COURTHOUSE
I do agree with Arthur's comment that although the environment is quite nice inside, the music sucks. I went there quite a few time, and everytime is the same. No new Salsa music, rearly any Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata. The sala music the placed are very old. Very disappointed with the music. Ann

Dear Ann, it's interesting you should mention this, because it all depends on what you're looking for in a club. For the hardcore salsa dancers who only want to hear and dance to salsa about 95% of the time, then we're happy because there's no house or other styles of latin music that gets played for hours on end (as in other what-we-call "latin clubs") and takes away from our salsa dancing -- it's all a matter of preference and as to what type of club you want to go to. From the times I've gone to Courthouse, it seems no one else agrees with you as it has been jam-packed. I find the dance floor usually less crowded when it's anything but salsa; but then again, it depends on the reputation of the club and the types of club-goers it attracts. As most of their lessons are with various salsa instructors in the City, it just means that the majority of the dancers will prefer to hear and dance to salsa.

Lyrics
Do you have the lyrics for Frankie Ruiz's "La Rueda". Thank you, Joanna

Dear Joanna, unfortunately I don't, but if you go to www.google.com, and type in his name and the song, you may get lucky and find the lyrics you want.

Dance/Salsa shoes
Hi Rose, I've really started getting into the salsa scene in the last few months and would like to purchase some salsa shoes. I'm dancing 2-4 times a week, and only have a few pairs of dress shoes with leather soles that I like to use for salsa (spinning is too difficult in rubber soles!). Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks, Steve

Dear Steve, if you find you're wearing out your leather shoes the way I used to from spinning, then I suggest getting a pair of ballroom shoes with a suede sole (from Danceplus or Stardust) or some jazz slippers in white or black. More than likely you'll prefer the jazz slippers which I believe are sold at Malabar Dancewear downtown as they are easier to carry around as you need to change from your street shoes into your dance shoes.

Elvis Crespo
Hola a todos!! I just have a question and hopefully someone can help me out. Is Elvis Crespo coming to Toronto anytime soon? I went to his concert in Buffalo (I found out about it on this website, thanks!) and it was amazing. If he is coming to town, I'll be the 1st in line for tickets!!! Thanks!! Julie

Dear Julie, you can do a quick search under Ticketmaster to see if he's playing in Toronto. I'm glad you enjoyed his concert in Buffalo.

For all of the salsa instructors
I'm not a professional dancer but I'm an instructor and I have been in Toronto for the passed six years and I have seen the change of the salsa styles in toronto. When I arrived to toronto, nobody knew how to dance casino or any other styles of salsa that inbolved cross body leads,The only people that danced like that were people like Lazaro(chico) Juan Carlos, Pedro J, Vladimir A, Teria and Catalina, I know that there were alot of people teaching salsa allready like Alberto Gomes, but it was the style that colombians left in toronto since they were one of the first imigrants to arrive from latin america, What really upsets me is that there are alot of people out there that are saying that they have been teaching and dancing professionally for a very long time and when I met them three years ago some of them dind't even know how to dance and others only knew the old style of salsa and now they say that they have been teaching L.A, New York or casino for the pass ten years. I think people should be a little more honest whith them selfs and the other instructors that have been teaching salsa for a while. The sad thing is that some of this people are very well known, I guess that just because they have attended a salsa congres now they are salsa gods and they can talk about salsa or Cuban music, Please grow up!!! -- Yanay

Hi there! I just moved from NYC to TO and am a NY hustle dancer for 20 yrs. Unfortunately I cannot find a place to hang out that is alcohol free and reasonable cover charge. I love disco classics and house music. I do dance salsa, mambo and merengue too. Please advise me places I can check out in TO. Thank You! Keep Dancing! Maria from Scarborough

Devorame otra vez es de Lalo Rodriguez no de Eddie -- David Pabon

Salsa Competition - Semi Finals
This message goes out to all the couples who danced on the stage at Berlin lastnight, I know we were all nervous. We all had the guts and courage to do what we love and enjoy to do, DANCE. Great job, well done to those who did not advance to the finals & to those who did. Congrat's to the other 5 couples who made it to the final round and best of luck to you all. Also a huge "THANKS" goes out to the crowd, thanks for your support and cheers at Berlin!!!! See ya all on April 6, 2002 at Atlantis -- Ginette

Lessons
Hello there!!!!! Wondering if there is someone you know who teaches salsa in the Windsor area. Thanks, Kamal

