The Best of London Salsa Classes, Salsa Clubs, Salsa Events in London & the UK
Founder of the Official Fan Club for Latin Music & London’s Carnival de Cuba

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Best of Salsa: Cuban Congress Review, 12 Nov 07

THE FAIRY TALE OF THE SELL-OUT
UK CUBAN SALSA CONGRESS

Above: Castle Bodelwydden, North Wales - home of the UK Cuban Congress.
Left: Dancers  get into the spirit of the occasion.

FOR SALSA LOVERS LOOKING FOR THE MOST ROMANTIC WEEKENDER AROUND, THE UK CUBAN CONGRESS AT CASTLE BODELWYDDEN, NORTH WALES ON 2-5 NOVEMBER WINS HANDS DOWN.
       Outside, Castle Bodelwydden looks austere, forbidding. You can imagine Heathcliff striding around in breeches and leather boots, while Kathy wails at a window.
       Inside, it's a totally different story - this is a centrally heated castle with all mod cons, not to mention the odd ghost or two. Well, no self respecting castle would be complete without one - and there was a paranormal experience running alongside the salsa weekender!
       Congress Hosts Cuba-UK’s KERRY RIBCHESTER & MIGUEL VALENTINO are staging an event that puts the romance back into salsa; this is the perfect occasion to live out a gorgeously OTT fantasy over a long weekend.
       The prospect of dancing salsa in a castle has massive pulling power. Over 400 salsa lovers travelled the length and breadth of the UK and Eire, Europe and as far afield as the Middle East to join in and ensure the event was a total sell-out weeks beforehand.

 YOU REVIEW CASTLE CUBA: CLICK HERE & CLICK HERE       CHECK OUT OUR NEW GALLERIES:  DID WE SPOT YOU?          CLICK HERE! EVEN MORE PHOTOS:  CLICK HERE!

Best of London Salsa: Salsa Roots, Dec 07

Get Back to your Cuban Roots

There’s a new spirit breaking through on the Salsa scene… plenty of us want to get back to our Cuban roots and clubs and classes teaching old school Salsa are springing up everywhere. After years as top banana, LA/cross body style looks as if it’s losing out to the hot chilli pepper flava of traditional Salsa Casino

and Rueda, writes Lee Knights.

For those of us who’ve grown up with LA style, the resurgence of Cuban style is a challenge. On the other hand, this is a real opportunity to learn about Salsa from the roots up. Salsa is an earthy dance, growing out of Cuban spiritual beliefs. If we know diddley squat about Cuban style, can we really say Salsa is our passion?
Born in Cuba, Salsa is a product of what the Cubans call “transculturacion”; the melding of the traditions of African slaves, the Spanish ruling class.

with the indigenous Indian people. Strictly speaking, Salsa isn’t a dance genre at all, it’s a spicy Cuban stew, mixing up Son, Rumba, Mambo, a whole bunch of Afro-Cuban rhythms. Now popular across the globe, the dish that is Salsa is served in many different ways – whether it’s with exuberant LA, sophisticated New York, pick’n’ mix London or chic French dressing.
But while the recipe gets re-written and new ingredients added, the authentic, sabor (flavour) remains. This is because the Gods and Godesses of the Santaria - the Cuban spiritual tradition - are ever

present in the underlying rhythms of Salsa.
To dance with real Cuban flava, you’ve got to go back to the source/sauce. This is what inspired me to join a workshop with Kerry Ribchester, one of the UK’s most influential instructors on Cuban Salsa at the Chisenhale Dance Space in Bow recently. Co-presenter was Ildoylidia Ramos, principal dancer with leading Cuban dance company Raices Profoundo...

Click HERE to read the full story...

Best of London Salsa:  ALL NEW EXMOUTH GALLERY POSTED!

Beautiful, Authentic Cuban Salsa in Devon

NEW GALLERY - CLICK HERE
BAD Rumba Videos with Osbanis on You Tube, London Salsa Scene - CLICK HERE!

Dates: Friday 1st - Monday 4th June 2007
The Place: Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, Sandy Bay, Exmouth, Devon
Hosts: Enrique Perez and the Salsa Explosion Team
BEAUTIFUL, AUTHENTIC CUBAN SALSA, BODY MOVEMENT AND RHYTHMS ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN THE SOUTH WEST, COURTESY OF ENRIQUE PEREZ AND THE SALSA EXPLOSION TEAM.
This was a weekend to learn from the best, including Rueda and UK Salsa Champion Osbanis Tejeda on his first gig back in the UK and Damarys Feres, Cuban School of Arts. Sessions with these guys were electric. They are two of the best exponents of the art of moving to Latin rhythms with beauty, grace, naturalness and urgency. This was just the place to learn, chill out, experience and just feel the heat of the Cuban vibe.
The line up included Cuba’s Cesar, bachata with Tony Lara and Daniela Francesco and top Cuban DJ Javier de la Rosa.
With beautiful views and an unbelievably blue sea and skies, it was a crime to leave on Monday. Silver standard caravan accommodation was what an estate agent would call “bijou” - definitely no room for lobbing around your feline friend. It’s a BYO breakfast/meals but everything in the kitchen worked so take plenty of rum, Pot Noodle or whatever floats your boat.
Book for next year: www.salsaexplosion.com or call Enrique at Salsa Explosion on 07969 633701 email: info@salsaexplosion.com
WHAT DID YOU THINK? EMAIL US YOUR REVIEWS AND WE’LL PUBLISH THEM HERE!

