When Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan presented in late November a new business plan for the financially troubled Artisphere that included closing the building on Mondays and Tuesdays, I wondered what would become of the arts center's "Salsa Tuesdays" events. While tonight’s Cuban salsa and timba event with DJ Reyna is being billed by dance instructor and promoter Eileen Torres in emails as “the final Salsa Tuesday at Artisphere,” Artisphere’s new director of programming, Rosanna Ruscetti, says that the Rosslyn complex will continue to feature salsa dances, but in a more “targeted” manner in order to attract larger crowds. The business plan calls for “reducing operating hours and frequency of programs to stimulate demand.” Ruscetti says that while she had no part in the decision to close Artisphere on certain nights, she says she recognizes the need for the venue to find new ways to establish an audience. She says she is “working with the [Artisphere’s] salsa and zydeco partners to strategize on building audiences.” Ruscetti notes that despite the general “no Monday and Tuesday” mandate planned for after tonight, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, Artisphere will host a dance with the highly touted local record spinner DJ Bruno “El Unico” called “Salsa, Have You Heard This?” 

Artisphere’s struggle to draw larger crowds isn't just the fault of too many weekly weekday programs. As previously reported on Arts Desk, the arts center is located in a drab business area, its restaurant area was vacant for many months (and is now vacant again), and its largest performance space only has 220 seats. Artisphere’s promotional efforts need to be addressed, as well. With lots of salsa dance nights around the Washington area, Artisphere will have to find new ways, within its red-inked budget, to market its targeted events if it wishes to establish a larger audience for couples dancing to the clave beat. It might be wise of Artisphere to look elsewhere in Arlington for ideas.

The Salsa Room (formerly Cecelia’s), on Columbia Pike in Arlington, has 5,000 plus Facebook friends compared to the 3,717 who like the Artisphere page. The separate Salsa at Artisphere Facebook group, which is maintained by Artisphere's salsa promoters, has only 103 members. While promoter and dance instructor Eileen Torres regularly publicizes the dances via her email list,  Artisphere’s “Salsa Tuesdays” haven't gotten much attention from local websites, radio stations, and newspapers.  While local editorial coverage of salsa music is limited, and advertising is pricey, there are ways to reach out. But tonight’s timba event, for example, is not mentioned in the monthly Kesta Happening Latin music newspaper/magazine, nor is it included in Kesta’s music event website calendar that allows free submissions by anyone.  The event isn't in the listings in last Friday’s Washington Post Weekend section, nor in this week’s Washington Hispanic or El Tiempo Latino newspapers.

The lack of attention is a shame. Artisphere’s well-programmed salsa nights deserve acclaim for including more than just helpful dance lessons and creative DJs.  They have featured bands such as Cuba’s Sierra Maestra and films chosen by promoter Eileen Torres. Interestingly, The Salsa Room, which also promotes via postcards and other methods aimed more directly at the region’s Hispanic population, just had a Cuban dance night this past Sunday, with DJ Reyna, local Cuban band Timba Street, and others.  It remains to be seen how tonight’s final “regular” Salsa Tuesday at Artisphere will do audience-wise two nights after a similar event, or if next year’s less frequent salsa events will draw more Latin-music hipshakers.

Tonight’s “Salsa Tuesday” features a dance class with Eileen Torres from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and DJ Reyna playing Cuban sounds from 8:30 to 11 p.m. at Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd Arlington. $6.  (703) 875-1100

On Sunday afternoon, the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum presents the third free event in the "Metro Mambo" series, “Abaniquito: The Beginning.”  Host Jim Byers, of WPFW's Sunday night program “Latin Flavor—the Classic Edition,” will be joined in the first hour by pioneering D.C. mambo musicians Hedrick Mitchell and Paul Hawkins, along with the local Rumba Club, who will demonstrate various styles including the mambo, rumba, and pachanga. Byers will also play portions of reel-to-reel recordings of Buddy Rowell’s 1954 mambo sessions at the Cairo Apartment-Hotel on R Street NW, '60s demo recordings by Paul Hawkins' Orquesta Siglo Viente, and live '70s recordings of Maria y sus Magnificos.