Tapas Bar on Carlton?
I think this bar has closed the last time I passed by it. I used to go all the time for dinner and drinks and wanted to go recently but it was closed, and I believe is changing names or moved. Not sure. Richard

lyrics
In a web search I found lyrics posted by your website, but cannot find a way to check your site for specific lyrics. Is that possible? I am looking for specific songs, Celia Cruz's Sazon and Carlos Manuel's Matilda and Malo Cantidad. Can you help? Thanks so Much, Jeff Davis

Dear Jeff, unfortunately, I don't have those lyrics, but as I told another reader below -- since most sites don't have a search engine, I suggest downloading the www.google.com toolbar and then do a search for spanish lyrics, then type in those "few words" you know in the google toolbar and "Search Site", not the "Search Web", and it will give you all the results from the actual website. I find that really handy to have on all my computers. If you also like to use the yahoo search engine, they also have a similar toolbar and a computer geek told me they use both on their browser -- Rose Knows

Possible Idea
This site is great! All your hard work is definitely appreciated. However, to make it even better, I would suggest a message forum. It would be much easier for people to post suggestions, comments and questions. A lot easier to read as well. I would volunteer to moderate it (i.e., make sure rules are followed, but at the same time allow people to express their opinions), if needed. I really think it would generate more visitors and be more informa-tive. So whatta u say? Keep up the good work on the site! -- Cristian

Dear Cristian, thank you so much for the suggestion and the offer -- this is something we've thought about for awhile, but there's a backlog of things which needs to be done first before we go that route -- Rose Knows

lyrics
Hoping you can help - I came across your site in a Google search for latin dance lyrics. I listen to the spanish language stations, and have heard a great pop dance song. But I don't know enough spanish to be able to tell the title or even the artist!

Do you know of a place that would list just the lyrics, so I can type in the few words I can make out? This is a hip-hop/salsa type thing. Thanks a lot! Michelle

Dear Michelle, here's some tips I picked up from the beautiful world of the internet... since most sites don't have a search engine, I suggest downloading the www.google.com toolbar and then do a search for spanish lyrics, then type in those "few words" you know in the google toolbar and "Search Site", not the "Search Web", and it will give you all the results from the actual website. I find that really handy to have on all my computers. If you also like to use the yahoo search engine, they also have a similar toolbar and a computer geek told me they use both on their browser -- Rose Knows

Age
What age would a normal class be? In one of the answers to an e-mail you said that most classes wouldn't be for teenagers. My sister and I want to learn but we're 13 and 17 so do you think we wouldn't be allowed to go and would it be harder because we're younger? thanks -- Imogen

Dear Imogen, normally the classes I've always attended are usually average in their 20's and 30's, but if you're parents will allow you both to go to an evening class or weekend class in your area, what do you have to lose by asking the instructors if they have an issue. If you aren't disruptive and eager to learn, I don't think it would be a major problem. I have an interview on the home page about the Young Ambition Dance Co. in New York City where the kids range from about 7 to 21 -- the Director talks about how kids and teenagers pick up new moves like a sponge, so unless you are totally uncoordinated -- you and the instructor may be pleasantly surprised -- Rose Knows

Hi Rose. I am that guy that you said tried to impress you with all those fancy moves, "the beginner", the guy who kissed you on your belly button.

My sincere and humble apologies for all of that #@#$!..., that I have caused you. I did not know that would upset you. Perhaps I should take that dance etiquette course. In casino rueda there is a move called "besso" , I do not know the correct spelling, but it means to kiss. I thought that this was a legitimate salsa move. I promise never to do this move without my partners permission in the future, I certainly do not want to upset any ladies out there.

I honestly still consider myself as a regular guy trying to learn how to dance salsa properly. My teacher says to try to dance with better dancers to become a better dancer myself. That was the reason why I asked you to dance, because I truly consider you as an amazing lady dancer. I was honored that a superb dancer like you would even let me dance with you. This really made me happy, thank you for dancing with me.

I do know the basics in salsa. The reason why I said that I am still learning in salsa because it is the simple truth! I have only been dancing a little over 2 years, and based on my experience out there in the clubs, I know that I will never stop learning, but most importantly, I need to learn a lot more. For example "dance etiquette" ;-). During the salsa opening of the club called "hotel bar", I was fortunate to be able to dance with this really superb lady dancer, her name starts with a "w" , (maybe- I am not that sure, my memory is no good). I know that I did not dance well with her because I was going off rhythm. She gave me a couple of pointers in how to dance better. If she reads this please tell her that I appreciate her advice, thank you. As you see I do really, truly need to learn more.

As for my name, I thought that I mentioned it to you, but than again I may have been mistaken. Next time I see you I promise to tell you. I did say hello to you last Sunday at Left Bank when I passed by.

