Ruben Blades, Sting Launch Quito’s 480th Birthday Bash

Ruben Blades and Sting mixed up a cocktail of salsa and rock to give a rousing start to the celebrations marking the 480th anniversary of the founding of this Andean city.

Before crowds gathered at the Bicentennial Park, the old airport north of Quito, Blades and Sting headlined Quitonia, a six-hour show that included Ecuadorian stars such as Tomback, rapper AU-D and singer-songwriter Juan Fernando Velasco. Read more.

Latin Grammy "Tangos" - Rubén Blades

Rubén Blades & The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

[Video] Salsa and soccer: Players translate rhythm onto field

Source by Jaylon Thompson

On a road trip to Florida, Georgia freshman defender Delaney Fechalos made a simple request.

Joined by a chorus of teammates, they turned their attention to freshman defender Natalie Goodman. Goodman, known as a talented singer, was thrown into the spotlight. Goodman got up and gave her rendition of American Honey by Lady Antebellum. Everyone was filled with emotion. She even had freshman teammate Mariel Gutierrez up and dancing. Interestingly, Gutierrez and Goodman share a connection that stretches beyond the soccer field. This bond is a love for the musical rhythm of fine arts.

Gutierrez has been involved in fine arts ever since she was a little kid. Growing up in Mexico, the Hispanic culture was apparent on every street corner. From the famous salsa music to the smooth rhythm of the tango, Gutierrez fell in love with dancing. She started doing ballet at the request of her mother at three years old. She would perform in local ballrooms and put on performances. Gutierrez would take this passion into middle school where she engaged in dance battles. While, she wasn’t the best dancer, it was here that she honed in on the rhythm and movement of dance. It was this discovery of rhythm and motion that intrigued Gutierrez.

“In dancing, you have a rhythm and movement that is important,” Gutierrez said. “You have to understand times to turn around, when to move your hips, and know where to place your hands.”

These specific movements in rhythmic dancing are also key techniques on the soccer field. For Gutierrez, she uses the techniques to anticipate where her opponent will be. This allows her to be in a better position to defend on the field. While not the swiftest, Gutierrez uses her mind to counter any attack from the opposition. This edge comes from the repetition of steps and rhythm that performing provides. It is something that Goodman understands completely.

“I feel like I can pick up a rhythm when we are passing around,” Goodman said. “When we are passing around, I know how fast or slow I need to play. Sometimes you need to change the rhythm. So when I play, I may need to speed up or slow it down.”

Goodman has been around fine arts her whole life. Along with being a singer, she is also a guitar player. From her time at Savannah Country Day School, Goodman has always been able to grasp the concept of rhythm. Under the tutelage of jazz band director David Elliott, Goodman became acclimated with musical pitches, beats and flow. Her memory of these fundamentals allows her to memorize a musical note and string them together into a smooth flowing song. This ability translates to the soccer field for Goodman. On the field, she is able hear the pace of play and get in harmony with the flow of the game.

“Because I have a musical background, I can pick up something one time and I know it,” Goodman said. “In soccer, I’m able to learn set plays quickly because I can hear it and perform it.”

Dancing and music have played a big role for both Gutierrez and Goodman. It is their ability to understand rhythms that gives them a mental advantage on the field. Through anticipation, they are able to beat defenders by playing smartly and effectively. It allows them to be in the right situations and in turn help the team perform better as a unit. Head Coach Steve Holeman recognizes their mental attributes and he sees how important it is to team’s overall performance.

“Mariel understands the game at a very high level,” Holeman said. “She is not physically the fastest player, but she anticipates well. She knows how to defend players faster than she is. She makes up with her speed with her intelligence.”

Holeman spoke just as highly about Goodman.

“Natalie is one of the hardest working players on the team,” Holeman said. “She plays center back and it’s extremely important to understand the tactics of that role. For Natalie Goodman, she just gets it.”

Watch these salsa soccer video

Why musician Rubén Blades made the switch from salsa to tango

by April Peavey 

Panamanian musician Rubén Blades is best known for his salsa compositions, but all along, it seems, he was fantasizing about something else.

"I've always wondered how the songs I wrote, that were recorded in salsa, how would they turn out if I recorded them as tangos," Blades says.

These aren't exactly the closest of genres — salsa and tango. I mean, where do you even start? 

Read more..



Watch the video

Marc Anthony Sweeps Latin Prizes at Billboard Music Awards

By Judy Cantor-Navas

Superstar Marc Anthony swept the 2014 Billboard Music Awards Latin categories, a high point of a year of accolades for his salsa comeback album "3.0," and the single "Vivir Mi Vida." The track spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart -- a record for 2014.

Anthony received the BBMAs' Top Latin Artist award, beating out Romeo Santos, Mexican Regional singer/songwriter Gerardo Ortiz, Prince Royce, and the late Jenni Rivera. "3.0" and "Vivir Mi Vida" won best Latin Album and Best Latin Song, respectively. Anthony did not appear on the BBMAs televised broadcast.