Then Rumba Club will give the audience a chance to dance as the band dig into its own catalog for the second hour. The title, Abaniquito, is significant, as that Spanish word meaning “little fan” is also musical slang for the ubiquitous rim shot that begins a musical phrase in a number of genres, from danzon to mambo. I asked Jim Byers via e-mail to tell me about the roles Mitchell and Hawkins played in the early days of DC mambo:

Hedrick Mitchell was still in Cardozo High School when he formed the DC-region’s first home-town mambo band, Los Americanos, in 1951.  A staple of local radio, dances, and nightclubs, Los Americanos also performed regularly on DC’s legendary dance show “Capital Caravan” on WTTG Fox 5!  Taught to play the violin by his father, Hedrick mastered the flute and scored another DC first, when Hedrico y su Orquesta became the town’s first charanga (the Cuban big band format featuring a frontline of flute and violins, instead of trumpets, saxes and trombones)!  Among the members were violin legend Eddie Drennon, who went on to perform with the likes of Johnny Pacheco, Bo Diddley, Ray Barretto and Pupi Legarretta (Eddie Drennon is the featured panelist for the next “Metro Mambo” event on Saturday, April 17).

A DC-native, Paul Hawkins has been a pillar of the DC Latin-jazz and dance community since the early 1950’s.  Before mastering the congas, he started his career as a dancer in the DC Latin dance troupe led by Roland Kave, and was a regular performer on tv dance show “Capital Caravan”.  Further, Paul’s charanga, Orquesta del Siglo Viente, opened for Tito Puente at NYC’s legendary Palladium Ballroom during the early 1960’s pachanga craze!  For years, when Puente’s band appeared in DC, Paul would be the featured conguero (with the concert often followed with a big party back at Paul’s house).  It was the same with Dizzy Gillespie, another of the many legendary figures who were life-long friends of Paul’s.  About 3 years ago Paul Hawkins kindly donated his record collection to me (I often share them on my program).  That gesture was grand enough, but when I got the records home and began going through the boxes, I discovered that many of the album covers are filled with myriad personalized autographs from the legends of mainstream and Latin jazz – Patato, Herbie Mann, Mongo Santamaria…  Personal things like, “Great meal as always, Amigo!  Congrats on the house!  See you again next stop through DC.”   I was stunned.   This is just a small example of the respect these DC-based artists earned beyond the Beltway!

“Onstage Conversation- Rubén Blades—In His Own Words” is on Saturday, March 27, from  3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium, National Museum of the American History, 14th Street & Constitution Ave. NW.  FREE. (202) 633-1000

“Metro Mambo”/“ Abaniquito: The Beginning” with Jim Byers, Hedrick Mitchell, Paul Hawkins, and Rumba Club  is on Sunday March 28  from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum,1901 Fort Place, SE.  FREE but due to the venue’s limited space, advance RSVP’s are required by calling 202-633-4866.

For fans of  Latin and Brazilian sounds, Friday and Saturday nights offer a number of appealing choices.  Earlier in the week I highlighted the Monday appearance of Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Alexis y Fido, and now Friday brings another Puerto Rican reggaeton duo, Rakim y Ken-y (also known as  R.K.M. y Keny), who will be at El Boqueron II.  Together since 2004, these two offer a more pop-romantic take on the genre than Alexis y Fido. While Rakim offers standard, speedy Spanish-language rapping, Ken-y sings catchy melodies that are influenced by the lush feel of contemporary bachata and R&B.

The Strathmore has commissioned a different sort of romantic Latin evening. “Danzon” unites the Chicago-based Luna Negra Dance Theater with Cuban composer/saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera and jazz/classical outfit the Turtle Island Quartet. Danzon is an Afro-Cuban couples dance and music form with roots going back hundreds of years. Now considered a slow, classy style of movement to flute, horns, and percussion, this art form was criticized in the early 20th century because the folks dancing to it (occasionally prostitutes and their johns) engaged in  risqué touching and lascivious hip movements to African-derived rhythms. Reviews of earlier performances and a video trailer  of “Danzon” suggest that the program’s choreography will merge aspects of traditional pairs dancing with modern art-rooted theatrical dance techniques. Expect D'Rivera to blow up a storm as accompaniment.