I hope you accept my humble apologies. All I want is to become a better dancer. And of course to have lots of fun dancing. And hopefully my partner can enjoy the dancing also. That is my goal. Thank You -- George

Dear George, it's nice to see you had the courage to write in; and I will accept your humble "apologies" since what you did actually gave me an opportunity to voice some issues regarding dance etiquette -- an ever-evolving, but "been there, done that" topic. As new dancers come onto the scene, they either get excited about dancing and forget everything about manners and how to treat people in general because they're too busy worrying about their moves that they have tunnel vision OR think it's a free-for-all on the dance floor or shall I say a "candy store"?

Guys, remember the manners you learned about how to "date" or how to treat people, well the same thing applies on the dance floor. Unless the person you dance with is one of your regular partners or knows you -- don't try any fancy tricks or moves which may offend someone who doesn't know you, such as the "touch the knee" move, neck drops or body waves, unless they give you persmission. Regarding the move "Besso", yes I know it too, because I have danced casino, but I can't imagine anyone teaching it to kiss someone on the "belly button", unless they missed a kiss on their cheek on their face (isn't that the move they teach?). It's a legitimate dance move, but in a casino rueda and probably with dancers you practice or dance rueda with on a regular basis -- NOT with someone you've met for the first time and who considers you a stranger. Yes, we're out there to dance, but let's put the "shoe on the other foot" and let's say I did the "besso" move on the guy -- what would you be thinking? Wow, this girl is hot for me? attracted to me or how about... I think I'm going to score tonight! Puhleese... give girls a little more credit than that, and as for thinking you mentioned your name? I specifically asked you 2 if not 3 times for your name and you coyly dodged giving me a specific answer. Anyways, to continue, guys and even gals, do not think for one minute that people in clubs do not talk -- in this case, I have the privilege of having a web page about dancing and we can publicly voice our opinions, but when you're in the clubs and this type of scenario happens, don't think that the person you're dancing with would not talk to their friends about what happened and warn them about who to watch out for. Just because she doesn't complain while dancing, doesn't mean she may not be offended by the move, she will just ensure she doesn't dance with you again or will definitely avoid you and warn all her friends -- Rose Knows

Salsa lessons information
I live in windsor and was hoping to take some latin dance lessons. could you please tell me of locations that may offer lessons. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks, Kamal

I am looking for the following CD's
Dale pa' lla', dale pa' ca' by Mestizo and
Mueve la colita by SBS
I had a DJ write these down, after a visit to Varadero, Cuba. Are they even real dance songs? Thanks Penny

Dear Penny, sorry, I'm not familiar with this music, you could try doing a search in www.google.com, www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com -- Rose

casino lessons?
Do you know any good Casino teachers in Toronto? I have taken lessons in Cuba and I would like to continue. But Valdimir at the Spanish Center doesn't teach there anymore. Do you know happened to him? Soles teaches casino, but not Cuban casino. Besides, you have to take a private lesson if you don't want to be stuck in Casino Level 1 and it almost costs as much as the course !! Please help me. I am desperate -- Daniel

Dear Daniel, sorry, I'm not very familiar with the Cuban style of casino or who teaches it. Possibly one of our readers may have more information -- Rose

Willy Colon & Celia Cruz
Would you happen to know or have a copy of the sessions that were recorded with Willy Colon and Celia Cruz together - Jan

Dear Jan, sorry, I don't have enough knowledge to be able to help you, but maybe one of our readers might have some info -- Rose

Hi, I'm just curious to know what's the best place on Friday. I know a lot of people used to head to Palazzo on Friday but since Carlito isn't there anymore (change your website by the way) I haven't found a good replacement. Can you help me out?
I'm also curious to know if Jorge Davilla is spinning anywhere on Friday nights. Thanks, Arlene

I need lyrics
I need lyrics to "Te quiero igual o mas" By Monchy y Alejandra. Can u mail them to me please? Nancy

Dear Nancy, sorry, I only have what I post on the site. Please try www.google.com, and type in the name of the song and the artist and hopefully you'll be able to find a copy of the lyrics somewhere. Good Luck!

March 1, 2002
I have just returned from the Courthouse. I cut my evening short. The guys were so racist they wouldn't dance with any of the Black women -- Anne

dancing on 2
HI! I've been hearing about dancing on 2 and had the opportunity to try it with some dancers I know... however, it seems as if there are different versions (for lack of a better description). Can anyone clarify this for me? Thanks, canadian latina

Hi Canadian Latina, what a loaded question... check out this link on SalsaNewYork.com for dancing on the 2, or do a www.google.com search for links explaining how to dance on 2. Here's the salsaweb version...

