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Author Archive for ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua

What makes a good Salsa social?

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 7 months, 1 week ago in article and music. 5 Comments

Good morning, afternoon or evening, fellow Salsa dancers. This is Dany Joshua with another mini-editorial.

Salsa dancers are very picky when it comes to attending events. This statement is especially true in New York City. Having said that, Salsa dancers are the most loyal people once they have become in love with an event.  Just ask Jimmy Anton.

So the questions is: How do you keep and please Salsa dancers?  La Vieja Guardia seems to have found the secret. Bring some good dancers and play good music for them. That’s it. The following video of Joel Dominguez dancing with Kim Torrence while DJ Antonio LaConga plays his best Salsa (from vinyl records) captures the spirit of La Vieja Guardia Social, which has become very quickly one of the most soulful socials in New York City.  And THAT is saying something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OYPusW9QCk

Saying that DJ Antonio LaConga plays good music is an understatement. And he plays Salsa from vinyl records!!! La Vieja Guardia Social takes place on a Sunday, usually once a month. The next social will be on Sunday December 28th.  FYI,  the LVG social and yours truly (moi) were featured in a New York Times article last August).

Actually, it takes more than good music to please Salsa dancers, but great Salsa music is absolutely necessary to host a great Salsa social. If you are looking to promote Salsa dancing in your local area or in your city, stay tuned because soon I will write an article about how to organize a successful and banging Salsa social.

In the meanwhile, I want to invite all the readers to leave a comment with thoughts on what makes a good Salsa social.

2008 New Salsa Salsa Congress Review

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 8 months, 1 week ago in Congress, article, reviews and videos. 0 Comments
New York Salsa Congress

New York Salsa Congress

I know it is long overdue. My review of the New York Salsa Congress is finally up. In fact, it was mostly done but I was procrastinating.  Choco, the organizer of the congress, posted a new promo video on facebook of the Congress and guess whose funny face appears at the end!

Review, promo video and photos of the 2008 New York Salsa Congress.

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

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 9 months, 3 weeks ago in Biography and article. 0 Comments Tags: , .

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

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

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 10 months ago in Salsa News, article, articles and dancer post. 3 Comments

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

Why dancing Cha Cha is good for you

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 10 months, 2 weeks ago in dancecraft, dancer post, dancing, feminine and salsa tip. 8 Comments Tags: , .

Why is Cha Cha good for you?

  • Cha Cha fixes timing problems.
  • Cha Cha trains your ear.
  • Cha Cha teaches body styling and isolations.
  • Cha Cha is cool.

Let’s see why.

Frankie Martinez often says that “if Salsa is the man, then Cha Cha is the woman”. Cha Cha can be so delicate like the smell of a woman’s hair and as emotional as the jealousy of a girlfriend. There is an incredible addiction to dancing Cha Cha that is not very apparent at first, but very powerful.

Maybe it is because of its catchy and light Cha Cha Cha rhythm, or the marked accent of the 2 and 6 beats. Maybe it’s the carefree and non-hurried feel of the dance. Cha cha is so slow compared to Salsa that it feels like there is almost an infinite amount of time to develop and execute body isolations. Moreover, because Cha Cha is slower in tempo, we tend to pay more attention to the rhythmic components. The tumbao rhythm becomes so apparent in a way that it takes control of our body. The connection of the steps to the percussion of the music is remarkably easy to feel.

Perhaps its attraction rests on the opposite feel of its components, the cha-cha-cha (4 and 5 or 8 and 1) part feels subtle and natural, and the 2 3 (or 6 7) feel so determined and exact. And it is this contrast in movement that allows us to experiment with our bodies.

In terms of technique, the Cha Cha teaches exact timing and definition of steps. The Cha Cha rhythm is easy to hear and dance because the music is so slow that we can internalize the connection of the steps to the percussion beats. Initially, beginners dancers find it difficult to stay on the Cha Cha beat because Cha Cha’s tempo is so slow compared to Salsa. After a while the “cha cha cha” part of the beat jumps out from the music and it becomes crystal clear, taking hold of one’s sense of timing.

Cha Cha is precise in way that salsa cannot match. 10 milliseconds of discrepancy in a Cha cha step makes the body feel out-of-tune, whereas the same discrepancy in Salsa is the expected standard tolerance. ChaCha has very little room for timing error, but lots of freedom of in movement range.

So next time that the DJ plays a Cha Cha, do not take a break. Instead, grab a partner and use that opportunity to experiment with some isolations. Better yet, try to dance Cha Cha with perfect timing. After a while, there should be a noticeable improvement in your Salsa dancing.

[More at ScarletMambo]

How to dance Salsa On2. Basic Step.

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 1 year, 1 month ago in Salsa News. 6 Comments

Hello guys and gals. Dany Joshua here with a second post this week: A complete and succinct explanation of the basic On2 Salsa step by Jai Catalano, host of the ESPN 2007 World Salsa Championships.

Ok. So yes, this post is very, uhhh… well, basic. Still, it’s sorta cool how ESPN explains our beloved 1 2 3, 5 6 7.

Learn to Play the Tumbao on the Congas

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 1 year, 1 month ago in article and music. 2 Comments

Hello Salsa friends! This is Dany Joshua from ScarletMambo.com. Anthony wrote an excellent post about playing the “son montuno” on the piano. The ability to hear (and play) the “son montuno” is helpful for hearing the 1st beat of the 8-beat Salsa measure, which many beginners find very difficult to hear or differentiate from the 5th beat.

