Gilberto Santa Rosa is one of the most successful vocalists in Puerto Rico. His albums have all achieved platinum status in Puerto Rico and Latin America and the Hispanic communities of the United States. Known as a master of “soneo,” an improvisational vocal technique, Santa Rosa has recorded such Salsa hits as “Muneca” and “Cantante De Cartel.” His song, “Perdoname,” has become a popular Salsa anthem. Santa Rosa has increasingly reached out to audiences outside of Latin America. In 1995, he became the first Puerto Rican singer of tropical music to perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall. His album, Salsa Sinfonica, was the first salsa recording with a symphony orchestra — the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra.

Studying music from the age of 12, Santa Rosa performed his first professional concert, with the help of his teacher, Mario Ortiz, two years later. Following a two-year stint as lead vocalist of an orchestra, LaGrande, during which time he was taken under the wing of trumpet player Elias Lopes, he joined the Puerto Rico All Stars to record a tribute to the music of Eddie Palmieri, Homanje De Eddie Palmieri, in 1979. The same year, he spent several months with Tommy Olivencia His Orchestra. A turning point in Santa Rosa’s career came in 1980, when he accepted an invitation to join the band led by timbale player Willie Rosario. During the six years that he remained with the group, he was featured on such albums as Portrait of a Salsa Man, The Salsa Machine, and Nueva Cosecha.

Gilberto Santa Rosa will be play at El Peñol Club in Brixton, London, this venue has a capacity of 400

The new Latin Saturday night with a remarkable atmosphere recreating the sights of the rainforest with stunning special effects with thunder and lightening storms, tropical rain showers & cascading waterfalls.

The night is being staged by one of our favorite promoters, Cubaneando who also run one of the longest running Cuban classes and club nights in London every Fridays at Tito’s Latin Club, so this should be a really original and happening latin club. Another bonus is that it is central – the venue is Rainforest Cafe, Picadilly Circus, London W1D 7EU. This venue is superb, stylish Recreation of the Amazon forest in all its colourful glory, complete with oversized ferns, animatronics (elephants, monkeys, crocodiles oh my!) and even regular, though thankfully rain-free, ‘storms’.

- Open every Saturday from 9pm to 2am

- Free dance tuition from 9pm to 9:30pm with top guest instructors in rotation, including Etian Antuche , Gabriel Teixera, Nikola Medic, Ileana Cachon, etc

- Main room: Salsa, Timba, Reggaeton, Merengue and Bachata

- Brazilian Room: Samba, Samba Rock, Funk, Forro and the perfect blend of global music with a Latin twist!

- Delicious menu and legendary cocktails whilst enjoying a jam-packed night of entertainment

- Set menu: 2 Courses & entry £20

- Club entry: join the guest list and get the discounted price of £8 instead of £12 (you just need to click “join” on their Facebook event every Saturday before 6pm

- VIP area and special offer for group bookings

- Organised by Cubaneando and Oi Brasil in association with City Salsa

Address
Rainforest Cafe, Picadilly Circus
London W1D 7EU

Featuring Eliades Ochoa, Toumani Diabate, Bassekou Kouyate, Djelimady Tounkora, Kasse Mady Diabate etc.

The legendary ‘lost’ project that became Buena Vista Social Club© is finally realised. Some of the finest Cuban and Malian musicians collaborate In Nick Gold’s most eagerly awaited project for years.

This is an album that throws the elements of Cuban and African music in the air and lets them fall in entrancing new patterns.

Biography
The great world music album that-never-was has finally been realized. The project that became the Buena Vista Social Club© has borne its own extraordinary fruit.

In 1996, a group of Mali’s finest musicians were due to fly into Havana for a speculative collaboration with some of Cuba’s most brilliant singers and instrumentalists. For reasons that have never been made clear, the Malians never arrived. A very different album was recorded: ‘The Buena Vista Social Club’. The rest, as they say, is multi-million selling history.

But what about that original album? What riches might have been revealed in the interaction of virtuosi from one of Africa’s most musically rich territories, and from Cuba whose music has origins in Africa, and has been hugely influential on the mother continent?

Now we have the opportunity to find out. World Circuit Records’ Nick Gold, the man behind the 1996 venture, finally brought the original invitees together with a stellar line-up of additional talent at a series of inspirational sessions and the great lost Afro-Cuban album will be released fourteen years after originally planned.

Fronting the Cuban team is the cowboy-hatted singer and guitarist Eliades Ochoa, singer of the great Buena Vista theme ‘Chan Chan’. The two original Malian invitees are multi award-winning ngoni lute master Bassekou Kouyate and the extraordinary Rail Band guitarist Djelimady Tounkara, both universally agreed to be among the world’s great instrumentalists.

Joining them are Eliades’ Grupo Patria, amongst Cuba’s longest running and most revered bands, the mercurial kora genius Toumani Diabaté, legendary Malian griot singer Kasse Mady Diabaté and the innovatory balafon player Lassana Diabaté.