I would like to learn salsa!
Hi I would like to know if there is any place near to Stockton California where I can learn salsa? Thank you Alma

Hi Alma, the best way for you to get that type of information is to do a search www.google.com and type in "salsa dance classes in Stockton California" or something similar and see what comes up or email Josie Neglia at www.latindance.com who teaches and lives in LA, California.

Rose, Hi - I found your website from searching on the internet. There are lots of useful information about salsa, which my wife and I are beginning to learn. We would like to have some music at home to practice, but since neither one of us know much about salsa artists or songs, I was wondering if you have some recommenda-tions. I think to start, we are looking for the more common (and maybe classic) salsa music. If you can advice, I'd appreciate it. Thank you, David

Dear David, here are some CD's which are good to practice to with slow to medium-fast songs:

DLG's Greatest Hits
El Gran Combo - 30th Anniversary Edition
La Misma Gente - Lo Mejor
Marc Anthony - Desde Un Principio: From the Beginning
Salsa Fresca! Dance Hits of the '90s
Super Latin Hits presents Oro Latino (merengue/salsa/chacha)

Another suggestion is to go to a latin music store and ask them about salsa compilations. You can ask to listen to them before you buy and you can get CD's which have slower salsas, versus buying Sonora Carruseles or Puerto Rican Power, for example, which has fast salsa -- too fast for beginners -- Rose Knows

Hi Rose, I have personally enjoyed seeing the Abakua dance group perform many times. I read your article on the chicago congress, I don't understand how you came across the idea that Ramon is the sweetest and most beutifull dancer in the group. It's a group a family, head of the group is Frankie Martinez the master of all Abakua unique creations. It's not nice of you to pint point anyone out of the group. Thank's to Aisha you mean thank's to Frankie Martinez who has formed a group by teaching them his creative dance moves. ROSE THINKS SHE KNOWS BUT SHE HAS NO IDEA.

Dear Writer with no name, thank goodness I've developed a thick skin for this form of comment because sometimes I think dancers take things a little TOO personally or too literally. What is kind of scary for me is that since I write at about 80-90 words per minute, many of these articles are written late at night after an inspiring night or weekend of dancing, plus since I'm writing at a passionate pace -- there could be a "slight slippage" of verbage which seems to make or break how a dancer feels OR no different than talking to a person directly -- people will take what you say or write out of context and interpret it any way they feel. I NEVER said that he was the most beautiful dancer "in his group" -- that's your interpretation of what I wrote. Also, maybe you were reading my article a little TOO quickly, or you would have noticed that I had been talking to Aisha who introduced me to Ramon in a flirtatious way as "one of the most beautiful dancers" in her troupe on Friday, and then I said "hello" to him on Saturday and jokingly reminded him that he was the "most beautiful dancer" to put the whole story in there.

On another note, just to clear the air about writing about specific dancers -- it doesn't mean to say that I think one dancer is better than another in a dance troupe. I admire the style or the unique-ness of many dancers in many dance troupes -- I've written about Frankie Martinez, Ismael Otero, Seaon Bristol, the Vasquez brothers, Edie the Salsa Freak, various Toronto dancers and many others on many occasions, but the two I mentioned this time were dancers I've never met or danced with before. My writing style is to give an "addicted dancer's viewpoint or experience from my birds-eye view" to hopefully give you the feeling that you were almost there and not missing out, hence the weekly write-ups on various experiences and the photos from different events.

And as for Rose Knows who has no idea... well, I think it's you who has no idea of what I was talking about and where it originated from... maybe YOU should have been there to witness it yourself! -- Rose Knows

Song lyrics for the Adolescents-Orquesta CD
I can not find the lyrics for the Adolescents CD Orquesta. If you have the lyrics in Spanish could you e-mail them to me, please? Thank you. Respectfully, Will Jackson

Dear Will, I also don't have all the lyrics for their songs, I suggest you go to www.google.com and do a search by typing in "group name lyrics" and you might get lucky and find a site that has the ones you're looking for.

Hey there, I love your site...I'm hooked on it. I would like to know when will the pictures and the results of the draw from the salsathon (taken place at the Courthouse) will be posted? I went there and had a blast, the music was great and the ambiance was awesome. I hope the pictures will be posted soon... Thanks alot and keep up the good work... -- Niki

Dear Niki, the winners are finally posted, but the pics will take a little longer.

hard to find music
Hello again, I remember reading a request from a reader about a hard to find CD by Orquesta Maracay (Dec 23, 2001), well though these sights are not directly related to salsa, they do have a huge selection of hard to find music uncluding salsa. The two sites are www.gemm.com and www.songsearch.com. I managed to find some hard to find cd's though I haven't bought any yet. Remember, order at your own risk. Hope this helps --Aloha, DJ Rod from Hawaii