Saturday night brings Puerto Rican salsa singer extraordinaire Victor Manuelle to the Galaxy Night Club in Takoma Park. A leading light of “salsa romantica” in the '90s, Manuelle was big enough just a few years ago to play D.A.R. Constitution Hall. But since the growth of reggaeton, bachata, and Latin pop, Manuelle’s popularity has diminished a bit. Since 2000 he has tried multiple approaches—crossover pop, duets, and old-school salsa—some with greater success than others. Still known for his ability to improvise vocally, this is a good opportunity to listen and dance to him in a room that’s not too large.

Richmond’s Bio Ritmo is headlining a dance party in an even smaller room, the Rock & Roll Hotel. With a great horn section, pianist, and percussionist, they should have folks moving late into the night to their classic salsa dura (hard salsa). Opening for them will be local act Funk Ark, an afrobeat-inspired combo led by keyboardist Will Rast,  and Hãhãhães ( led by Afro-Brazilian percussionist Dendê), who merge Bahian rhythms with Afrobeat and jazz.

Rakim y Ken-Y (Latin pop) perform Friday night 3-19 at El Boqueron II, 1330 East Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 301-424-0745. $30.

Danzón:  A special tribute to Cuban dance with the Luna Negra Dance Theater, Turtle Island Quartet, and Paquito D'Rivera is on Friday 3-19 at the Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD. (301) 581-5100. $27 – $67.

Victor Manuelle (salsa singing star) and Zone D’Tambura perform at 10 p.m.  Saturday 3-20 at the Galaxy Nightclub, 2031 University Blvd East, Hyattsville, Maryland, 301.439.6666 Age(s): 21+.  $25.

Bio Ritmo (Richmond salsa), Funk Ark, and Hãhãhães( led by Afro-Brazilian percussionist Dendê) perform Saturday 3-20 at  9:30 pm at the Rock n Roll Hotel, 1353 H Street, NE, Washington, DC USA – (202) 388-ROCK. $10 – 12.

Byers will be back at the same museum on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a new panel discussion and dance concert titled “Casbah to Zanzibar,” the first of a number of programs on Latin music in D.C. in 2010. Through conversations with  figures from the city's Latin dance scene over the past 60 years, Byers plans to retrace the history of diversity in Latin dance nightlife in D.C., from the Casbah—D.C.’s home of the mambo on U Street NW—to WUST Radio Music Hall to the Zanzibar on the Waterfront. After the discussion, audience members can danceto the salsa music of Bio Ritmo. I sent Byers some questions; read what he had to say after the jump:

Washington City Paper: Have you done additional research or is this the product of research you’ve been doing on and off for years?

Jim Byers: Much of the research for "Metro Mambo" is an extension of my on-going interest in this history as a record collector, radio host, concert presenter and dance instructor starting in the late 1980’s.  When the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum approached me to do a Latin-jazz lecture/concert series, my first thought was to celebrate our own.  Given that the leading lights of the DC scene have been traditionally of many backgrounds and colors – from black, to brown, to white, I found it especially intriguing that it would take place at this venue, given their mission to explore the urban community – how it works, evolves, survives, creates and innovates.  Moreover, as a McLean, Virginia native who has loved living in Southeast DC for 14 years, I'm up for any opportunity to bring new audiences across the Anacostia River (something I knew this series had the potential to do), and build bridges.

WCP: Is there a panel? Who will be on the panel?

Jim Byers: Each of the upcoming events will feature a panel for the first hour, followed by an hour of dancing with one of our area’s top Latin music ensembles.  Titled “Casbah to Zanzibar” (referencing the names of two storied D.C. Latin dance venues), Saturday’s installment of the “Metro Mambo” series focuses on the diversity of D.C.’s Latin dance scene.   The panelists for this specific event range from Casbah-era dance legends such as James “Flip” Brown to promoter/instructor Eileen Torres, who turned Zanzibar on the Waterfront into an east-coast mecca for salsa during most of the 2000s.