The bilingual artist's first studio salsa album in a decade has rekindled interest in salsa as a genre.

"It [proved] people want good music," Anthony said during a Q&A at the Billboard Latin Music Conference in April. "It's a blessing; it's like given me new life. It's introduced my music to a lot of people."

At the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards in April, Anthony was the big winner, taking home 10 awards during the Miami awards show, including Artist of the year and Hot Latin Song, Digital Song and Latin Airplay Song of the year for "Vivir Mi Vida." He won Top Latin Album of the year for 3.0 (Sony Music Latin).

"Vivir Mi Vida," an adoption of French/Arabic hit "C'est La Vie," grew on Anthony and his children, Ryan and Christian, during a team brainstorming session in the star's Long Island home. "I didn't think much, a simple song," said Anthony. "But Ryan went crazy when he heard the song, and went to get his brother, and he couldn't stop [playing it]. When I saw how they loved the song, that's when the idea was started."

Anthony will begin a U.S. tour starting with a date in Glendale, AZ on Aug. 30, and continuing through the end of the year. The first leg of an international tour that began after the July 2013 release of the album made over 60 stops and sold a million tickets, according to Cardenas Marketing Network.

Anthony told Billboard's Leila Cobo that when he first started his career, he "hated being on stage." His manager had a prediction: "The day you feel comfortable on stage, nobody can stop you."

"Once I started singing salsa, the fear went away," said Anthony.

NUVOtv Expands Relationships With Jennifer Lopez and Mario Lopez

by Alex Ben Block
UPDATED: At its pre-upfront, the network aimed at English-speaking Latino millennials announces new series, reality shows and sports programming.

The cable channel NUVOtv, which targets Latino millennials with English language programming, announced expanded relationships with Jennifer Lopez andMario Lopez -- and an increase in original programming, during its pre-upfront presentation on Thursday.

Although Jennifer Lopez will not appear onscreen in any of the programs in the coming season, her company Nuyorican Productions has five shows, including two new series: the talent search Sensation(working title) and the reality-show dramaLos Jets, which is part of the network's new series of shows it calls "Nu America," described as an umbrella franchise for series that include social commentary.

On Monday, Jennifer Lopez will be on hand at the upfront presentation in New York City for advertisers along with NUVOtv CEO Michael Schwimmer, executive vp programming Bill Hilary and senior vp advertising Craig Geller.

Schwimmer said Thursday they were happy to have recently made a deal to acquire the Fuse channel from Madison Square Garden. Fuse is in about 73 million U.S. homes, with NUVOtv in under 35 million homes. He noted both Fuse and NUVOtv service a young, multicultural audience. He also said they look forward to taking advantage of Fuse studio space located near Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.

Mario Lopez will continue to appear onscreen in his talk show, Mario Lopez: One on One, and will executive produce a series called Tequila King, which will be about the launch of a new brand of tequila by Mexican entrepreneur Eric Buccio.

"The coming television season marks a significant milestone in the development of NUVOtv as a network that offers rich and diverse programming focused on Latino culture and entertainment with universal appeal," said Schwimmer. "We have more than doubled down on our original programming efforts since last year's upfront. Our commitment to the future of NUVOtv is complemented by the purchase of Fuse and we're excited about what's ahead for both networks."

"As NUVOtv evolves, we are striving to create content with themes and stories that are unique to our audience," said Jennifer Lopez in a statement. 

Below are the other series being touted for media buyers at the official upfront on Monday:

Los Jets, which premieres July 16, follows a soccer team in a rural community in North Carolina (population 5,000), where the local Latino population has risen in 15 years from under 2 percent to over 55 percent. It is produced by Jennifer Lopez and her sister Lynda Lopez for Nuyorican Productions.

Tequila King is about Mario Lopez partnering with Buccio to bring a tequila brand to the U.S. It's produced by Mario Lopez's Gordo Productions.

Nu Point Of View, produced by Jennifer Lopez, is a showcase for Latino filmmakers. It is hosted by Gina Rodriguez.

Sensation, expected to premiere in the second quarter of 2015, will be a nationwide talent search for the next Latino sensation. That person will have to be able to sing, dance and act.

Supersong, which premieres June 8, is a one-hour special that follows singer Ricky Martin as he writes and records the theme song for the upcoming World Cup.

A Step Away, premiering in early 2015, is a weekly series that follows ten professional dancers on tour, as they travel with superstar performers. Jennifer Lopez executive produces.

The Collective, Powered by VEVO, which premieres at the end of this year, is a weekly series about celebrity DJs, who will offer their personal music picks. Jennifer Lopez executive produces.

Love & Salsa, premiering in early 2015, will be a competition series that combines matchmaking and performance. It's executive produced by Mario Lopez, Mark Schulman of 3 Arts and Gil Lopez of Gordo, in association with Jaam Productions.