Hey Rose, There was a reader who wrote last December wanting to know about a song he heard in Cuba called 'Voka Loca'.
Well, a colleague of mine just got back from a trip to Cuba and we were listening to some CDs he brought back. There is a song called 'La Vaca Loca' by King Africa, which is probably the song in question. It's not a Salsa song; it sounds more like pop/reggae sung in Spanish. Hopefully that helps. Take care, Paul Chivers

If you know by chance...Is Berlin still open tonight to people who are not in the dance competition? If so, I know that Con Cache is suppose to play there tonight...but in the rules for the competition it says that the dancers will be dancing to music "chosen by the DJ". Do you know then if the band will actually be playing. Thanks -- Sabrina

Dear Sabrina, Berlin is open for everyone to watch or participate in the competition. The nights we've mentioned bands, they are also playing that night, the competition happens between the two sets, plus the DJ also spins during the night -- Rose Knows

salsa
Hey guys, I'm coming to T.O. the weekend of feb 22 - where would you suggest to go and get a salsa fix? Anthony

Dear Anthony, there's lots happening in Toronto this weekend, if you're talking about clubbing, you can get a fix on Fridays at either El Rancho or Courthouse downtown, and possibly Paparazzi's up north. On Saturday, Con Cache (latin band) will be playing at Bamboo downtown and El Rancho's is also pretty busy. If you're still here on Sunday, everyone's favourite hangout is Left Bank or Babaluu's -- Rose Knows

Salsa dance shoes
Hi TOSalsa, My friend and I have been taking lessons and would like to invest in the proper shoes to dance Salsa and Merengue. Can anyone suggest any places we can find the shoes? Thanks, Nives

P.S. I love this site, I just entered it and will definitely bookmark it.

Dear Nives, I knew I should have written the shoe article... this has been asked so many times. There are some good dance shoe stores in suburban Toronto. The places where you can try on and buy dance shoes are Kleen Air at Yonge & Wellesley, Dance Plus or Stardust Dance Shoes (you'll probably need a car to get there).

If you are interested in dance sneakers, then try Malabar Dance Supplies downtown. They are located at 14 McCaul St. (just north of Queen, west of University Ave.), 416-598-2581. The more popular styles are by Blochs and Capezio. Another store is Toronto Dancewear Centre near Hwy. 401 and Wilson.

How can I get a list of the songs you displayed in December? Thank you -- Salsamike

Dear Salsamike, just click on the Latin Music section, and you'll find all my music lists.

Latin Dance Class
HI, my name is Tony, I run a singles network in toronto. I am looking for a dance studio in toronto that can teach my adult members on recreational latin dances? Do you know any places in toronto? Thanks

Dear Tony, we have an instructors' listing with all the instructors who teach latin dancing -- Rose Knows

Hello, Do you know anything of a Sonora Carruseles concert in Toronto? They will be in Montreal March 16, but I would rather see them in Toronto if possible. Please let me know. Thanks, Sara

Dear Sara, sorry, I haven't received any information regarding this concert -- Rose Knows

Hi, Friends of mine want to go out on a Saturday night to go dancing - which club(s) do you recommend??? Thanks! Dawn

Dear Dawn, that's really a tough question to answer depending on your taste in clubs as there's so many to choose from. For me personally, I usually always have fun at El Rancho's (because it's fairly central, their great dance floor made for dancing and they play more salsa over two dance floors than most clubs, and you can get in for free with a coupon before 10:30 pm.). Other clubs you might consider (note I can only talk about the ones I've danced in) is Plaza Flamingo (if you like young latino crowd with mixed latin music); Babaluu's is very popular, but I never go because it's way too crowded and is more a latino pick-up bar than made for dancing; and I finally had a chance to visit Ritz Nightclub in Mississauga which is a mix of latin music, but the decor and design of the club is absolutely beautiful. Hope this helps; and Readers, feel free to add any input into clubs that are absolutely great that I haven't visited -- Rose Knows