WCP: Did you change bands to Bio Ritmo?

Jim Byers: Well yes, but for the very best of reasons! As fate would have it, the originally scheduled band of Verny Varela got an offer to appear at a major salsa festival in South America this week.  It was truly an offer that he couldn’t possibly refuse—and I wouldn’t have asked him to (how could we do a program celebrating D.C. musicians, and then deny Verny the opportunity to share the bill with Willie Colon and La Sonora Poncena)! Being a professional, Verny let me know in plenty of time to find another band, while he represents the talent of D.C.’s musicians this week in Peru (you GO, Verny)!  I’m really happy that another of our region’s fine bands, Bio Ritmo was willing and able to participate in Saturday’s “Metro Mambo” event!

WCP: Where is the video from?

Jim Byers: They are clips that have been donated and shared with me over the years by long-time members of the D.C. Latin dance community (more on this in the answer below).  While the sound is not original to the video, they are a wonderful window into a dance scene that (while overshadowed by New York) has thrived in Washington for decades.

WCP: Are the super rare recordings from your collection?

Jim Byers: Over the years, D.C. musicians have been very generous in sharing their archives and memories with me, because they knew I respected the history and most of all that I enjoy sharing it both on the air and in presentations. For example, dancer and bandleader Roland Kave gave me incredibly-rare, mint-condition 45 r.p.m. recordings (on the in-house ‘Casbah’ nightclub label) by his band, The Fabulous Los Diablos.  Further, he allowed me to scan original photographs of Mambo dances at the Casbah and the WUST Radio Hall (now the 9:30 Club).  A few years ago, percussionist and bandleader Paul Hawkins entrusted me with the bulk of his 40 year record collection which includes a number of DC rarities which I’ve shared on the air.  Ed Rowell (the brother of noted DC musician Buddy Rowell) allowed me to transcribe a lengthy 1954 reel-to-reel recording of one of their fabled Mambo sessions in the ballroom of the storied Cairo Apartment-Hotel on Q St, NW.  Portions of these and other memorabilia will be shared as part of this, and/or future “Metro Mambo” presentations.

WCP: Has anyone discussed this history of D.C. Latin music clubs in print in English before?

Jim Byers: The short answer is absolutely “yes”!  In more ways than the obvious, I’m treading humbly in the esteemed footsteps of broadcaster and historian Hector Corporan (the originator of the Latin Flavor radio program).  About 15 years ago, Hector produced several wonderful programs honoring DC Latin musicians when he was on-staff at the Smithsonian Associates Program.  However, 15-plus years ago, many of the musicians and dancers of this era were still in touch, and some still performing.  In putting together the “Metro Mambo” Series, it became clear that with the advent of retirement, advancing age, a couple of residence changes, many of them had fallen out of contact.  They got excited because “Metro Mambo” was giving them an impetus to reunite and recollect.  There’s even discussion of organizing a regular ‘meeting’.  So, the deeper answer is that – while this is most certainly not ‘the first program of its kind’ – in our fast moving society, history needs to be continually refreshed and reinforced to remind us that it is always – always – relevant.  The message of "Metro Mambo" on a 'micro' level is the importance of DC dancers, musicians, artists – and citizens in general – to know that we’re all part of a continuum.   That message is reinforced on an international level via the current exhibit at the Museum – “The African Presence in Mexico” – presence that comes as a surprise to many (as does a DC Latin music and dance scene that goes back more than half a century).

WCP: Are you going to discuss segregation; economic class issues; politics; and DC demographics in addition to the hep music and dancing?

Jim Byers: Yes, several of those topics will be referenced in the discussion.  But – in my opinion – the great triumph of the history of Latin-jazz and mambo (in DC and elsewhere) is it’s great success in transcending these issues – maybe not wholly or completely (given the racial climate of various points in time) but with a striking degree efficacy as compared to some other popular music forms.  While some genre’s were rife with ‘cover artists’ and other methods of maximizing commercial viability, early in the game, mambo and latin-jazz settled into a long-lived ‘slow burn’ that respected authenticity above all.  If you could play (or dance) with your authentic spirit, all the rest the ‘stuff’ – age, race, orientation, religion – just didn’t seem to matter too terribly much to those in the scene.   The same principle holds true today, lending the Latin dance scene a startling diversity that never ceases to amaze newcomers.