Another useful skill is hearing and playing the “tumbao” on the congas, especially for On2 dancers. After you hear this rhythmic pattern, you will see why it is called the tumbao. Actually, it should be called the “tumtumbao”.

Nate Torres, a young musician from Bronx, NY, filmed a 7-part series of instructional videos that teaches basic conga techniques. Notice his New York accent.


Video 4 explains how to play the basic tumbao rhythm.

If you have taken taking Eddie Torres’ class, he sometimes quotes Tito Puente saying that the On2 Salsa step is very natural because it compliments the tumbao slap on the 2nd and 6th beats.

Videos 1-3 explain how to play basic sounds on the congas. Videos 5-7 explains more intricate percussion patterns.

ESPN To Re-Run 2007 World Salsa Championships

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 1 year, 1 month ago in Salsa News. 2 Comments Tags: , .

Hello Salsa friends. This is Dany Joshua and I have great news! If you missed the 2007 World Salsa Championships, don’t worry because you can catch the competition on one of the ESPN networks. If you live in the USA, then you can watch the broadcast in Spanish on ‘ESPN Deportes’ or in English on ESPN2. If you live elsewhere, see the schedule below. No excuses now! Set your Tivo!

As a side note, the commentator for this competition is New Jersey’s instructor/performer, Jai Catalano. A few years ago when I started dancing Salsa, I took classes with him at his Belleview (New Jersey) location. It is great to see that ESPN picked a seasoned Salsa veteran to comment and offer insight.

ESPN Deportes (USA and Puerto Rico):
May 6 - 9:00 pm EST
May 10 - 9:00 pm EST

ESPN2 (USA):
May 27 - 9:00 pm EST
June 4 - 12:30 am EST
June 19 - 2:00 pm EST

ESPN Dos:
(Caribbean/Mexico Region)
May 4 - 10:00 pm EST
May 11 - 10:00 pm EST
May 18 - 10:00 pm EST
May 25 - 10:00 pm EST

All the times are New York Time
aka EST (Eastern Standard Time).
aka MST (Mecca of Salsa Time)
Just kidding…

 ESPN Latin (South America, Mexico, Caribbean and Central America):
May 3 - 5:00 pm EST
May 5 - 4:00 pm EST
May 6 - 4:00 pm EST
May 7 - 4:00 pm EST

ESPN Atlantic (Africa, Middle East):
May 8 - 2:00 pm EST
May 8 - 3:00 pm EST
May 15 - 2:00 pm EST
May 15 - 3:00 pm EST

ESPN Pacific-Rim (Australia, Pacific Islands, Japan, New Zealand):
May 4 - 2:00 am EST
May 4 - 3:00 am EST
May 11 - 2:00 am EST
May 11 - 3:00 am EST

Ballet Hispanico - Palladium Nights - Theatre Musical

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 1 year, 2 months ago in Salsa News and event. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

If you live near New York City (or if you will be in the Metropolitan area this weekend - May 3rd and 4th, 2008) then you cannot miss Ballet Hispanico’s musical, “Palladium Nights”. Unfortunately, there are only three shows left. 2pm and 8pm on Saturday, May 3rd and 3pm on Sunday May 4th 2008.

Palladium Nights

“… Palladium night club in New York City, where mambo was king, Tito led the band and the dancing was sensational! Located in the heart of New York’s vibrant 1950’s jazz scene, the Palladium gave rise to the popularity of the Mambo, the Cha Cha, and the Merengue, …”

http://www.palladiumnights.com/

I have bought my tickets already (1st row) and I will be posting a review next week (maybe even pictures and video too). There were still a few tickets left when I checked.

My previous post featured a TV special about this musical about the 1950’s. I find it very remarkable that, 55 years later, we are still enjoying an art form that has changed in essence very little. 55 years guys! That is 5.5 decades ago. My grandfather was about 22 years old in 1955. Had my grandfather lived in New York City in 1955, he would probably say (raspy voice) ” When I was your age, sonny, I went to a place called Palladium to do the Mambo”.

Actually, my grandfather lived in Cuernavaca, Mexico (near Mexico City). I wonder if you he ever danced the Mambo. Perez-Prado started his orchestra in Mexico City in the early 50’s. I vaguely remember my grandmother talking about the Mambo. That’s an idea for a future post.

Anyway, “Palladium Nights” will be like taking a time machine back the 195o’s. Ironically, since Mambo dancing, now Salsa dancing, has changed little-if you get past the Mambo, Salsa On1 or Salsa On2 arguments-every time we go to a Salsa night club is like traveling back to the 1950’s.

History of Mambo and Salsa - Palladium Era

Published by ScarletMambo-DanyJoshua, 1 year, 2 months ago in articles, dancer post and videos. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

NJN, a local public television station, hosted a documentary in its Imagenes Series called “Golden Age of Dance”. It aired on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 6:30 pm

If you ever wanted to know how Salsa and Mambo got so popular, now you can watch a 27-minute documentary that focuses on the Palladium Ballroom Era (1950’s) in New York City.

This episode focuses on all aspects of Mambo/Salsa music around the 1950’s in New York City. In fact at the end of the video, a typical Palladium night is recreated along with dancers, instructors, performers and a big-band Orchestra.

So grab a comfortable chair and a drink and watch this whole Mambo documentary. It is worth it!!! It mentions famous Salsa dancers, musicians and instructors.

“Golden Era of Dance” - Part 1.

I had to split the video into 3 parts. Part 2 and Part 3 can be found in this article in ScarletMambo.com