Que Pasa In Los Angeles - Artículo Breve - Columna

Latin Beat Magazine, March, 2002 by Rudy Mangual

The 29th Annual IAJE International Conference was held January 9-12 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, bringing thousands of jazz luminaries and aficionados to our city. Some of the highlights this year regarding Latin music included the sessions Aspects of Latin Jazz Improvisation by music educators Victor Mendoza and Juan Rafael Alcala; Down Beat Blindfold Test Live with Freddie Hubbard; An Introduction to Peruvian Jazz Music by Gabriel Alegria, Alex Acuña and Hugo Alcazar; Drummers Who Want To Be Percussionists and Percussionists Who Want To Be Drummers by Babatunde Lea; The Wide World of Latin Jazz by Chuy Varela, Bobby Sanabria, Poncho Sánchez and John Santos; An Introduction To Afro Cuban Percussion by Rubén Alvarez; Mario Bauzá -- Father of Afro Cuban Jazz by Bobby Sanabria; Spirit of Percussion by Airto Moreira, plus performances by Kátia Moraes & Sambaguru, the group Tolú, a Latin jam session and a Brazilian jam session. The conference, as in previous years, continues "uniting the global jazz community."

This year's NAMM 2002 International Music Market Conference took place on January 17-20 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. This annual event brings together nearly 1,200 exhibitors from around the world representing the worldwide business interests of music products retailers, manufacturers, publishers, wholesalers and distributors. It's the world's largest musicians' candy store for 4 days. Instrument makers showcase their latest products and innovations together with the latest technological advances in the industry. The event's theme is "uniting our world through music," every year creating a wider international music market. We congratulate the NAMM organization on their 101 continuous annual trade show presentations.

Direct from Colombia, Joe Arroyo y su Orquesta performed at the new Grand Avenue nightclub in downtown LA, on January 24 to a full house of die-hard fans. The much-anticipated event brought many salseros out for the first time this year. Salsa dancing continues every Thursday night at the Grand Avenue nightclub with LA's top salsa bands.

Cuban diva Albita performed her unique brand of Cuban music at The Conga Room in Los Angeles for two nights (January 24 & 25). Her powerful vocal talents, stage charisma, rich repertoire and amazing band mesmerized everyone in the packed club.

Club Candela is the new hot place in downtown Riverside for salsa dancing and great live music. Located at 3252 Mission Inn Avenue off the 91 freeway in Riverside, Club Caliente is part of the Sevilla Restaurant Tapas Bar Club complex in Mission Inn Avenue. Home of excellent Spanish cuisine and flamenco dinner shows, Sevilla also features an authentic tapas bar with live entertainment and a state of the art nightclub facility. You can enjoy salsa dancing every Tuesday and Thursday nights at the club.

El Floridita Restaurant in Hollywood continues to be the place to be on Monday nights for great salsa music, dancing and delicious cuisine.

Hot Salsa Wednesdays at the newly remodeled Quiet Cannon Supper Club in Montebello was inaugurated on January 9 with a grand opening party featuring Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad plus the Latin All-Stars featuring the Salas Brothers from the group Tierra, Sal Rodríguez from War, Bobby Espinosa from El Chicano, and members of the Poncho Sánchez band. A packed house partied in the all-new two-level state-of-the-art nightclub facility and enjoyed musical entertainment throughout the evening. Every Wednesday night is salsa night at the Quiet Cannon Super Club.

Albert Torres Productions presents Hot Salsa Music & Dancing every Friday night at the Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City with the best local, national and international interpreters of tropical dance music. Every Sunday is Tardeada of Salsa Music for the entire family at The Boathouse on the Santa Monica Pier. Enjoy lunch and dance to the great rhythms of salsa, mambo, merengue and chachachá spun by LA's #1 Salsa DJ, Super DJ Robby. Dance lessons with Albert Torres and Laura Canellias start at 2:30 p.m. Dancing continues from 3:30 until 10 p.m.

Please continue supporting your local artists and venues.