The Word From DC May 1999
by Jeri Dembrak
Washington DC wasthe home to this year's First International Salsaweb Convention. DC is also the home of one of America's fastest growing Salsa/Mambo communities. To help illustrate this point, Jeri Dembrak has allowed me to republish some of her weekly e-mail newsletters covering the Salsa Scene in DC. Thank you Jeri! If you want to get on Jeri's e-mail mailing list then contact her at JDembrak@aol.com
-Manny Siverio
Early May 1999 E-Mail Newsletter
Hi Everyone!!!
Welcome to The SalsaNews! TheSalsaNews is a FREE weekend and weekly internet
e-mail publication with over 2395 recipients and growing, regarding events
such as classes, clubs, concerts and special events regarding the music and
dance of salsa that are going on in the DC salsa community. The author does
her very best to gather information together and put it all in one
publication. If any information is incorrectly posted, or if you of any new
events or info, please do not hesitate to let SalsaNews know.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE, EXCITING, FUN-LOVING, EXHAUSTING, AMAZING, MESMERIZING, TANTALIZING, KICK-ASS, ENTERTAINING, ROARING, CRAZY, AND MOST OF ALL, HEAVENLY WEEKEND!!!!! AS CLOSE TO SALSA HEAVEN AS IT GETS.....WOW I'VE BEEN THERE TWICE IN LESS THAN A YEAR!!!!!FIRST IN PUERTO RICO AND NOW HERE AT HOME IN DC!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ELBA, RICARDO, SAMMY, EDIE FOR ALL HER HARD WORK AND EFFORTS TO SHOW EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD-WIDE SALSA COMMUNITY A GREAT TIME IN DC!!!! I'll be honest, Ricardo, I really am shocked and I do humbly apologize for ever doubting you baby doll!!!!! You put together a CLASS AAA EVENT and I, for one, as a member of the DC salsa community really appreciate all your efforts to promote salsa in DC.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED THIS PAST WEEKEND'S EVENTS, YOU MISSED THE BEST TIME I THINK I HAVE EVER HAD DANCING SALSA IN DC and you all know how often I go out during the week!!!! I had almost as much fun as I did in Puerto Rico and I didn't have to get on a plane!
Late April 1999 E-mail Newsletter:
Things have been so busy ......work has been hectic, I've got two projects to
get done before next weekend's Salsaweb Convention -April 28th, 29th, 30th
and May 1st and 2nd-- I want to be free to learn new moves, dance my butt
off, enjoy some awesome live music ---guys we never get to see----Domingo
Quinones, Hermanos Moreno, Conjunto Clasico and Joe Arroyo ---some of salsa's
greatest performers that can still be seen LIVE AND IN PERSON. THERE IS
STILL TIME TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND I WILL HAVE THEM AVAILABLE AT NICK'S AND AT HABANA VILLAGE!
The Salsaweb Convention begins this Wednesday April 28th with a preconvention
party and Edie, the Salsa Freak's Birthday Bash at Diversite from 9pm to 3 am
($10/person). Thursday there is open registratin from 12 noon to 7pm with 6
dance performances in the evening and DC's #1 salsa band, Orquesta Peligro
opening for Los Hermanos Moreno from 8pm til 2:30 am at the Omni Shoreham
Ballroom ($35/person). But don't party too hard, classes begin at 12 noon
and run every hour until 6pm.
The instructors that are coming are some of the best in the world -- Leo from
Holland has a unique style in that they dance going forward on the right foot
and back on the left -- so be prepared to feel backwards for a few minutes
and then enjoy the new style!!!! Los Rumberos from LA gave an awesome
performance at last year's Salsa Congress in PR and are wonderful teachers.
