From the editor

Latin Beat Magazine, Oct, 2003 by Rudy Mangual

On August 14 there was a blackout in New York City and most of the northeast, including parts of Canada. After all the horrific events that New York has been through in the past couple of years, this development caused much concern and fear of a possible terrorist threat. I remember the last blackout I experienced in New York when I was a child and back then it seemed like the end of the world. This time, the eerie stillness that occurs when all things electrical stop was still there, but there was little looting, no terrorism, and life eventually returned to normal, although the heat remained unbearable. Yvette's cousins Joey and Charlie over on the Grand Concourse (for the NY-impaired, a street located in the South Bronx) joined their neighbors in barbecuing on the sidewalk with light provided by flashlights rigged up on clamps attached to topes, and Latin music blaring from boom boxes; very clever and appropriate, considering the circumstances. A power outage cannot stop the music ...

Summer is over and so are all the music festivals and outdoor concerts, but inside Latin Beat, the rhythm never stops. This issue explores the rich diversity of Latin music and its artists through a handful of articles from our international group of contributors. Salseros will love our coverage of the VII Festival de la Salsa en el Callao: Salsa gorda y afincada en el Perú, covered by Martín Gómez. This annual event attracted over 35 thousand salseros of all ages who enjoyed the best salsa music by Willie Rosario and his orchestra, The New York Salsa All Stars, Johnny Pacheco (who stole the show!) and Victor Manuelle.

This issue's cover article focuses on Grammy recipient Poncho Sánchez in a recent mano-a-mano interview by yours truly, where Sánchez discusses his new, restructured band and his latest disc, which unveils Sánchez's funky side, with collaborations by Ray Charles, Billy Preston, Sam Moore, Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Westley.

Our good friends in Puerto Rico, Carmen Rosado and Elmer González, say farewell to the most prolific composer of salsa: Puerto Rico's Tite Curet Alonso. They cover first-hand accounts of Tite's life, plus an eyewitness report on the majestic funeral and Tite's last stroll through the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, complete with memorable photographs. Colombian native, DJ Gary Domínguez compiled a list of 100 memorable hit songs composed by Curet Alonso and provides information on who interpreted those tunes.

Chuy Varela, our San Francisco Bay Area contributor, focuses on Venezuelan vocalist María Márquez and takes a close look at her latest disc, a stunning jazz vocal album. Varela also contributed an interesting piece on Mexican superstar, guitarist Carlos Santana. Editor Luis Tamargo interviews Cuban trumpeter/composer/arranger Luis Eric González and our columnists keep you informed with what's going on in the Latin music communities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Puerto Rico, and the rest of the world.

To complete the Latin Beat Magazine experience, visit www.lbmo.com or www.latinbeatmagazine.com. Rebecca Burkeen spearheads an independent content site that features a whole world of additional Latin music news and entertainment information. Enjoy giveaways as well as events listings, lifestyle news, and a look at nightlife and new talents. Hey, I'm excited.