SALSA ANYONE?

Posted on February 22, 2004 by Dave Pollard
salsa
Yesterday my wife and I, and a group of our neighbours, started Latin dancing lessons. Our instructor, Albert Gomez, has won a number of awards and has trained the actors and actresses in some recent dance movies. He’s a patient and incredibly skilled teacher. It’s a lot of fun, and unlike the impression you get from ‘latin ballroom’ competitions, isn’t that hard, and needn’t be taken that seriously.

It’s the perfect cure for the winter blues, and the stress of worrying about this terrible world. And if I can learn (I’m the world’s most uncoordinated person), anyone can. Albert coordinates trips to Latin American countries with several affiliated studios and dance clubs across North America. If you live in the Toronto area and are interested in learning more, here’s a link to his main Toronto website.

I’ve had a passion for Latin, and especially Afro-Cuban, music most of my life, and dancing will give me a chance to learn more about this music as well. Three groups I just discovered yesterday were Los Adolescentes, DLG, and La Sonora Carruseles. Anyone else out there a fan of this kind of music, and if so which artists are your favourites?

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6 Responses to SALSA ANYONE?

  1. meg says:
    February 22, 2004 at 23:18

    Dave, you GO, brother. That is excellent. Men who take dance lessons are 30% more likely to be sexy, you know.

  2. Dave says:
    February 23, 2004 at 11:01

    Allright! I am half-Cuban, but did not get the rhythm gene(s)… but, played trombone in a Miami, FL Salsa band for a few years and loved the music and watching the dancing. Great stuff!

  3. Dave Pollard says:
    February 23, 2004 at 12:56

    Meg: Well, with what my feet have demonstrated so far, I must be in the other 70% ;-)Dave: If you can play the trombone to Salsa music, you must have the gene at least in your head. That’s, alas, where mine seems to be limited to, as well.

  4. Rob Paterson says:
    February 24, 2004 at 02:19

    Everything is in my head – when I played Rugby, if there was one person left between me and the line, I would run into him’ skiing – I would be thinking about what to do next – fancing!!! Well I love watching it. Maybe in my next life? It has been a trial for my wife Robin who loves to dance and she has spent all these years with Mr 2 left feet

  5. Camilo says:
    March 4, 2004 at 10:38

    Dave, get the Sonora Matancera. What about Ricchie Ray and Bobbie Cruz? Classical. Of course, la Universidad de la Salsa, la Fania All Stars! Dismiss those that come to you with ballad-salsa, syrupy songs that lack rhythm, lyrics or dignity.Andy Montañez! Of course. Check also Rubén Blades and his brother, Roberto. Grupo Niche, Joe Arroyo.Happy dancing, and remember your gravity center.

  6. ruth says:
    January 2, 2008 at 09:36

    I found this site buy accident but anyway The groups you names were rather good. Salsa flourished very strongly in the late 90s(not sire on dates) with young attractive singers like Frankie Ruiz, Eddie Santiago, Los Adolecentes, Jerry Rivera, Rey Ruiz, Marc Anthony. In general I recommend Willie Colon a classic like Hector Lavoe (a movie was recently made with JLO and Marc Anthony, feel free to ignore). I also sugges you take a couple of spanish lessons, if your not already fluent or see if you can get translations online. For instance songs titled “Juanito Alimaña” by Hector Lavoe, “Que sera, que sera” by Willie Colon. “Calle Luna, Calle Sol” by Willie Colon. The list is endlist Jose Albert “El Canario”, Oscar D’Leon, Willie Rosario.

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