Subscribe to the Salsa Central Newsletter
Salsa Central Fania T-Shirt
|
|
Interview with DJ Mani - Mucha Salsa, Liverpool |
|
|
|
Written by JoJo
|
|
Tuesday, 28 August 2007 |
How, why and when did you get into Salsa?
The honour goes to my late mum (bless her and may her soul rest in peace), who at an early age got me into salsa. At the time, when any teenager was more into R& B, I wasn’t interested in what I described then as an “oldies dance”.
It was only at the age of 19 when I went for holidays in the states that the salsa bug affected me. I have since then got my spirit and soul invested in salsa. It has become my best therapy and soul mate.
Who taught you to dance salsa?
As I mentioned earlier it was my late mum, and elder sister who helped to polish my dancing skills.
Did you have any dance training prior to salsa?
The answer to this one is no.
Tell me a little about Mucha Salsa. When, why and how was it set up?
Mucha Salsa was set-up earlier this year when I decided to take salsa promotion in a different direction and level. I decided to ditch the Groovy Salsa nights format.
The only way I thought would help me achieve this goal was to work with a team of dedicated, serious, passionate salseras/salseros, whose contribution and input will help this cause. I realised after close to 7 years on my own promoting Salsa in Merseyside that, to give salseros/salseras the best, it was imperative to work with others.
I always say, no human being has got monopoly on ideas. These diverse ideas are needed in any enterprise. Don’t get me wrong, I had in the past tried to get some salsa promoters and teachers on board, but regrettably as is usually the case in the salsa scene, those I contacted had and still have a different perception and reasons for doing it (except for Mike of FunkySalsa Chester), which are contrary to mine. That is why working with Mike has been my greatest joy.
A lot of Salsa Promoters, Teachers and DJ, I have realised, are in salsa just for their financial and social reasons. That is why one of the Mucha Salsa guidelines is to put salseros/salseras first in whatever event we are organising.
How, when and why did you get into DJing?
I come from a musical background. My late mum was a choir mistress and she and my dad loved music. They always got the latest music for us.
I basically started spinning on the decks as early as 13 when it was turntables and vinyl. I began with birthday parties for my generation and then was propelled to the big stage by my dad’s late friend a local radio DJ who took me along to gigs he was invited to DJ at.
I then had the opportunity to polish my skills with modern and sophisticated equipment while working with the BBC African service, first as reporter on current affairs, and later producer for the African music programme. I did a couple of courses in studio management and music mixing.
Who do you admire?
Ouuup. Well I do admire any person who’s got moral beauty, and a great lover of music and more especially some one who is into Salsa. I strongly believe that any music lover has a heart of gold. Just look around you and you will agree with me on this one.
I do have a list as some (will not name them) have a dance hit list. Can you spare me the agony of not naming my list? I can do that in private if you are still keen to know. The only clue I can give you now is that my list is dominated by salsa music lovers and good dancers.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
First and foremost my inspiration comes from God and then from my punters. I get inspired when those hips are swinging from left to right when I am dishing those great tracks.
What’s your favourite track at the moment?
Is and will always remain my favourite “Que Me Lo Den En Vida” by El Gran Combo.
What are your all time favourite tracks?
The list is inexhaustible, but these are just a few:-
Mani Picao by Jose Alberto, La Hija De Lola by Charlie Palmieri, Lloraras by Son Boricua, Evitare by N’Klabe, the new No Hay Manera by El Gran Combo, latest Salsa Pa’l Bailador by Spanish Harlem Ochestra, La Salsa y El Guaguanco by Excelecia, Salsa Del Barrio by Alex Leon, Mario by Africando, Barranquillera Es by Alfredo De La Fe, El Hospital Del Amor by Los Nemus Del Pacifico, Merecumbe by Los Titanes, Prohibido Olividar by Ruben Blades, Guarare by Ray Barretto, El Que Juega by Lebron Brothers, Vamonos Pa’l Monte bu Cambalache, Busca Haber by Edwin Bonilla, Ave Maria Lola by Conjunto Imagen, Fuego A La Jicotea by Marvin Santiago, Mama Kyelele by Ricardo Lemvo, Cinco a Diez and Besitos De Coco by Azabache, Santo Domingo and El Curandero by Rauline Rosendo, Qui Qui Qui Qui by Andy Montanez, Y Eso Duele by Gilberto Santa Rosa, Yay Boy and Ken Moussoul by Africando, Si Tu No Vienes, No Bailas Conmigo and Si te busco en El Baile by Edwin Bonilla, Rumbera by Willie Chirino, Etnia by Grupo Niche, El Menu, Mundy Baja and Azuquito P’al Café by El Gran Combo, Ahora Me Da Pena by Henry Fiol, Caravan by Eddie Torres Mambo Kings Orchestra, Un Poquito Mas,Medicina No by Jimmy Bosch, El Bailarin De la Avendia by Sonora Carruseles, Cuba by Orishas and any stuff by Oscar D’Leon.
My choice of these tracks is because they all have beautiful melodies as well as strong dancer’s rhythms.
What are your favourite albums?
I bet you the list is also inexhaustible, but will try and shorten it:-
Son Boricua Fabuloso 70’s, Spanish Harlem Orchestra 34 Street, Los Mulatos Del Sabor, Arroz Con Habichuela by El Gran Combo, La Llave de Oro by Alfredo De La Fe, Con Sabor a Don Perignon by Don Perignon, Salsa Fania, Johnny Pacheco Entre Amigos, Mi Ritmo Llego by George Delgado, Salsa Classics Revisited by El Gran Combo, Mandali and Martina by Africando, All That Vibe by Grupo Latin Vibe, Trompetas by Lebron Brothers, Then and Now by Jose Alberto, Salsa Vivi by Tito Nieves and last but not the least, not forgetting my Cuban friend, Manolito y su Trabuco Locos Por Mi Habana.
