LATINA MAGAZINE-LAS MUJERES DE SALSA

Latina, an award winning female magazine, celebrated the Women of Salsa from the New York International Salsa Congress at Taj Lounge on November 22nd, 2010. 

After a few interviews with the talented Salsa dancers on the red carpet, we had a live Salsa band play at the Lounge where everyone was enjoying the music and dancing. Afterwards, the Salsa dancers themselves came and did a short, yet fabulous dance for the fans to enjoy. 

Guess who made it to Telemundo later on? View the clips they used during their interview with Las Mujeres De Salsa.

Telemundo, En La Escena, and Las Mujeres De Salsa

La Japonesa Salsera Yoko & Frankie Martinez with The Abakua Afro-Latin Dance Company in The Tour of Schools

Feels like yesterday that I was walking through the streets of Tokyo, Japan. I've been to many countries and Japan remains to be my favorite. I'm across the world and I still go out of my way to explore their amazingly beautiful culture.

Yoko, La Japonesa Salsera

On November 4th, I went to Las Chicas Locas to meet with Yoko, a Japanese Salsera, and I have to say it was a great pleasure. Having someone that originated from the Japanese culture interested in my Spanish culture made me feel a great connection. She started when she was 15 years old, fronting a local band in Osaka, Japan. Eventually she got involved with Jazz music and this lead her to join a Salsa band. She has an album out with many musical pieces.

Frankie Martinez

Shortly after, we moved on to You Should Be Dancing...!, a NYC dance center, where we met with salsa dancer Frankie Martinez. Frankie Martinez, the founder and choreographer of the Abakua Afro-Latin Dance Company, told us a little bit about himself and what the dance company has in mind for the year. He is an extremely disciplined man, having served in the U.S. Navy and a 4th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He helps others understand the Afro-Caribbean roots by telling stories in his dances.

This Monday, November 8th, the Abakua Afro-Latin Dance Company went on stage for the International School of Prospect Heights in Brooklyn as part of their Tour of Schools. The Tour of Schools initiated in October 2010 during Hispanic Heritage Month at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts; its aim is to enrich students’ education by providing free performances and workshops across the 5 boroughs. Not only will these kids have a beautiful performance, but they'll be inspired to explore cultural dances a lot more.

Their first performance, "Children of a Groove", was a story based on where they grew up. "Born from rhythm and bred towards melody, we are not its slaves but its offspring." - The Abakua Afro-Latin Dance Company

Their second performance, "The Life and Death Of Suzy Q", was a story based on the wonder of evolution, life’s way of adapting to the ever-changing world around us. Suzy Q is a young lady that has become an old memory. Everything around us has changed, the world has changed swiftly, but when we look closely, it has been tremendous. They took this dance as an opportunity to show and celebrate how they have evolved.

Machete Music Tour 2010

I was given the privilege of witnessing the dress rehearsal for one of the hottest tours of the year! Friday, October 22nd, Madison Square Garden held The Machete Music Tour Concert! Celebrating the best in Reggaeton with artists Ivy Queen, Don Omar, Tego Calderon, Angel y Kris, Cosculluela, Chino y Nacho, Flex, 24 horas, and Jowell y Randy. 



Seeing all the work put behind this big entertaining event only made me want to attend a Reggaeton club with music as sensational as this. 

The Cristian Rivera Foundation (2010)

Tuesday night, Quo held the 2nd Annual Gala to support the Cristian Rivera Foundation to benefit research for Pontine Giloma. Pontine Giloma is a tumor that occurs in the stem of the brain and has poorer prognosis than less common midbrain and medullary gilomas. This normally affects children between the ages of 1 and 9. Only 300 cases are discovered in the United States each year. Radiation & Chemotherapy offer a short term treatment but a cure has yet to be found.

The foundation is named after a young 7 year old boy (Cristian Rivera)  who suffered from the illness. Its purpose is to find a cure through awareness and clinical research program funding. Many well known people come together for this event, such as producers, fashion designers, former borough presidents, NYPD deputy inspectors, actors and actresses such as Luis Guzman, rappers such as Jim Jones, Hot 97’s DJ Funk Master Flex, and DJ Camilo, and the former NY Knicks star Anthony Mason.

Dr. Mark Souweidane
has dedicated his career to finding the cure for Pontine Giloma 

Bailando Por Una Causa

Que beneficio tan divino que compartio El Museo Del Barrio con los Latinos!!!!

Aqui Pueden ver como salio el producto final de mis grabaciones.

             

'Bailando Por Una Causa'

'Bailando Por Una Causa.' Para el beneficio de la Comicion Latina del HIV, en El Museo Del Barrio, el 5 de octubre de 2010 alas7:00 pm. o visite: www.Latinoaids.org/bailando

FASHION WEEK 2010

Twice a year, September and February, Mercedes-Benz sponsors Fashion Week. It is a time for designers to show off their upcoming collection on a runway. Being able to cover one of these events made me feel like I was living the high life. Everything I've seen in the "elite" television series/dramas was right in front of me. When I saw last weeks episode of Gossip Girl, I felt so powerful saying to myself "Hah! Fashion week, I was there!" I saw wonderful designs and makeup artist work.

