Best and Worst Salsa DJs?

[AguaDulce]

w w w.topix.com/music/salsa/2010/08dj-spotlight-for-richmonds-own-dj-kevlar


DJ spotlight for Richmond's own.... DJ KevLar - (revised article)

* August 22nd, 2010 4:56 pm

DJ KevLar
Photo: Kevin Bingham

One of the most popular, up and coming salsa DJ’s in town takes time to share his thoughts and experiences regarding his music and the current dance scene in Richmond, VA. “DJ KevLar is bringing a fresh, new air to salsa with an ol’ school sound.”
– DiSheka, local dance enthusiast

DJ KevLar’s Interview
How did you first become interested in salsa music?
“I was invited to Knickerbockers nightclub in Virginia Beach while in college the summer of ‘99. I Had never heard salsa at a nightclub before. Being an outgoing person, I wanted to try something new.”

How long have you been DJing? How did you become involved in DJing salsa music?
“I have been DJing for a year and a half. I noticed some of the music out of town was different in Richmond than in other places. I wanted to add On 2/Mambo style music to the salsa music being played.”

What kind of music do you showcase for the nightclubs in town?
I play Roberto Roena, Ray Barretto, Sonora Poncena, to name only a few.”

What has been your experience DJing in Richmond?
“ I‘ve had my ups and downs in the beginning with trying to match the music to the dancers, meaning I had to recognize the style, speed, and kinds of people I was playing in front of.”

What is your view of the current Richmond dance scene?
“One of the things I like most is that Richmond is slowly becoming recognized on the east coast. As we continue to have big events in Richmond with the help of the DC and Tidewater areas, the sky’s the limit.”

What makes you passionate about salsa?
“The energy, the community, and the fact that salsa extracts all types of people to the music.”

Would you like to “shout out” any people who have been influential or helped you along as a DJ?
“I want to send a special shout out to DJ Steve Greene (Richmond DJ/salsa instructor) and DJ Renzo, (Washington, DC DJ) for helping me with learning the craft of DJing. Also, I want to thank David Prado and Julissa Cruz, (Richmond salsa instructors/club promoters) who gave me a chance to play my music in the venues they promote. Also, special thanks go out to DJ Jose Rodriquez of Philadelphia who I admire most for his unique DJ style. And I must not forget, DJ A+ (road warrior) as well as all of my friends who come out to support me and my sounds.”

[DJ Ara]

Originally Posted by sunsoul

Yes, my reading, too.

A few Brazilians that I have met in the last few months have told me how most "hate" salsa, and the clubs in Brazil play anything else. I actually went to a Brazilian club night a month ago, and it was all disco music, samba, a little merengue, and zero salsa.

I guess there must be pockets of salsa to be found if you know where to go.

I lived, DJ-ed and promoted salsa in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brasil for 5 years, and successfully, I might add.

I believe that there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding salsa in Brasil due to a very popular novela or soap opera, that was called Salsa e Merengue. This program featured the music of Ricky Martin. So, association of his music to the word "salsa" is a very real phenomenom, as far as the man in the street is concerned, or it was in the early to mid 2000´s, when I used to live there.

The other problem was, that is as far as Rio was concerned, the fact that the few people, that is Hispanic Latinos, living in Rio, who had done salsa nights in that city for most of the 1990´s had largely focused on the Romantic Salsa of the likes of Jerry Rivera, Eddie Santiago, Rey Ruiz, and the likes, meaning that the relatively few Brazilians who were introduced to salsa through Hispanic friends had been accustomed to associate good salsa with Romantic Salsa.

There were other complications there that are no different with problems one sees internationally in the salsa scenes in various countries.

It was a complicated market, to say the least, when I got there in late 1999. As I mentioned, I was successful, but it was a BATTLE. Luckily for me, Brazilians are very musical and percussively oriented people. When you play good music for people with good ears, and as we all know, good dancing feet, then you will get a positive reaction and create a fan base for that music, which in my case was Salsa Dura.

On another positive note, most Brazilians who took the salsa classes on my nights, picked up the essentials of salsa dancing very quickly, even within minutes, in many cases. In contrast, similar salsa students would sometimes take months to get the actual rhythm of the music, nevermind the other aspects.

So yes, I believe that there is a lot of potential for salsa to grow in Brasil, but it will need hard work, done by REAL SALSEROS, and not by people who "like" salsa, and want to make some quick money from doing something they "like". In my humble opinon, this happens to be the case with most people who work with salsa in most of the world, unfortunately.

Unfortunately I had to leave Rio for London for family reasons, so I could not continue my work or my "MISSION". However, I am hoping to re-establish connections in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro to start promoting salsa there again.

As far as the current situation is concerned, then at least in Rio there are people who are trying to do good things with salsa.

[DJ Ara]

Originally Posted by kbitten

DJ yuca,

sorry for my bad english..But most people all over the world dont have the real image of my country and some dont even know where it is...its like a stereotip image of a third world country:

colombia - cocaine , drug traffic
argentine - tango
brasil - carnival, samba , naked women and soccer

Some people come here to my city and tell me: "oh, you have a lot of beautiful buildings here " ...I usually said "yeah, and we already learned how to eat with forks and knifes"

do you know what I mean? When I said indians I wanted to say that maybe he thought we were still living like in the time of colonization..sorry again for my bad english

Salsa here's has good dancers but its not the rythym most people like..the difficult of language , since we dont speak spanish, put us apart of the whole salsa culture other latin countries have..our dance schools teach a lot of other "couples "dances like samba de gafieira, bolero, soltinho, forro and tango...

we're behind most countries I know but I didnt need to listen to "creu "song at world SALSA championship congress...

Hey Kbitten,

I see a great future for salsa in your country, and I am hoping to be part of it as soon as I am finished with what I have to do here in Cali.