Stand Up & Deliver, due to premiere in early 2015, has Jose Sarduy and Julissa Bermudez go to Mexico to host a Latin comedy festival.

Original Comedy Specials, to premiere soon, will be a series of stand-up comedy specials form Levity Entertainment, which owns comedy clubs including The Improv. Specials will feature Rick Gutierrez, Pablo Francisco, Pete Correale, Jim Breuer, Alonzo Bodden, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jamie Kennedy and others.

Knockout returns in 2015 with a weekly boxing competition. The boxers train in Las Vegas with Floyd Mayweather Sr. and others. Nine contenders will seek a professional contract. The season ends with a live prizefight.

There will also be boxing specials beginning June 7 under the Knockout brand. The first takes place in Miami.

RUBEN BLADES performs in Lincoln Center NYC 8-7-2013

It was a free NYC concert which attracted thousands of Rubén Blades fans from all parts of the world. They came out to enjoy a night of salsa music and dancing.  And for Blades performing his hits hasn't slowed down at all. He is in full swing to securing a music career as an iconic salsa performer. Well, in actuality, for many salsa music enthusiasts or critics, Rubén Blades has reach iconic salsa status many years ago. Not to mention, he also accomplished a successful acting career and as an influential activist for the urban Latino community.

 

Many fans have enjoyed plenty of Rubén Blades' performances in New York City but unfortunately many was left out in the streets from this particular concert at the Damrosch Park Bandshell in Lincoln Center, NYC. It could have been their worst concert experience, however it was a experience that was entertaining and enjoyable. Why was it enjoyable? Because the show was part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival and its was an outdoor festival open for the public to listen and watch.

Not everyone had a good seat. Some of the crowd audience watched the performances from the city streets through a protect screen that was used to make it look something  similar to a closed venue. It didn't matter because the sound of the music was vibrant for everyone to hear and dance the night away.

Overall, the entire scene was exuberant. Rubén Blades delivered several of his classic songs while providing the audience with a little brief  history of his musical journey for them to take home and remember.


VIDEO: Ruben Blades performs El Cantante. (Tribute to Hector Lavoe)



 

 To see more pictures of the concert click here. Photographs by Kevin Yatarola.

 

 

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Ruben Blades sings "Juan Pachanga" 1978: VIDEO

This video take us back to 1978. Ruben Blades and the Fania All-Stars are in full swing with the salsa explosion. Juan Pachanga is a song with similar narrative ideas to Pedro Navaja however the storyline doesn't compare or is similar. Its a song based on a totally different person. 

Appearance by Papo Lucca, Willie Colon and Pupi Legarreta.

Juan Pachanga (Ruben Blades)

Juanito Alimaña vs. Pedro Navaja

                          
                Can you imagine this? It’s a match between two criminals, two tales written by two iconic salsa giants Hector Lavoe and Rubén Blades. Each song portrays the lifestyle of the urban Latino American experience and who would have thought that these songs were going to be part of the salsa explosion of Fania records. Well, the songs Juanito Alimaña and Pedro Navaja are classics now and the lyrics to both songs are well worthy enough of be craved in stone.


Coming straight from a New York City street corner, we have Juanito Alimaña that tells the story of a street thug that is irreconcilable with society. He is vicious and dangerous; his cousin is a police officer, which makes it seem that he can get away with any crime. Hector Lavoe depicts Juanito’s world as sordid and exquisite but the song keep us engage as if you was watching Carlito’s Way.

Juanito Alimaña (Hector Lavoe)

From the street corner of lower Manhattan, it’s known that the track Pedro Navaja was dislike by Fania bosses Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Mascucci. However, when Willie Colón and Rubén Blades’ second collaboration album, Siembra hit the record stores in 1978. The song Pedro Navaja became famous and a hit classic. Blades wrote and narrated Pedro Navaja with a tale illustrating life, death and with an unexpected dark ending. We have to ask ourselves, was there anything between Pedro Navaja and the prostitute. Did he already have a grudge? And where did the drunk come from?

Pedro Navaja (Rubén Blades)

What’s your opinion? Which one is the best song of all-time? 

Leave a comment.

Fania music continues to live strong in PERU: Video en ESPANOL

Certain genre of music die out and disappear but the music of Fania Records maintain it's legacy in Peru.

Mack the Knife vs. Pedro Navaja

Mack the Knife vs. Pedro Navaja

Two Salsa Icons and Fania All-Stars

Two Salsa Icons and Fania All-Stars - Ruben Blades & Hector Lavoe (1981)

(1980) Fania All Stars con Rubén Blades - Pedro Navaja (Colombia)

Pedro Navaja in Colombia with Fania All-Star
(1980) Fania All Stars con Rubén Blades - Pedro Navaja (Colombia) from Fernando Catano on Vimeo.