Many girls hate on models for all the wrong reasons. "She's disgustingly skinny", "Shes overweight", "She looks like a man", "Her features are too harsh", or even "Ew she's ugly".  Yet, look again, these girls are the ones walking and being photographed with pure confidence and allure. And we see this get criticized once a week on television, Americas Next Top Model for a change. Some people may agree with Tyra and the judges, and some may not. During this years Fashion Week, I met one of the judges and former photographer Nigel Barker at Barnes & Noble when he spoke to an audience about his book, "Beauty Equation". He answers your question on, "What is Beauty?". How can one achieve beauty? Is it truly about your physical appearance? Of course it doesn't tell you the silly things you don't want to hear like, "Its all about your nice personality."  Nigel Barker sums up the beauty equation with 10 essential qualities that one should have to be beautiful. He guarantees that you will find your outer beauty by unveiling it. Coming from a tall, beautiful man like himself who has been in the beauty business for years, I'd take advice from this book and use it. He looks just as great on television and in pictures as he does in person and through a lens. People tend to look completely different on and off camera but those with true beauty look just as great. So if you don't want the 10 extra pounds a camera gives you to look bad or the lack of makeup to make it seem like you wear a mask on television or film, then maybe we should start following his beauty equation and test it out ourselves.

I feel like I'm being exposed to a completely different world and I'm constantly behind the scenes but I'm loving every moment of it.

New York International Salsa Congress Dance & Music Festival

The New York International Salsa Congress Dance & Music Festival opened my eyes to an art I had never really paid much attention to. I've always loved Muerenge dancing cause i found it to be the most active in hip movement. Bachata I can handle when I'm feeling emotional and intimate. Cumbia makes me feel like I'm in La Pollera Colorada . Reggaeton is to get down and dirty at the club. And Salsa on the other hand I always found to be a bit to complicating. I never really considered it in my dance life style because I only saw the older people doing it. I've attended dance festivals and performances but most of them being hip-hop or step. I have always considered dance both a sport and art. Its a beautiful motion you can be critical about and cheer for at the same time.

The New York International Salsa Congress is a time for people to come and share their latin dance with one another. Everyone has a different form of presentation with salsa. This event is so big, I met people 

from different countries around the world. Being able to record almost all the dances for this event 

brought me to actually pay attention to the way the dancers moved to the music. Whether it was through

their arms, legs, hips, or feet, people always pay close attention to the dance as a whole. I was able to 

look at it in pieces and eventually see how it came together as one. It honestly inspired me to go out there and dance Salsa.


Here are a few of the highlights:

.

En La Escena

Growing up in a diverse neighborhood such as Sunnyside and Woodside in Queens New York, I have been exposed to many different cultures and aspects of them. If you were to see me walking down the street with my friends, it'd seem as if the United Nations just let out a youth meeting. Of course this does not give me a lack of acknowledgement to something I am most proud of, my hispanic heritage. I have always followed up on the Latin roots, most particularly Colombian. I grew up speaking english and spanish fluently along with keeping my traditions alive. I attend many spanish festivals and parties, dance and know all the basic steps to our music, and of course appreciate el sabor en mi arroz con frijoles.

I attend St. Francis College and I'm majoring in film and broadcasting. I hope to make it out there and keep my beautiful culture alive and well known for the good things that it brings. Luckily I am now interning for En La Escena. This has brought me a wonderful opportunity to learn more about my culture and the media world. I have started as being the camera operator and it has given me a completely different view on what's around me. I used to do photography and enjoyed it because I was able to capture moments, but it'd always upset me if i didn't get the exact one I wanted. It was also simpler for me to do because it was a one on one gig and its still life. Now with a video camera, I am able to capture the full moment. I've always been very observant towards others, but now I have learned to make connections with the people that I am watching and all just by filming them at the moment, even by being more than a few yards away and them not knowing I'm there because there's more then just one camera on them. Its about the connection between you, the camera, and the person in front of it.

Mamachas Del Ring

This past summer in 2010, I was given the wonderful opportunity to work with Director, Betty M Park and Carmen Rosa, La Campeona, from the documentary Mamachas Del Ring.

Mamachas Del Ring has been selected and screened for several Film Festival viewings, but this summer it was selected for the 2010 HBO N.Y Latino Film Festival. 

Mamachas Del Ring is a documentary that follows an indigineous cholita wrestler from a journey of being a champion to a struggle of choosing between family & her passion for wrestling.

Interview with Telemundo

Carmen came down to New York City to see her film premiere in the film festival. It was my duty to stick by Carmen during her stay and be at her attendance. Because Carmen is a female wrestler my expectations from her were very different. Before meeting her I saw a rough and aggressive attitude. After meeting her and being with her for a week I saw the complete opposite. With her beautiful shining sequent dresses, she projected tradition. Tradition that expressed who she was and her values. Along with her eyes and laughter, you could truly find a connection with her. Her week stay in NYC gave us a bond. It was memorable and exciting for all of us. From interviews with NY1, Telemundo, Huffington Post, and photoshoots, Carmen was in the spotlight receiving the treatment and support she deserved. From trying different cultural foods, sight-seeing, and experiencing the NYC night life, Carmen was living a temporary life style. 

Myself, Carmen & Betty M. Park

All this could not have been done without Betty M. Park. The documentary is not your typical boring informational video, but has an inspiring, heart-warming true story line. If you come across the opportunity of watching this film; do so. You’ll learn and by pass the experience for yourself the hard life of a cholita wrestler.

NY 1 Interview

Huffington Post

Carmens Facebook

Mamachas Del Ring Facebook

Love Generations/Into The Woods

This is a short "music video" I had to do for my basic film class Spring 2010. Its cute. At the moment I had fairy-like costumes at hand so I decided to put them to use.

This is a small photoshoot I did before hand...