Special Tee and Diane are amazing -- Tee has some really cool rope turns to
teach everyone. Eddie Torres -- what can I say----the man is a legend in his
own time which why he is receving the Salsaweb Award for Lifetime
Achievement. Josie Neglia ---who hasn't watched her tapes? She has a super
clear teaching style and some awesome styling. Tony Piniero, I am sorry but
I do not know him or anything about him but I hope that will change this
Friday ($65/person)
Friday night, get ready to see Celia Cruz, the most popular female salsera
ever --- still there has been no one to follow in her footsteps or can match
her energy even at her age!!!! Everyone searches for the fountain of youth,
I believe that Celia Cruz is living testimony that salsa is the fountain of
youth!!! Celia will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Salsaweb
as will Eddie Torres and Orquesta Peligro for their many years of the
entertaining the DC salsa community. ($45/person)
After dinner, get ready to party the night away with Conjunto Clasico - one
of the old time salsa bands where Tito Nieves' and Frankie Ruiz's melodic
tunes could be heard and 6 more dance performances from 10pm to 2:30
am($35/person)
On Saturday (same price as Friday, $65), more workshops including an
instructor training course from 12 to 1, Rueda - R. Geits from Miami and
there is also a French salsero or salsera?? S Sparks from Paris. Luis and
Joby from LA are probably the two best dancers I think I've ever seen and I
truly expect to see them receiving a lifetime achievement award in their
later years!!! Addie Diaz, who is not just a beautiful dancer but one of the
nicest and most patient salseras I've ever met. I'm also looking forward to
see one of her cohorts in crime on the dance floor- Manny Siverio from
Salsaweb in NYC. BY THE WAY MANNY, HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, IT WAS ON MY CALENDAR AND YOU WERE IN MY THOUGHTS ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T GET IT DOWN ON PAPER!!! SORRY, BRO, THINGS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE HECTIC! TOO MUCH WORK!
Saturday night, get ready for one of my personal favoites, Orquesta La Romana
---opening for Domingo Quinones!!!!!! Wow, Domingo in DC ---- this is a first
and it's so exciting!!! I can't wait to hear him in person -- I have every cd
he's ever made!
($35/person)
For those competing on Sunday, be sure to rest up and get ready for the
Salsaweb Salsa Competition from 1pm to 5pm -- amateur, semi-pro and
professional ($10/person). Personally, I'll be on the sidelines cheering you
all on!!!!
Go home and get some rest and get ready to hear my favorite fellow PA
salsera-Sylvia Mendez of Orquesta Melao ---she's got heart and she's got soul
and they opening for Joe Arroyo!!!!! Another all time salsa great!!!!!
There will also be "The Encounter of the DJs and the closing ceremony fo the
Salsaweb Convention. ($20/person)
Pass for the entire convention excluding the dinner is $200/person. For
details, check the salsaweb.com/convention website!
ALSO, SPECIAL NOTICE: CACHAO AND YOMO TORO ARE COMING TO THE KENNEDY CENTER, FRIDAY, MAY 7TH AT 7:30 PM AT THE EISENHOWER THEATRE. TICKETS ARE $20 AND I HAVE 10 TICKETS LEFT IN THE CENTER BALCONY ON RESERVE WITH A FULL VIEW BELOW!!!!! FOR THOSE INTERESTED, PLEASE REPLY WITH E-MAIL WITH NUMBER OF TICKETS, NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NO. ASAP---Remember, the Wolftrap's Cubanismo event sold out!! Payment must be made before April 25th either by check or in cash.
SPECIAL EVENT: Friday, June 25th Tito Puente will be at Wolftrap, tickets
are in the rear orchestra at $27/person. I've already sold out of the first
20 and ordered 20 more!!!!!! Payment must be made before May 20th!
Promoters/Instructors/Club Owners/Disc Jockeys, when announcing a new event,
please provide information as follows: Parking, Cover Charge, Music-Band,
name of DJ, Directions, Times started and ended, Classes-level of, times,
names of instructors and cost, Attire, Atmosphere including type of floor and
Food. These are the types of questions that I am normally asked when I
announce a new place. Thankyou!
Disclaimer: If you do not wish to receive this e-mail concerning salsa events
this week or have been sent this e-mail in error, please click reply and put
remove in the subject and the author will take you off the list. This e-mail is only
intended to inform in a fun and friendly manner and is not intended to
offend--it's simply a list of classes, clubs and places to go to learn and
dance salsa. In some cases, more detailed information concerning an event or
club is not available and therefore cannot be provided. Comments or
suggestions are always welcome and the author's own personal comments are
just those -- personal comments and should not be read into or taken offense.
If I have incorrect information or if I am missing information, please don't
hesitate to let me know. The author does the best she can to gather
information from various sources as well as from personal experiences as much
as possible.
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