Beat mail

Latin Beat Magazine, Nov, 2003 by Joseph Jordan

I am a longtime reader. Normally I don't send letters to the editor, and certainly not in response to letters written by your readers, but I feel compelled to send this e-mail. In the September issue, a reader complains that "the average reader who speaks only English has no idea what you are writing about in the Spanish articles." Here's a thought for all you Latin music-loving monolinguists out there: Learn the language! Not only will you understand the text in Latin Beat, you'll have a deeper and more rewarding appreciation of the music and the cultures it comes from. Listening well in two languages is like listening in stereo. You get a fuller, richer sound. Gracias para la oportunidad de presentar mi opinion.

Juana B., cyberspace

P.S. One editorial quibble: I do think each picture should have a caption.

Last week I was reading the article "Salsa Music Rivalries and Battles," from your August issue. I've been meaning to write a thank you letter for a while but was finally motivated after reading the article. The way that it was written, I was totally engrossed by the third paragraph. There was a visual quality in the writing style that made the whole story and flow very entertaining. After finishing, I looked to see who wrote it and wasn't surprised to see the name Max Salazar. Several times in the past, after reading a good story in LB, I would look and notice the name Max Salazar. Yes, these articles were informative. Yes, each new article gave me a new insight into the world of Latin music. But for me, it was mainly Max's gift of storytelling! If you can't hook 'em, how do you maintain the attention? So, I was motivated to write and say thanks and keep up the great work. I look forward to reading future Salazar tales. Gracias!

Bobby Moon, Los Angeles, CA

I love your magazine and I just visited your website for the first time. I haven't had a chance to fully explore the website but at first glance, the white type on the green is very hard to read. If that type was a dark color it would cause less strain on the eyes.

Also, one problem I find with on-line magazines is that they never include the ads that are in the magazine. I get as much information from the ads as I do from the articles, sometimes. As a musician I like to see who is promoting events and products. Thanks for the great work you do.

Bob Finkel, Philadelphia http: www.SynthesisLatinBand.com

Bob Finkel, Philadelphia http: www.SynthesisLatinBand.com

Many thanks for many hours of good reading, good information and great content! I'm hooked! Five years and counting ...

Dr. Joseph Jordan, North Carolina