Above: photo by Miguel del Foto

Best of London Salsa: AfroCuban Takes Off at Gatwick

FANCY AN EXOTIC WEEKEND IN HAVANA BUT WANT CUBA  TO COME TO YOU?

AFROCUBAN HAS A PHENOMENAL WORLD-CLASS LINE-UP FOR LAUNCH EVENT, THE CUBAN SALSA PARTY Weekender at the Arora International, Gatwick, Friday 13th- Monday 16th July.
This weekender promises to be THE ONE for salsa lovers looking to take their dancing to the next level and enjoy all the benefits of a holiday in Cuba right on their doorstep.
Top Cuban-style salsa instructors include:
, UNMISSABLE & EXCLUSIVE
Rueda Champion OSBANIS TEJEDA, back in the UK ONLY for this event
, Cuban School of Arts’ DAMARYS FARRES - Cuban body movement siren
, World Salsa Champion RAFAEL DEL BUSTO - bringing lyricism to salsa
  , KERRY RIBCHESTER - one of the UK’s most inspiring instructors
, IRIS DE BRITO - Queen of body isolation
       , Brighton’s LEO HENRIQUEZ and many more....
Dance ‘til you drop at THREE LATE NIGHT PARTIES
 Workshops on: Rueda de Casino, Afro-Cuban, Rumba, Reggaeton, Cha Cha Cha, Bachata, Pachanga-Boogaloo PLUS TOP DJS: DR JIM, JAVIER, SOL, SHORTY, DJ RICH
CHILL OUT & ENJOY at a FIRST CLASS VENUE
Watch the heats of the London Latinfest Salsa Championships
To book: call 07956 976 954
 or 07958 595 546, or 0870 432 6500 or email info@afrocuban.co.uk or log onto www.afrocuban.co.uk
London salsa in Gatwick, posted Monday 2nd July 2007.
Pictured Right: Osbanis, by Miguel del Foto, copyright London Salsa Scene

FROM GATWICK, GET ON A PLANE, STRAIGHT TO CUBA!!!!

COMPETITION: WE HAVE A PAIR OF FLIGHTS TO HAVANA TO GIVEAWAY, courtesy
of Virgin Atlantic and Explore Latin Carib! Everybody who books on the AFROCUBAN SALSA WEEKENDER at the ARORA will be entered into the draw.
It could be YOU!!! BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW!

Best of Salsa: First Rueda Congress Review Tues 18 Sept 07

NEW BRIGHTON RUEDA CONGRESS GALLERY: CLICK HERE
TO SEE IF MIGUEL DEL FOTO SPOTTED YOU!

KEEPING IT WHEEL AT BRIGHTON’S FIRST RUEDA CONGRESS - SUN, SEA & SOMBREROS

BRIGHTON’S FIRST RUEDA CONGRESS, hosted by Cubashe Dance Promotions and SalsaNor had all us wheel geeks crying out for more Thursday 6th - Sunday 9th September 2007). Words: Ed. Pictures: MIGUEL DEL FOTO, Ahi na’ma!
     This was a no-brainer; right on the sea front, easily get at-able from London and the South East, days of intensive workshops and partying, all over one of the sunniest weekends of the year.
     The recipe was hot and spicy enough to pull in 200+ aficionados of the Cuban Wheel. The Congress attracted Rueda-eros from across the country, Scotland and Eire, as well as netting a 70-strong party of Norwegians. As joint Congress hosts with Brighton's Cubashe Dance Promotions, Norwegian Salsa group SalsaNor landed in force, in party mood and with a good catch of their own Cuban, Latin and homegrown instructors.
     With the likes of World Rueda Champion Osbanis Tejeda, Salsa Champions Rafael del Busto (above) and Damarys Farres, plus Cubashe’s own Leo Henriquez and Salsa Explosion’s Enrique Perez, you’re talking Cuba’s finest. And....one of Norway’s best kept secrets, the gamine Geldys Moralez.

TO READ THE FULL STORY: CLICK HERE!

©London Salsa Scene is an online, independent magazine guide covering salsa and the Latin lifestyle in London and beyond. The views published  are not necessarily those of the Editor. All rights reserved. London Salsa Scene retains Copyright over all the articles and photographs published on this website - it is an infringement of that right to use this material elsewhere without our written permission. Disclaimer: London Salsa Scene publishes information on behalf of promoters, organisers, dancers and others in good faith but is not responsible if these events are cancelled, altered or if performers and instructors billed not not appear; this is exclusive liability and responsibility of the event organiser.

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