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| APRIL, #0408 |
Welcome the 2008 "Dreamz Team"
Back Row: William Erik Avitia, Elena Gil, Corey Raynor, Alicia Cacace, Jon Entwistle, Tatiana Lim, Miguel Escobar
Center: Giju Front Row: N'diaye Diako, Kristen Nolan, Latefa Redjouh
Beyond Dreamz introduces the 2008 "Dreamz Team", the worlds first Latin / Hindi Salsa music and dance production company. The team was founded by Giju in 2007 to create a higher level of entertainment, with more dynamic presentation for his production company "Beyond Dreamz Entertainment". Giju is a classically trained vocalist and an original member of the world-renowned Salsamania pro-team. He left the group in late 2007 to focus on the promotion of his first album and music video "Rang Rangeeli yeh Duniya" , along with the launch of the Dreamz Team dance production company. The album is currently being heavily promoted in India, while taking hold in both the U.S. and U.K.. The lyrics to his title track are recorded in Spanish and Hindi, successfully crossing-over both cultures.
The Dreamz Team dance production company features 10 highly skilled and talented members, including several from SF Bay Area-based Salsamania. Members of the Dreamz Team bring an enviable depth and breadth of experience, with backgrounds ranging from professional Ballet, Tap, Salsa, Indian, Afro-Cuban, Hip-Hop, Folk, Ballroom - and a wide range of country-specific forms.
The team will begin exhibition performances around the Bay Area next month in preparation for their formal U.S. debut at the L.A. West Coast Salsa Congress May 29th - June 1st. The event will kick-off the team's 2008 world performance tour and new music video production.
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"Dreamz Team" Salseras
From left to right:
Elena Gil,
Tatiana Lim, Latefa Redjouh, N'diaye Diako, Kristen Nolan (Co-Director), Alicia Cacace
Elena Gil
Congratulations Elena!
Elena graduates this May from
the University of San Francisco School of Law. Awarded a legal fellowship by
the Greenlining Institute,
she will practice public interest law and is interested in environmental
justice, workers’ rights, and indigenous peoples’ issues. Elena brings to the "Dreamz Team"
self-determination, a broad understanding of dance, and cross-cultural
literacy. Born and raised in Queens, New York
by a Peruvian mother and Colombian father, Elena has benefited from the rich
traditions and heritage of both. Elena
speaks Spanish and English fluently, and can also speak French and Mandarin
Chinese to varying degrees. Her mother
was a Peruvian folkloric dancer, sharing the knowledge and beauty of the dances
with Elena who became well-versed in the form—performing at Hispanic Day
parades and other popular venues around New
York. In
addition, Elena has studied ballet, belly dance and has a particularly strong
affinity for West-African and Afro-Peruvian dances.
"I feel sometimes like I'm in between worlds. Though I like the fact that I'm culturally
fluent, I admit that sometimes . . . I'm not fully accepted in any one
culture."
Prior to attending law school, Elena had pursued a major in art and fashion
design. She also worked for a major
airline, affording herself ample opportunities to absorb numerous and varied
traditions from around the globe. She loves to travel, feeling equally at ease
whether in a large city metropolis or a remote village in China. Some of her favorite places to visit are the
homelands of her parents, Colombia
and Peru, as well as France, China,
and the Seychelles.
Elena was first introduced to Giju while in law school by her salsa instructor,
Junior Alabi - famed salsero of the world-ranked duo "Junior & Emily". Elena's busy schedule ultimately proved a
hindrance, however, making it impossible for her to join Giju's first video
project. Today, she divides her time
between the Seaon Stylists salsa dance company and the Beyond Dreamz Team. "After a false start, I'm very happy
to finally be joining the Dreamz Team—such a gracious and talented group of
people."
Tatiana Lim (Co-Team Captain)
Though quiet and unassuming, Tatiana is anything but meek. Her list of accomplishments are formidable. Born and raised in Redlands (Southern California), she attended UCSD where she majored in Chemistry with a minor in Teacher Education. After achieving a B.S., Tatiana stayed at UCSD and earned an M.Ed. in curriculum studies and a
chemistry teaching credential - then went on to teach high school chemistry and
coached cheerleading in San Diego at Morse High
School. In 2004, she came up to the Bay Area
to attend graduate school at UC Berkeley. Having achieved an M.S. in chemistry, Tatiana is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Science Education.