“It was as though the musicians had been holding back their ideas and energy for that moment,” says Gold, who produced the album, with the great Buena Vista engineer Jerry Boys at his side. “After we’d waited so long, it all came together remarkably easily and spontaneously. The group had never played together before but the music just poured out and it continued to flow over the next few days.” Seventeen songs were recorded in five days, with all the musicians playing together ‘live’ in one large room. A second session was convened some months later and produced a further nine songs.

The title AfroCubism is advised. This is an album that throws the elements of Cuban and African music in the air and lets them fall in entrancing new patterns.

La Excelencia is a 11-piece salsa orchestra that was started in 2005 by Julian Silva and Jose Vazquez-Cofresi. In 2006 La Excelencia released their first album ‘Salsa Con Conciencia’ described by the New York Times as “The real deal doesn’t show up that often, and here it is. Celebrate it”. ‘Salsa Con Conciencia’ sold over 11,000 copies independently around the world. The demand for another album was realized in 2009 with the release of ‘Mi Tumbao Social’; claimed by world salsa critics and disc-jockeys as the Best Salsa CD of 2009. “Salsa Dura” off of ‘Mi Tumbao Social’, became a overnight sensation and the official video has gotten lots of attention being aired all over the world on major television networks.

La Excelencia come to the UK for 3 exclusive gigs in London, Leeds & Bristol.

Visit La Excelencia for more info: www.laexcelencia.net

The play London’s 229 The Venue as part of an exclusive UK tour as part of their Ecos del Barrio Worldtour 2012

LA EXCELENCIA ‘ECOS DEL BARRIO WORLDTOUR 2012′
Tickets: https://esip.ticketabc.com/events/laexcelencia/

THURSDAY 31ST MAY, DOORS: 7PM
229 The Venue, 229 Great Portland Street, London

Salsa Republic, organisers of El Grande the biggest monthly event in the UK are happy to bring you a Special Jubilee Party at their now internationally recognised venue Club Colosseum.

London will be partying hard on this extended weekend and as part of the special events taking place during the Queens Diamond Jubilee year, you will be pleased to hear that there will be an extra bank holiday on Tuesday 5th June 2012, to mark this historic event. With the late May bank holiday being moved to Monday 4th June, you will be able to enjoy four whole days in a row to relax and/or party, particularly on the Monday bank holiday with us at Club Colosseum.

Our Special Jubilee Party includes Master Classes with some of London’s finest Salsa and Bachata instructors, followed by a massive party till 4.30am. The event will feature:

* 25 different performers, dance instructors and DJs

* 2 Hours of Master Classes in Salsa and Bachata with some of the best dance instructors from London at 7pm:
- Mauro & Eva (Cross Body Salsa)
- Miguel & Mayana (Cross Body Salsa)
- Osbanis & Anetta (Cuban Salsa)
- Nikola & Dani ‘Havana Londres’ (Rueda de Casino)
- Peynao & Nelix ‘ Bachata Stars UK’ (Bachata)
- Julian ‘Mr M’ (Bachata)

* A massive party till 4.30am, with classes at 9.495pm in Salsa & Kizomba with our regular El Grande teachers and guests: Lazaro & Paola Lopez, Michael Mandrel, Amanda Maitland, Miguel & Mayana, Iris de Brito, Nuno Campos, Sika
+ 2 spectacular shows from:
- Mauro & Eva
- Osbanis & Anetta

* 5 Rooms to enjoy with our top DJs:
- Salsa Room: DJs Julian ‘the Duke’, Erick ‘the Saint’, Mr Bilongo
- Cuban Room: DJs Rich, Lazaro, Javier La Rosa
- Latin Room: Julian ‘Mr M’ + Guests
- Kizomba Room: DJs Marito & Fabio
- Chill Out Room overlooking the river, offering hot food and drinks till late

* Extra Special prices:
- £20 Adv from Ticketweb for all Master Classes & Party / £25 at the Door
- £10 for Party only, including Free general classes at 9.45pm

Address:
Club Colosseum
1 Nine Elms Lane, Vauxhall,
London SW8 5NQ, United Kingdom
View Map · Get Directions

Nordic Salsa Camp 2012 offers again at a piquant mix of salsa festival and Danish folk high school culture with a focus on movement, innovation and passion in the cultural meeting between the Cuban and Scandinavian dance and body culture.

And further this year the organization of the Nordic Championships in Cuban Salsa 2102, 18 July!

With the theme “Go deeper” we want to go one step further, that so you, as participants can get an even deeper experience of the soul of the Cuban salsa and the possibilities and your desire to challenge yourself and your comfort zone.

We are therefore pleased to introduce a new exciting program for 2012, where you every week will gets great workshops in Cuban salsa, latin mix and ensemble – spiced up with inspiring cultural skills, morning assemblies, fellowship activities, salsatek, shows and gala parties.