Open City, 2 Federal Street Toronto, Ontario
I am crazy about Latin Music, can not possible get enough of it. I recently got invited to a Alta Descarga Party hosted by Open City, a non profit group located at 2 Federal Street Toronto. When I arrived at the venue the band was in the middle of their first set. Approximately half an hour later the band announced that they were taking a break and DJ Jazzy George will entertain the crowd. When the D.J walked up to the DJ set up, I immediately recognized him as a DJ who played at lot of the Toronto night clubs many years ago. I was a bit puzzled because this DJ, as memory serve, played mostly funk, rear groves and house, and so I wondered why Open City would hire him to play for a Latin Party. Once DJ Jazzy George began to play, I quickly lost track of of his past and embraced the cooooool latin tracks he was played. I have been to a lot of latin parties and I have heard a lot of latin DJs but none of them plays as smooth and entertaining as Dj Jazzy George. Toronto is in for a treat because this guy is really good. My friends and I danced so much we could feel the sweat reunning down our backs and all the while DJ Jazzy George kept on laying down the tracks. He plays so smooth that you can not tell when he is switching from one song to the next. Sorry nite club owners, he is not interest in playing in a nite club. I do not know the next time that Jazzy George will play but I will keep my ears open and I will drop a line. Check out the open city website at www.Open-City.ca -- Anthony

Dear Anthony, thanks so much for sharing this information... another cool DJ -- sounds like someone I'd like to hear... keep me posted... and Open City... how could I forget -- I checked the website and there's another "Alta Descarga" with Luisito Orbegeso Quintet playing their own blend of Latin Jazz and Afro-Cuban Salsa on February 27th... Rose Know

Dear Rose Knows: How are you, again? Along with being a Salsa junkie, I also surf the net as well quite a bit. I been searching for playlists of the most popular salsa music, but found nothing that tells me officially what is the top ten in a particularly city. My question is that I would like to find out what web sites, links, or perhaps other non-web sources that would provide me with the information on current Latin music (i.e. particualarly salsa, bachata, and cumbia) playing in the nightclubs and radio stations not just in Toronto, but in other major cities as well. I am well aware that you site provides a compiliation of hits currently playing in Toronto -- Juan Salazar, Miami, Florida

Dear Juan, you can spend hours searching for great songs from different cities, there are so many ways to tackle this. You can start by going to our music links page as I have some major music websites which do list top Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cumbia and/or Latin hits from various places around the world, such as laritmo.com. I would also suggest using the google search engine or yahoo and search for key phrases for the types of music you're looking for and/or include the city name, for example, if you were to type in "top 100 salsa songs", you'd find some matches, including our site's list of music -- just vary the searches and you'd be surprised at what you might find... you might also want to try and do a search for "salsa music links" and surf that way or try "dj salsa music charts" or words to that effect. Good luck on your search... maybe I'll start including great links to all the charts I find as I'm surfing... so if you find some personal favourites, let me know and I'll post them -- Rose Knows

no teachers in goa
toni anisley & debbie weiseberg r leaving goa pls see if u kin give us a new teacher -- ivo

hi rose what a great site you have keep the good work. i play in a band we want to start playing some salsa songs, but we dont know the latest hits maybe you can help, also i am looking for the word of pedro navajas by ruben blades if you have it that will be great. thanks lorenzo

Hey Salseros! Can you please tell me if the Chicago Bacardi Salsa Congress is still scheduled to occur (2/14/2002-2/17/2002)?

Why isn't it advertised by Salsaweb or other major salsa websites? I'd like to go, but have not been able to make contact with anyone at their website. Thanks for your response. --Melissa

Dear Melissa, in case you didn't know, we have all the links to all the Worldwide Salsa Events on our home page linking to almost every Salsa Congress around the World, including Chicago. Why isn't it advertised on Salsaweb or other major websites? Well, Salsaweb is still going under massive reorganization since it changed owners so the updates are very slow in coming -- and other major websites? I've done quite a bit of salsa surfing over the past five years and I found that only Salsaweb (before the takeover), SalsaNewYork.com and TOsalsa.com were the only sites that listed all the Congresses around the World -- Rose Knows

Rosa, do you have any tips for Asian women who enjoy salsa dancing?

I find that I'm a shy person and that it's difficult to find time to go out late at night and then go to work the next day. How do you do it? What's your professional background?

I'm working full-time and taking 1 or 2 night classes... Lately I'm in a rut when it comes to salsa dancing. I've taken classes in the past but now it feels like I'm so rusty. What do you suggest? Thanks, Christina

Dear Christina, what a loaded question and here's a lengthy, but hopefully helpful response. To begin with, any dancer of any nationality, male or female, have gone through the same dilemma you talk about, including me. I started in the club scene not knowing anyone who danced until I made a few friends from my dance classes who went to the club regularly. At the beginning I was shy too, but once my "friends" weren't interested in going dancing anymore, I had to make the effort to ask guys to dance and be able to handle rejection if I wanted to get in a full night of dancing. I figured if guys could do it, so could I. It took some courage, preserverance and practice. I made a point to ask at least one good dancer a night for a dance, would make some new dance friends and then would get introduced to other good dancers. It was well worth it in the end as I got to meet lots of potential dance partners and some great friends along the way, including my web partner, Ziv. Without our passion for salsa dancing, we probably would never have started this website. The other bonus from dancing with so many different partners is being able to learn to adjust your connection and reaction time to your partner(s). That is an art that takes lots of practice for men as well as women. If you aren't out there practicing/dancing regularly, you lose your "edge" on the dance floor and have to start almost over again. Even some of the best male dancers start to lose some of their skills at leading when they stick to one partner for practice/competition. I can always tell when my friends dance with alot of not-so-good followers as their lead becomes really rough or strong, compared to my usual dances with them. They forget to adjust their connection for the more experienced dancers who know how to follow and don't require such a strong or rough lead.

