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Monthly Archive for September, 2008

The “Lead Me Stick”, now in stylish colors and accessories!

Ever had problems with leads not doing the ‘job’ properly? Maybe placing their hands in the wrong places or forcing you to do moves that you hate (like terrible dips)? SalsaDynasty has an answer for you! They have come up with a great product for all of the ladies dealing with ‘these every day issues’ at the salsa night club. I’m sure the ladies would appreciate it if it came pocket sized and in addicted2salsa red.

What other products do you think would be great for the dance floor? I can think of one : maybe something that will prevent leads (men) from staring at a follow’s chest during a whole song?*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjoVqJ-AxxI

*Possibly due to nervousness. :-)

Reasons Why You Should be Dancing Salsa Right Now!

Salsa Dancing.  What is it that makes it popular today?  Why is it that people who salsa seems to be happier, in better shape and in a better mood compared to others?  From these questions we see that there are two major roles dancing salsa plays in people’s lives: they are healthier and they have a great social life.

We all know, having heard or read somewhere, about the health benefits of dancing.  Here are some of the more prominent ones to be considered:

  • It’s a great cardio activity that is fun; it’s a lot easier to spend three hours dancing than it is to spend forty five minutes on the treadmill.
  • You burn 450 calories per hour while dancing.  Isn’t that amazing?
  • Your balance and posture improves.
  • You loose weight.
  • Your flexibility increases.
  • It helps develop better circulation.
  • You will have better coordination.
  • You gain long-lasting energy as your metabolism increases.
  • It helps you work through or reduce other major health problems (e.g., depression).
Esteban Conde

Esteban Conde

So if these reasons alone aren’t enough to understand why people pick up salsa dancing, let’s analyze the social aspect of it.  We all come from different walks of life; some better than others, but for the most part the one thing people mutually seek is the feeling of being important, of having a purpose and belonging somewhere (e.g., to a community or group of people with common interests or goals). That is where dancing comes in: the means to a better end, building confidence and a sense of self that will drastically improve your quality of life. So how does salsa dancing help fulfill this ultimate goal?

Here it goes: Salsa dancing…

Continue reading ‘Reasons Why You Should be Dancing Salsa Right Now!’

Salsa Dancing on Twitter

In addition to Facebook, I am a fan of Twitter. Twitter, for those who may not know, is a type of micro-blogging / messaging service.

Salsa on Twitter

Salsa on Twitter

I have started to be more active on Twitter since I find it friendlier than trying to read email, especially since I have more time to read stuff on my iPhone than on my computer. If you ever have a quick quesiton about salsa, a specific song, video or just want to provide feedback about the site - the best way to get in contact with me is through Twitter : username is addicted2salsa (or using a Twitter client). I will soon be making it extra special for those who follow me by providing free downloadable ’stuff’ every now and then. :-)

For those interested on what other people on Twitter are talking about “Salsa”, you can check the “Salsa Dancing” tweets here!

Salsa Dance on Facebook

Salsa on Facebook

Addicted2Salsa Facebook Group

I have seen several more salsa dance groups and companies get on the Facebook bandwagon. This brings a lot of excitement because it allows people from different salsa scenes to find one another using the tools that we use for our social habits. Since, using these tools have grown in popularity, I’d like to just remind everyone of our groups so that they (cough..cough..) grow and become more (cough..cough..) popular. :-)

You can also add us as Facebook friends:

Anthony's Facebook Profile

Anthony's Facebook Profile

Julie's Facebook Profile

Julie's Facebook Profile

Cachao, Mambo’s Inventor, Dies at 89 - NY Times

Good day, afternoon or evening, Salsa friends. This is Dany Joshua from Scarlet Mambo. A few months back, I wrote an article about Mambo’s popularity in Mexico City in the 1950’s. I promised to write a complete article about the history of Mambo and Salsa. But I never delivered. Sorry. Yeah, I know.

However, I found this NY Times article about the life of Israel Cachao López, the inventor of Mambo. This article should fill many gaps in our understanding of the development of this music genre and dance.

Cachao, Mambo’s Inventor, Dies at 89
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/arts/music/24Lopez.htm

By JON PARELES
Published: March 24, 2008

Link between Peoples Personalities and their choice of Music

Musical tastes and personality are closely linked, according to a recent study by the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland.

We have always known the fact that what you wear, eat and listen is linked to your personality (whether for good or bad). Finally, there has been some research done by the Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University. In a study of more than 36,000 people from six countries, they provide some type of detail on what types of personalities are tied to people’s taste in music. Here is a snippet from the article:

You are what you listen to

You are what you listen to

Jazz fans tend to be creative and outgoing, with high self-esteem, in keeping with the innovative and sociable nature of the music.

Country western fans were found to be hard-working, but introverted, fitting with the blue-collar image of country music.

The research concluded soul music lovers are a well-rounded bunch — creative, outgoing, gentle, at ease with themselves and with high self-esteem.

Rap fans are outgoing and far from gentle, while indie music lovers lack both self-esteem and the work ethic.

While Latin music (or specifically Salsa/Cha-Cha/Bachata) weren’t included in the article, I’m trying to see if it was included in the published research (trying to find the publication). I’m sure salseros(as) would at a minimum fall under ’sociable’ and ‘outgoing’. But I’d like to hear your opinion. What do you think Latin music expresses about our personality? (your comments below).

You can read and see the entire music genres studied using the links below.

[More over at BBC News: Music tastes link to personality ]
[More over at CBC News: Musical tastes in tune with who you are ]

So You Think You Can’t Salsa? - NY Times

On Friday August 29th, 2008, The New York Times publised an article about Salsa “So You Think You Can’t Salsa?.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/arts/dance/29sals.html

Salsa at the Club Iguana on 54th Street, where the “Mojitos Sundays” make it the after-party spot for the city’s socials.

Salsa at the Club Iguana on 54th Street, where the “Mojitos Sundays” make it the after-party spot for the city’s socials.

There are two snapshots of our beloved Magnita. Like always, she manages to catch everyone’s attention. Lastly, yours truly and Scarlet Mambo were also quoted.

(Read Complete Article):
So You Think You Can’t Salsa?

By JULIE BLOOM
Published: August 29, 2008