The theme “Go Deeper” will be the read thread that connects the program’s many activities where there a deeper focus on the essence of Cuban salsa: musicality, play and interpretation

But most of all – we look forward to meet you all to a Camp full of joy and hot burning dance floors!

Welcome to the Nordic Salsa Canp 2012 at the Brandbjerg Folk High School – The playground of the enthusiast!

World famous, but rarely seen outside of Cuba, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba celebrates its 52th anniversary with its second ever major UK tour throughout February and March 2012. The dance group consists of an electrifying mix of contemporary, classical and Caribbean dance styles and is one of the most exciting, modern groups around.

The eight venue tour will see Danza Contemporanea de Cuba collaborating with leading international choreographer Rafael Bonachela will be included in the three London shows. With a compulsory curriculum in contemporary dance for children aged 10 upwards, Cuba today produces some of the world’s finest contemporary dancers. They are schooled in a technique that mixes Graham and Afro-Caribbean methods to produce a movement that is strong, fluid and technically excellent. Along with this technique Danza Contemporanea de Cuba’s work reflects the Cuban way of life, with sensual, mystical dance that is performed from the heart.

For these performances audiences will be treated to a triple bill of works including a rare opportunity to see the stand-out hit of 2010′s programme, George Céspedes’ Mambo 3XXI, and the world premiere of a piece by renowned choreographer Itzik Galili.

This is a unique and unmissable opportunity to see 50 Years of Danza Contemporanea de Cuba

Tour dates and venues

The last championship in 2009 was won by the Danish pair Louise Houlberg and Erodys Castillo.

They invite couples from all over Scandinavia, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland to participate in the competition. Anyone with a valid health card from these countries can participate. The two dancers in the pair must come from the same country. It is not allowed eg. Danish / Swedish couple. It must be a Danish / Danish, Swedish / Swedish etc.

Admission criteria:
By the 1st of May 2012, each couple have realized a send a link to a 2-2.30-minute You Tube clip where the couple dance cuban salsa (social dancing – not choreography) to Henrik Normann: mail@henriknormann.dk

By 15th of May all couples will get the information whether they have been qualified. A total of 8 pairs can participate. Max two couples from each country.
The competition:

Each finale couples must dance two dances. Both improvised Cuban salsa to Cuban salsa music.
In the first dance, the music chosen by the organizers. For the second dance, each couple even influence what music they dance to. Each pair must bring a CD (and a copy) with 6 Cuban salsa numbers that they like to dance to.

The organizers then selects one of six numbers, which the couples will get to know when they arte on the floor. It is important that the dance is NOT choreographed even that the salsa number is well known dancers.

Rating:
The pairs will be judged by five judges (4 professional dancers and / or dance teachers) and a spectator Representative (social dances) in the following criteria.
Music Interpretation
Body / technology
Stage Performance
Originality
Overall impression (rated by spectator-representative)

We invite all PARTICIPATING COUPLES TO ACCOMMODATE FOR FREE AT THE BRANDBJERG FOLK HIGH SCHOOL THE NIGHT BETWEEN THE 18th and 19th. 24 HOURS OF FREE MEAL IS ALSO INCLUDED!

For more info and questions:
Question: mail@henriknormann.dk

For some time now we have wanted to take the Rueda Congress to Denmark, but we have been waiting for the right time and the right contacts. Erodys and Tenna are now an important part of the Rueda Congress, and our participants are particularly fond of them (just scroll down this page and repeat the instructor voting from 2011).
They are now ready to invite rueda enthusiasts from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England, Germany, and the rest of Europe to Aarhus for a great weekend of rueda dancing.

CUBAN VIBES & CUBAN SCHOOL OF ARTS PRESENTS ANOTHER “BOMCHE A LO CUBANO” on Sat 12th May 2012 @ The Heritage Inn in Cricklewood NW2 6PG featuring Cuban Salsa Band Yuri Moreno y Soneando.*

The night will encompass a Salsa Party with a difference; the night is all about LIVE Salsa & Latin music brought to you by some of the most well respected Salsa Bands in the UK. The 3rd party in the series will feature singer and songwriter Yuri Moreno y Soneando and her 5 piece band. Hosting the night will be Cuba’s queen of Afro Cuban Damarys Farres. DJ’s playing the very best in Salsa, Timba, Son, Reggaeton and Bachata will be DJ Amado and DJ Carlton. Dress Code: RED / WHITE / BLUE.

This will be an extravagant cocktail of Cuban salsa, fun and music is complete with a high powered audio sound system that as last year will creates a magical environment for the ultimate experience for all Cuban Salsa lovers who love there twist of vibrant salsa con timba music.

Book online via www.accessuktickets.co.uk.
(Early Bird Tickets £8 Normal Tickets £10)
Fun Rueda Class from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, music from 9.45pm to 3am.
Check out www.cubanvibes.com or email: info@cubanvibes.com

VENUE
The Heritage Inn
Upstairs in the Banqueting Suite,
The Heritage Inn, 301
Cricklewood Broadway,
London, NW2 6PG.

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