Regarding the late nights and working during the day. Well, I'm probably not the best example to go by as many of my friends comment about how I find all the time, stamina and energy to do almost everything I set my mind on. When I started this website about 2 years ago, I worked full-time during the day (5 days a week), worked out at least 3 times a week, went dancing about 3-5 nights a week, was taking a ballroom class, just launched the website and was practicing for the Berlin competition at the same time. How did I manage it? Well, a really jam-packed, rigid but organized time schedule 7 days a week; although eventually, you can burn out if you don't get any rest. I'm lucky that I can handle this type of schedule for months before I have a burn-out, but you have to know what works for you and how badly you want the "salsa lifestyle".

For myself personally, I was able to train my mind to function on about 4-5 hours sleep per night during the week, but would always have one night of 12 hours sleep on the weekend to catch up. I also had to train myself to get used to catnaps if I was really tired during the week before I went out and had to have 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning to stay alert at work as I wasn't a morning person. This didn't happen overnight -- before I got into salsa, I was used to about 6-7 hours per night, and then started cutting back on sleep gradually as I started to go out dancing later and later, and/or worked late hours on the website.

If you're determined to dance during the week, you start the late nights slowly. When I started going out at night at the beginning, I wasn't used to the late nights anymore. You take it one night at a time and get your body used to the unusual hours; plus I believe alot in mind over matter. If you think you're going to be tired, you are; but it also helps if you really don't like sleep much and are a night owl. Also, my regular workouts helped to keep me alert at work.

The other alternative is to pick nights where the club starts a bit earlier, and vow to leave no later than midnight. On those nights, the only way to get a good dance fix is to ensure that you're dancing non-stop for 2-3 hours. Hope this helps, Rose Knows

Hello, I am looking for lyrics and music (mp3 or CD): 'NO MAS MENTIRAS' - Tmc and 'MAMA Y BOE' (I don´t know the name of the singer). Can you/somebody help me? Renato dos Santos Abreu, Curitiba-PR

Dear Readers, anyone have any info? I checked in the Google search engine and found this song lyric containg the words, 'No Mas Mentiras'.

me gustaria mucho que me dijeras donde puedo conseguir una de las canciones de Carlos manuel que recientemente escuche en la Habana que se llama "La manana en la Cabeza" o por favor si exite algun sitio en internet de donde la pueda bajar Gracias Carolina
Hermosillo gSonora Mexico

Can you tell me where I can find a song by Carlos Manuelle that I recently heard in Havana, Cuba. The name of the song is "LA MANANA EN LA CABEZA" or do we know of a website to download the song.

Dear Readers, anyone have any info?

Hey Rose, I think there is a romantic angle encompassed in salsa dancing that hasn't been discussed that needs to be explored.
Just to give you a progress report on my new Salsa affliction. I'm currently enrolled in Salsa classes with SalsaLovers here in the Miami area. I've embraced Casino Rueda salsa dancing while at the same time I still maintain my Colombian heritage dancing to the popular Cumbia style. The director, Rene Gueits, is a genius at how he arrived at this method of teaching Casino Rueda.
Again Rose, thanks for be the conduit for this type of forum. You do Salsa dancers around the Greater Toronto area as well as the world a huge service. Keep up the good work. Best Wishes, Juan Salazar of Miami, Fl.

je suis tres atire pas la danse salsa, et je ne sais par quel moyen me procurer des documents et des cours, bande video. je reside en BELGIQUE a bruxelle. j'adore cette dense et je voidrai bien savoir denser. je compte sur vous, merci -- Talas

I am very drawn to salsa dancing but I'm not sure how to obtain [instructional] materials and videos. I live in BELGIUM, in Bruxelles. I love this type of dancing and I would really like to know how to dance it. I'm counting on you, thank you -- Talas.