“Metro Mambo”/“Casbah to Zanzibar” with Jim Byers and Bio Ritmo lecture and concert/dance, Saturday February 27  from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum,1901 Fort Place, SE.  FREE but due to the venue’s limited space, advance RSVP’s are required by calling 202-633-4866.

Torres doesn't just teach how to follow salsa’s clave beat and move your feet and arms with style, although she does all that well. She's also a music fan who on occcasion has held her dance instruction nights at various clubs, shown rarely seen film footage of Latin music greats, and invited salsa musicians to sit and talk with the dancers. She has lectured on salsa at the National Geographic Society and written liner notes for the Starbucks compilation album Mambo Mio. Eileen will be joined tonight by a who’s who of local dance teachers and salsa DJs.  Instructors Ramiro (El Padrino) Prada, Wendell Robinson, Jeri Dembrak, and Earl Rush are among the hosts for the event.

The DJ Schedule for the night is:

6:00-6:30- DJ Hercules
6:30-7:00 DJ Miguel Morales “El Sonero”
7:00-7:30 DJ Sabroso “Killer Joe”
7:30-8:10 DJ Manuel Martinez
8:10-8:50 DJ Nancy Alonso (from WPFW)
8:50-9:30 DJ Saborinquen
9:30-10:10 DJ Bruno “El Unico”
10:10-10:50 TBA
10:50—11:30 DJ Carlos “El Cacique”
11:30-12:00 DJ Azucar

Several of the DJs will have salsa compilation CDs to raffle. For those who wish to send donations via check directly to Eileen, her address is:

Eileen Torres
8275 Severn Orchard Circle
Severn, MD 21144

For those who wish to use their credit cards, there’s a Paypal account on Eileen’s blog.

Wednesday February 24, 6 p.m. to 12 midnight at Zanzibar on the Waterfront’s ground floor  room(Sky Club entrance), 700 Water St., SW. (202) 554-9100. Donations requested

Who knew that D.C. had its very own Cuban timba and salsa band?  Yep, Orquesta Ashe, led by Cuban Aramis Pazos Barrera will be at the Left Bank in Adams Morgan tonight.  Timba is a modern Cuban brand of salsa that adds funk beats and hornwork to the traditional clave rhythm.  Barrera was a dancer in Cuba's National Modern Dance Company and a guest artist with the Bolshoi Ballet in 1988.  In DC he has taught dancing at Danceplace and percussion in schools. His international band (3 singers, 3 percussionists, bass, piano, sax, flute, trombone, and trumpet) includes members from Senegal and Cape Verde as well as locals like noted percussionist Sam Turner (a New Yorker who played with Lionel Hampton and on boogaloo records but who’s been in DC for awhile).  I haven't seen them yet, but their background sounds promising.

Friday June 5  Orquesta Ashe at 11:30 p.m. (and dance lessons at 10:30) at Leftbank, 2424 18th St NW, DC. (202) 464-2100; $12, age 21 +

I received word Friday that Zanzibar management is canceling Thursday Salsa Nights. It has been a losing proposition and they were left with no other choice than to stop the loss. I will hold special events there from time to time and inform all well in advance. I will be very happy if you will join me for the last hurrah this Thursday night at Zanzibar. DJ’s Bruno & Carlos “El Cacique” will close out the great era.

Torres had been coordinating salsa Thursdays there for 9 years and 9 months. She occasionally brought in guest dancers from out of town, live performers, and featured pre-lesson historic salsa videos. While there are still other locations to dance to the clave beat around town, it's hard not to see this as a sign that salsa is less vital than it once was. Many area establishments are now pushing merengue, bachata, reggaeton & Latin house in order to appeal to a younger audience. Some of the salsa dance audience seems to be getting older and less willing to come out every Thursday for a late night on the waterfront at Zanzibar. Torres will still be presenting occasional salsa dance nights on Fridays at the Divino Lounge, 7345 Wisconsin Ave., in Bethesda.