What was the last CD you bought?
I just had delivery of 25 new CDs last week. Amongst them was United We Swing by Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Oscar D’ Leon Fuzionando, Salsa Brava by Calambuco, Excelencia and of course El Gran Combo Arroz con Habichuela.
What music is in your car CD player at the moment?
Well you guessed it - it’s Arroz con Habichuela by El Gran Combo, the salsa masters with close to 150 titles to their name.
Who are your favourite artists?
El Gran Combo, Oscar D’Leon, Africando, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, late Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Jimmy Rivera, Jimmy Bosch, Joe Cuba, Edwin Bonilla, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Alfredo De La Fe, and of course the late Salsa Queen, Celia Cruz.
If you were not a successful Promoter/Teacher/DJ, what would you be doing instead? Or if you also have a full-time job, what do you do?
Well I would have loved to be a Priest.
Yes I have a full-time job. I am a senior Business Travel Consultant with Carlson Wagonlit Travel company office in Warrington. I have been in the travel industry for close to 6 years, after 5 years with the US Airways in a similar capacity.
Tell me something most people would not know about you?
Most people don’t know that I am a trained journalist with close to 7 years experience working with the BBC and Reuters News Agency as a foreign correspondent at the African Department.
What’s your all time favourite salsa club/event that you have played/taught/danced?
My favourite club I have played in is the Mojito in Barcelona in Spain.
The best club I have danced in is The Mayan, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
My favourite Salsa event I have attended was/is the New York Salsa Congress.
What has been your most memorable moment?
To be honest with you I don’t have one, simply because every time I play at any event, birthday, regular night or party, it is always memorable, because the punter’s smiles, joy and happiness just rub off on me.
Have you had any embarrassing/nightmare-ish moments in salsa?
Yes many. The latest that I can remember happened at the recent London weekender in the Colesseum venue. I was dancing with a great dancer, when tears started pouring from her eyes. We stopped dancing under the gazing eyes of some of the other dancers and I walked her outside to find out the reasons for the outburst of tears. She confided to me that I reminded her of her late boyfriend who had passed away earlier this year while on a salsa event trip in Spain. I decided at that point to avoid her throughout the night to save upsetting her again.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I want to briefly, through your medium, send this message:-
There has been a long running argument/debate on the origins of salsa.
The history of salsa is not easily defined. Who invented salsa? The Cubans, Puerto Ricans?
Salsa is a distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances. Each played a large part in its evolution. It is not only Cuban; nevertheless we must give credit to Cuba for the origin and ancestry of creation. It is here where Contra-Danze (country Dance) of England/France, later called Danzon, which was brought by the French who fled from Haiti, begins to mix itself with Rhumbas of African origin (Guaguanco, Colombia, Yumbu).
Add Son of the Cuban people, which was a mixture of the Spanish troubadour (sonero) and the African drumbeats and flavora and a partner dance, flowered to the beat of the clave.
This syncretism also occurred in smaller degrees and with variations in other countries like the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Puerto Rico, amongst others. Bands from these countries took their music to Mexico City in the era of the most films of that country (Perez Prado, most famous…). Shortly after, a similar movement to New York occurred. In these two cities, more promotion and syncretism occurred and more commercial music was generated because there was more investment.
New York created the term “Salsa”, but it did not create the dance. The term became popular as a nickname to refer to a variety of different music, from several countries of Hispanic influence: Rhumba, Son Montuno, Guaracha, Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Danzon, Son, Guaguanco, Cubop, Guajira, Charanga, Cumbia, Plena, Bomba, Festejo, Merengue, Bachata, amongst others.
Many of these have maintained their individuality and many were mixed creating “Salsa”. So if you are listening to today’s Salsa, you are going to find the base of son, and you are going to hear Cumbia and you are going to hear Guaracha. You will also hear some old Merengue built-in the rhythm of different songs. You will hear many of the old styles somewhere within the modern beats.
Salsa varies from site to site. In New York, for example, new instrumentalization and extra percussion were added to some Colombian songs so the New Yorkers, that dance mambo “on the two”, can feel comfortable dancing to the rhythm and beat of the song, because the original arrangement is not one they easily recognize. This is called “finishing” to enter the local market. This “finish” does not occur because the Colombian does not play Salsa, but it does not play to the rhythm of the Puerto Rican/Post-Cuban salsa. I say Post-Cuban, because the music of Cuba has evolved towards another new and equally flavourful sound.
Then, as a tree, Salsa has many roots and many branches, but one trunk that unites us all. The important thing is that Salsa is played throughout the Hispanic world and has received influences of many places within it. It is of all of us and it is a sample of our flexibility and evolution.
If anyone thinks that a single place can take the credit for the existence of Salsa, they are wrong.
And if you think that one style of dance is better, imagine that the best dancer of a style, without his partner, goes to dance with whomever he can find, in a club where a different style predominates. He wouldn’t look as good as the locals. Each dancer is accustomed to dance his/her own style.
None is better, only different. Case Closed!!!
VIVA LA VARIEDAD!!! VIVA LA SALSA!!!
www.muchasalsa.co.uk
|
|