Tatiana was first introduced to dance at about the age of 5, while attending a day care
program at the local YMCA. Tatiana's mom signed her up for a myriad of classes including swimming, tap, jazz, and
ballet to keep her from getting bored. She's been dancing and performing in
some capacity ever since. Apart from Salsa, Tatiana has been formerly trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. She also
loves to try lots of new things like west coast and east coast swing, night club
two-step, and country line dancing. For a very brief stint Tatiana was even a line-dance instructor at the Saddle Rack in Fremont, CA.
In addition to formal
dancing, she also spent 8 years with the Great All-American Youth Circus in Redlands, CA (from 4th to 12th grade). Tatiana began by taking circus class at the YMCA and
then went on to be a part of their performance troupe and co-taught several
circus acts. It wasn't until a Salsa-struck roommate dragged her out one evening in San Diego, CA that Salsa dancing became an integral part of her life. "After
that, I was hooked!" About three weeks later she was dancing with Rumba Rica
under the direction of Espie Hernandez and David Stein. From there, Tatiana
joined David when he began Majesty in Motion and then also briefly dancing with
Salsa y Fuego in San Diego
before moving to the Bay Area where she now dances with the Salsamania's pro-team. Tatiana's goals with Beyond Dreamz are two-fold: (1) to
support Giju (and Kris too) and (2) better her own dancing and performing through the
challenges put forward by Giju & Kris.
"I want to help the world see all of
their talent. It's a fantastic challenge to learn and perform
their stylish choreography."
She believes that her strongest assets are her various dancing and performing experiences, enabling her to bring new flavor to Salsa; and her attention to detail - which her team will definitely attest to!
Latefa Redjouh
Originally
from Paris, France, Latefa has been in the U.S. for three years, with plans to continue her studies in International Relations. Latefa came here on her own, leaving her family (including two sisters
and a brother) in France. Having grown up in the suburbs of Paris,
along with the knowledge and influence of her heritage (her
grandparents were originally from Algeria, Africa) - Latefa was
provided with a healthy appreciation and broad curiosity about the
world. She has a strong passion for rhythm, and dance in particular.
Her previous dance training includes modern, jazz and hip-hop.
A
friend first introduced Latefa to Salsa while in Paris, but she became
more deeply inspired after viewing Giju's music video at SF Congress.
This prompted her to want to pursue her dancing on another level.
Admittedly
a little shy, she says,"I knew that Salsa was a passion I would
pursue...despite my shy nature. I love Salsa...because it actually gets
me out of shell".
N'diaye Diako
Born and raised in Paris, France, N'diaye
is a Linguist. Following a term studying translation in Madrid, Spain, she
came to the U.S. to further improve her English while moving towards the accomplishment of a Master's degree. N'diaye says
that she fell in love with her life here, so decided to stay. She speaks (6)
languages: French, Spanish, English and Arabic, and 2 African dialects from the countries of
Senegal and Mali.
A fun twist I discovered while interviewing N'diaye, is that she comes to the Beyond Dreamz experience with a friend from back home - teammate Latefa!! They were good friends and class-mates in Paris, going out to
explore Salsa together - primarily through Paris Salsa Gang (not
affiliated with Bay Area SalsaGang). Whether planning or fate
eventually brought them to us, the two attended the SF Salsa Congress in
2006 where they saw the music video debut of Giju's "Rang Rangeeli". They were deeply moved and impressed by the
talent and fun the video portrayed. Though worried that their dancing
skills weren't up to par, they decided to try and make it onto the
Salsamania training team in order to boost their abilities. It
was team captain Tatiana Lim who first encouraged Latefa, who in turn encouraged N'diaye to give it a try.
Today, N'diaye is a member of
Salsamania's semi-pro team and Giju's Dreamz Team. She loves all styles of
music. Though N'diaye hasn't had "formal" dance training - she has
had a great deal of exposure to music throughout her life. N'diaye's mother
frequently played music, including classical Indian and Bollywood style music! The
primary motivation for N'diaye to be on the Dreamz Team is to continually
strive for excellence in her dancing, while growing with the team - which
she described as an "extended family"... and she should know. N'diaye has 10 siblings!! Seven brothers and three sisters. She is the youngest of
the girls.
