Geneva central train station. We just make it, however we need some food. No time to get Swiss Francs, we find a supermarket that will accept Ricky’s dodgy card.
We get the Lyon train and settle into our seats. It’s a 1hr 45 minute journey. I’m sat next to a young French woman. We strike up a conversation. Turns out she lives in Lausanne commutes to Geneva. She was on her way to Marseille to spend time with her parents and pick up her son. A nine hour journey…..wow. Found out she’s a Guicci marketing consultant, turned on a bit charm hoping for some freebies to no avail.
I took the opportunity to give her my forthright opinions of the French based on my experiences. We did reach some common ground, but she put me right on a few things. She asked why we were going to Lyon; I pointed to Ricky and said “ask him.” Ricky scratched his head and rolled his eyes.
Saw a sign for Lyon, we’re here folks.
I decide to stay at Ricardo’s gaff Thursday night to avoid the hassle of an early start. The plan was to go for a traditional English meal…………a curry.
Turn up at Ricky’s ( I sometimes call him that amongst other things!!) He’s showing Slap how to prepare butterfly prawns for a prawn curry, the kitchen is spotless. We’re having home grown instead. Ricardo’s carefully laid out all the essential ingredients; garlic, ginger, onions, coriander seeds cumin, turmeric, ect. All that’s missing are the TV cameras.
At this point slap is sipping his pint having already observed Ricardo prep and cook a chicken curry. Ricky takes great pleasure in discussing his cooking apprenticeship (4 months of guidance from a restaurant) must have been hell for the restaurant!!!! I later discover that Slap is a food monster, sorry food connoisseur. He nods approvingly at Ricky’s efforts.
Took some time out to listen to few tracks on the hard drive, tracks he’d converted from his vinyl collection. Wow he’s got some great stuff.
Suzy(Ricky’s misses) and Sandra(her friend) return having been out to buy Naan bread. I explain to Ricky how to cook rice the Jamaican way, he’s very impressed. Recipe on my website!!!
The meal and company was fantastic, the Beer and Vodka helped. Great meal Ricky. Slap and I did the gentlemanly thing and walked Sandra home. At this point the alcohol was kickin in. We got slightly lost on the way back.
Off to bed, shared a room with slap. Didn’t sleep all night…………….more later.
Why I Didn't Go Dancing..... Put the kettle on...
Why I Didn't go Dancing Last Night - Part 1 The base of my thumb is throbbing - sort of a dull pain that reminds me there will be a bruise there later… thankfully my ankle isn't as bad as I first thought, and the pain has nearly disappeared. 16:00 - I spent yesterday afternoon with the patio doors open a warm breeze circulating the kitchen whilst I concentrated (well sort of) on the end of month financials. The good thing about by wireless setup is that I can have my home PC connected to the internet at the same time as my laptop - doing searches - downloading music..Etceterra etcetera (is that the sound of music creeping in ?) Anyways - the financial system crashed at 16:15 which gave me a chance to "plan" my evening - dancing I thought … 3 mins on salsa jive and I'd caught up on the latest about Joe, what's on this weekend... and what classes are available on a Wednesday…Yeovil – nah Bridgwater – lets not go there, Weston – Nah, Bristol – No ….Swindon I thought - new club re-opening "Moonrakers"… added Postcode into my phone ready to transfer into Di (affectionate name for my Sat Nav- Di RECTIONS – get it ??)… I had a plan - I was happy.. Time to clear up… Kitchen tidy - lounge tidy (moving the odd clothes and a cheap Tesco’s value coat hanger onto the stairs to take up later) - Clean downstairs loo and vacuuming Later…. My new car is coming with an iPod adapter - cheaper than a 6 disc changer it allows me to plug in my iPod into the cup-holder area and access the playlists from the "multi-function" steering wheel… well it would if I actually HAD an iPod… so in preparation I thought I'd download iTunes so that when I eventually get an iPod I will have all my music ready to transfer… Much Later … one of the "features" of iTunes is that it allows you to display an album cover of the music you are listening to - If it recognises the music it can even get the graphic for you and display it.. Cool… apart from it only found about 40% of my music … This is where the Virgoean (is that a word) in me abandoned all reason… I HAD TO FIND EVERY ALBUM COVER from somewhere (Google/Amazon/eBay) and import… It was a quest that I couldn't stop… Much Much Later… I had finished … I felt good ….but not proud…. But despite what you may think …. This is NOT the reason why I didn't go Dancing Last Night Quick bath and I was ready to go…. Why I didn't go Dancing Last Night - Part 2 NO POPCORN!!… you would think that any place hiring DVD's would have popcorn - if not Butterkist toffee ...then a plain bucket of something - even if it
