Bienvenidos a todos!
Let me first thank Sharon for the opportunity to manage this blog and acknowledge the great work that both Alfred and Nina have done on the ‘Salsa in Review’ blog. They provided us with great feedback and anecdotes of the salsa world. For that matter, this blog is not so much a replacement of their excellent work as it is my take on a large component of latin life….the music.
I love latin rhythms and, as salseros and salseras, I’m sure you do too. There is an added depth to latin music in that its dance music (salsa, merengue, bachata, etc.) also tells stories of love, loss, death, tragedy, triumph, comedy and nonsense, to name a few. It is also for this reason that the expression of the music is so vital. I find that the most enjoyable songs are the ones that successfully meld lyrics and instrumentation to create a tune that can get you off your feet and make you feel something as well.
A song in sync is one where the music itself can express what the lyrics are saying without having to know the words, and vice versa. So, what is the idea of this blog? Well, it is a reflection of music. My goal is to give an understanding of what is being said and hopefully by doing this, give the reader a further appreciation of the music. After all, it is one thing to dance, it is quite another to express feeling and emotion through dance.
With that in mind, I want to make this a place where you can have musical questions answered. I’ll talk of things musically related, whether it be songs, bands, performances. Also, on occasion I will provide a “war of the songs” installment where two contenders will be pitted against each other and critiqued on certain categories. Above all, this blog is written for all of you who love latin music. I encourage you to comment and contribute and in that way I hope to write something that is enjoyed by the reader.
Vamos a bailar!
Manuel