Thursday February 26-Salsa dancing at Zanzibar on the Waterfront, 700 Water Street SW, $5 before 10, $10 after 10. 202-554-9100

]]> http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2009/02/26/final-salsa-thursday-at-zanzibar/feed/ 0 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/10/07/defj-video-photos-la-timbistica-chopteeth-fertile-ground/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2008/10/07/defj-video-photos-la-timbistica-chopteeth-fertile-ground/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:50:07 +0000 Ted Scheinman http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/blackplasticbag/?p=1135 As promised, some stills and vids from Friday night:

La Timbistica:

Chopteeth:

Fertile Ground:

...and the Chopteeth videos...

"Struggle":

Nice horn bit:

Trouble viewing? Check out the YouTube versions here and here.

"The future of la musica is assured," a beaming Jim Byers informed the 9:30 club on Friday night.

Byers, the host of WPFW's "Latin Flavor," spoke after a stellar performance by La Timbistica, a high-flying salsa outfit also known as the Berklee College of Music Latin Jazz All-Stars. The group alternates between five-piece Latin jazz unit and full-on Salsa band. In both formats, they are astonishing. Juan Maldonado deserves special mention for his efforts on the six-string bass, as does Kalani Trinidad for his searing flute (how often do you hear those two words together?) and fine voice, both of which cut admirably through the bright wall of the high brass. Throughout, the band exemplified a classical precision infused with lively improvisation—most notably by Alex Brown, whose eclectic work on the keyboard kept the band from retreating, anonymous, into a genre that too often overshadows its practitioners.

This was good, jazzy salsa, in other words...and consistently up-tempo, to the delight of the D.C. Casineros, who took over the dance floor and put the rest of the audience to shame.

***

The Timbistica crew were passing out promo materials and enjoying a few well-deserved beers when Chopteeth took the stage. The D.C.-based group, which calls itself an "Afrofunk orchestra," launched into a groovy set that veered between the reedy guitar dance-lines of classic Fela Afrobeat and a sophisticated brand of ska. "Struggle," the first track on their latest LP, was a highlight, as was their funky reinterpretation of Duke Ellington's "Digeridoo." Led by the magnanimous duo of Anna Mwalagho (vocals) and Michael Shereikis (vocals and guitar), Chopteeth bounced and rolled for close to an hour, with fat sounds from the Korg organ sailing under the snarling five-piece horn brigade. They smiled, danced, colored the two Kenyan songs with neat accordion lines, and took audience requests. ("The dancers want more Fela," Shereikis laughed at one point.) Their set was the high point of a beautifully eclectic evening—kudos to the DEJF for espousing a "jazz without borders" mentality.

***

Fertile Ground closed out the night with a jazzier variety of what some people call "neo-soul." With the caveat that this music usually strikes me as way too smooth, I have to say that Navasha Daya was mesmerizing as frontwoman, strutting under her headdress and leading the band as much with the rhythm of her hips as with her commanding, sinuous voice. "Yesterday" was powerful in its ambience, and "You Take Me Higher" (from the 2002 Seasons Change LP) took me pretty high. Daya can build a single syllable from a lyric for several bars and then launch into a weird scat, or an island-tinged rap, or a series of grace notes cued impeccably to the drum breaks, while James Collins' synth bass holds it all together. (His right hand, meanwhile, cooks up artful keyboard patterns with the same maddening rhythmic persistence that kept Chick Corea flush for several decades.)

"Jazz is not a listening music, but an organic music," Collins told the modest crowd, chiding them to dance. "And since Duke Ellington's from this neck of the woods, I'd hate to believe that the folks in Tokyo know how to move to this music better than y'all.

"It shouldn't exist in the classroom," he added, "but on the streets and in the minds of our children."

Collins then kick-started a nice version of "Be Natural," on which the crowd sang along, before a closing, anthemic but eerie rendition of "Roots, Rock, Reggae." Synths aside, the groove had vitality. And the song, a tribute to cross-generic unity, may have struck the perfect coda for the evening.

Photo courtesy of chopteeth.com