Beat Mail - Carta al Editor

Latin Beat Magazine, April, 2001

Hello again my friends! May health and peace be with you always. In February we acknowledged the fourth anniversary of the passing of a great Boricua composer and singer. He was very popular during the '40s. It is said that he sacrificed his own career to tend to his little brother Tito's career. I am referring to the late Johnny Rodríguez.

I was only five years old when he had his greatest hits, but I still remember every word of his lyrics. That's because my dad played his records until the needle almost played the other side of those old 78s. I was telling this to my son-in-law while listening to the homage on radio WABA with DJ Jozlyn Grafals. He listened to me respectfully, when at the end of a particular song, Mr. Grafals mentioned that the song was recorded in May of 1946. My son-in-law's eyes opened wide. He was amazed that I knew every word! Leave it to a five-year-old. Wow! I was surprised myself. What I didn't know was that this particular song was popular not only in the US of A, but also in Europe. It was translated into French even! Its title is Fichas Negras. Another great one was Chubasco (which I also remember every word of). Could you please publish an article about Johnny Rodríguez? I think he would be an inspiration to musicians today.

Once again, I would like to reiterate my gratitude to Latin Beat Magazine for making us aware of so many beautiful things going on in the world of Latin music (past, present and future). Music is what holds us together. I am a faithful reader of your magazine. Keep up the good work! Cecilia Santiago Moca, Puerto Rico

Hello, my name is Jay Geldorf and I am director of an incredible Salsa Dance Team called the "L.A. Salsa Kids." The L.A. Salsa Kids specialize in grooving to the hot Latin/Caribbean sounds of salsa, merengue, chachachá and rumba. They perform these dances with a style all their own and one of their specialties is casino rueda. The performance group is composed of young, energetic members, ranging in ages from 9 to 23. The L.A. Salsa Kids have been featured at many festivals, special events, parties, dinners, award banquets, theater and dinner shows, as well as radio, TV shows, and music videos taped in Los Angeles, Puerto Rico and Miami. They have over 10 salsa dance routines and can put on a fabulous 25 to 40 minute show. They have performed over 500 times since their inception in the summer of 1996 and I hope your readers will consider them for their next event. Thank you. lasalsakids@yahoo.com

Your magazine is excellent. The history and contemporary perspectives your writers give delight me. I've read every issue received from cover to cover. I'm deeply interested in the diversity of the world of Latin music.

I think it would be great if you could focus more on Latin music beyond salsa and Latin jazz. I know you've done some, but I think Mexican and South American music could receive more attention - of course I realize that is a whole different world.

Anyway, I'm completely satisfied, which I've never said about any magazine subscription in the past. You run a tight operation and always give me much more than I paid for. I don't know how you guys do it, but keep it up.

Nathaniel Carney Huntington, PA