Hi Pone, that's not much to go on and I'm no expert on music from Cuba, maybe one of our Readers can shed some light. Suggestion for next time, when you hear a song you like, ask the DJ. Maonese is by Chocolate 2000.
January 13, 2002
I think that the first song is "La Vida Loca" which is done in a couple of versions. One is a rumba (romantic) version (can't remember the name of the artist offhand although this is probably the more popular of the two versions in Cuba) and the other one is a salsa. The salsa version can be found on a CD by Leo Vanelli. I can't find the CD at the moment but if I come across it, I will send you the name of it.
Thanks, Mark, Soles Dance Studio

January 10, 2002
Your fan base in South Florida has grown by at least one. I'm flying up to Toronto on Valentine's Day, February 14, to spend an extended weekend with her, so that's covered. The problem is that her birthday happens to fall on Thursday, February 7th, the week before which I will miss.
What I'd like to do for her birthday is in the form of perhaps a dedication at a club, a romantic mention inside a publication, or perhaps a particular type of gift for salsa lovers. Also, are there any salsa clubs in the Toronto area that can oblige its patrons, both local as well as abroad, these kinds of "special requests" for future reference (i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc.). I hope that I'm not the only one in the world that feels this way. Can you, or perhaps your readers provide me some fresh ideas or at least some Toronto contacts to make my wishes a reality and make my significant other a very happy lady???? Anyways, Rose keep up the good work... Your Friend in Miami, Juan S.

Dear Readers, Juan asked me to post this and I couldn't resist -- how more "romantic" can a person get... any unique "salsa" suggestions outside of the usual flowers...

January 5, 2001 - cubans dancing forward on the right foot
i recently return from a holiday to cayo coco in cuba and stayed in a lovely resort. i watched with great curiosity to their salsa dance lessons since i have read your email brian. indeed, when they teach the basic forward and back pattern they do indeed start with the right foot forward. as the lesson continued i noticed that when they taught a more intricate foot work pattern they danced with their left foot forward. that night i watched the cuban dancers dance with the crowd and then asked a few of my girlfriends which foot they were stepping forward with. they were all dancing with their left foot forward.
the next day i had a chance to speak to the head instructor and ask him why do you teach right foot forward and dance left forward when dancing with a girl. he explained that when they dance solo to salsa or anything else, as in like how we might dance to maybe R&B, they all like to start dancing with their right foot. so in teaching patterns to a group, it seems to be habit to always start with the right foot forward.
after the cuban instrutor talked it over with one of his co workers he said that it would be easier to teach the tourist to dance left foot foward in their classes so as it would be easier for the tourist to transit from group lessons to patnered dancing at the end of the shows -- age

Hola Cesar, I'll post this and hopefully one of our Readers can help you... By the way, one of my friends knows the song, but we're trying to remember who sings it... stay tuned... he thinks it's a cumbia song...

January 3, 2002 - response from another reader...
hola,
Regarding Cesar Espinosa's inquiry ....
If it's the salsa I'm thinking of ...it's called Mentirosa, 'eres tan bonita, ay pero mentirosa, enganas a los hombres, siempre con mentira, con mentira mentirosa" ..... love it !!!! ... too bad it's only a short part of a medley (If anyone knows any differently and there is a single, I'd like to know as well. I searched Fania discography a couple years back and came up with nothing.)
It's by Fania recording artists, Louie Ramirez and Ray de la paz, ring a bell ?? I think that it was recorded solely as part of a "salsa medley". I have it on a compilation I bought in Florida called "Salsa Hits" ... I have also heard the song in cumbia version as well. Hope that helped ! Lisa :-)

Dear Niki, I suggest going into www.google.com and searching under Sonora Carruseles lyrics plus the specific song names you're looking for, and if you're lucky, some other website might list the lyrics.

Dear Silvana, unfortunately, I haven't gotten to the stage of reviewing all the great salsa and merengue albums over the years, but later I will post some of the must-haves for everyone's collection. Readers, if you know of any great albums which are "keepers", please email me and let me know.

Hi there, I love your site... I would like to know where I can find the lyrics for salsa songs.. I noticed that you have some but not the ones I'm looking for. I'm searching for the lyrics of Sonora Carruseles. Could you help me out? Thanks alot, Niki

Dear Niki, sorry, I originally started with songs that are great to sing to (more ballad-like), we will eventually be posting more songs, but in the meantime, I suggest you go into www.google.com and do a search for either the specific song you're looking for, i.e. sonora carruseles "song name" lyrics, and hopefully you'll find what you're looking for.

Dear Reader, this is something we are starting to incorporate; but in Toronto, there's very few non-smoking clubs I'm aware of (the only one I know of is Tequila Lounge on Tuesdays) as the government has a hard time enforcing this by-law for clubs a few years ago as it had drastically affected their business and then the by-law was reversed.