Kristen
Nolan
Kristen is a
member of the Salsamania pro-team and recently appointed co-director of the Beyond Dreamz
Team dance production company. Kristen relies
upon her strong sense of determination and a hard-earned legacy of personal dance excellence, to continually
develop her skills and leadership ability. Born in Richmond, VA,
Kristen came to California with her family at the age of three. She
"CREATED" her first dance debut. During one of her mother's
aerobic performances, her father suddenly
noticed that Kristen was no longer sitting next to him. She had
effectively "entered" the stage,
exhibiting her new found dance skills as if she were an intended part
of the program. Kris was well on her way
to becoming a highly skilled artist...a testament to her ability to
balance skill with right opportunity. Kristen was rigorously trained
in
ballet from age three to eighteen, having achieved "en pointe" by the
age
of eight. She has performed with numerous professional ballet
organizations,
including the acclaimed Salt Lake City and Boston Ballet companies.
Her
dance skills were nicely rounded out by a position on the advanced Jazz
team at San Ramon High School.
Not wanting to disappoint
her parents after so many years of support toward her ballet endeavors,
Kristen struggled with an intense desire to explore new life paths.
She made the difficult decision to forfeit further ballet training
during her college years. Initially showing up at Indiana University
for a dance audition - which promised several more years of restrictive
living... she decided to make her break. She chose instead to pursue a
major in Tourism Management, and never looked back. After graduating,
Kristen took a position with Contiki Travel, enabling her not just the
freedom she had longed for, but an opportunity to see the world.
Kris was first motivated to Salsa by the film "Center Stage", (a production she admits might seem a bit corny from today's perspective) , she'd found a new passion. She discovered the GlasKat in San Francisco along with director of the acclaimed "Rica Salsa", Ricardo
Tellez, which led to a rather comedic first Salsa experience. After
showing up early for his class, Ricardo asked her to stand in as partner to a
very, very tall man. Kris is 5ft-sumptin. However awkward, she became forever hooked on
Salsa.
She
joined the Salsamania training team in 2005, then quickly advanced to
the pro-team - where she ultimately partnered with Giju to represent
Salsamania in competition and performances throughout the U.S., Europe
and Mexico. Still a valued member of the
Salsamania pro-team in addition to her role with Beyond Dreamz
Entertainment, Kristen continually strives for excellence. She is
currently obtaining a personal fitness training certification, the goal
being to increase her overall understanding of body movement while
helping others to obtain optimum fitness. Kristen also strives to
enhance her
choreographic talent while increasing her teaching and directing
skills. With great confidence, she looks forward to
supporting Giju's efforts to showcase the 2008 Beyond Dreamz Team
around the globe.
Alicia
Cacace
Alicia grew up
in Santa Rosa, CA
and attended the University of California at Berkeley,
where she majored in Latin American studies. Alicia currently works in the
field of Education as a first grade Spanish bilingual teacher. However, next
year she plans to move into a position as a creative dance specialist and
eventually attend graduate school in order to broaden her efforts toward the
development of education policy. Alicia's dance experience has been enriched
through progressive exposure to various cultures and a broad range of dance
forms. She was previously trained in tap, jazz, and modern dance - which serve
as a strong foundation for Salsa.
Through her extensive travels, including Spain,
Brazil and Guatemala, Alicia became intimately acquainted
with Capoeira Angola,
the dance/martial art form developed by African slaves in Brazil to
defend and express themselves. She also studied and performed Samba and
Afro-Brazilian Orixas dance.
Though Alicia had dabbled in Salsa during college, her Bay Area Salsa education
began when a friend pointed her toward Salsamania. Just a week before auditions
for their training team, good friend and Salsamania member Achuth gave her a
quick primer on the On2 Salsa style!! Alicia spent a season on Salsamania's
training team, then quickly moved on to perform with Son de Mania,
their semi-pro team, and currently trains with Salsamania’s pro team.
Oh, um...someone asked me to mention (I
don't remember who) that she and Corey Raynor are NOT dating. They are great friends
who share lots of laughter about inside jokes none of us know anything about,
but apparently makes them happy and keeps the team quite entertained.
Working to continually develop and strengthen her dance abilities, Alicia is a
strong contributor to both Salsamania and now as
a member of the Beyond Dreamz Team - an adventure that began following
a successful performance for Giju at the ESPN World Salsa Championships in
2007.
The segment will be airing on ESPN2 - May 29th, 2008 / 9pm EST/ 6pm PST
DON'T MISS IT!!
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"Dreamz Team" Salseros
From left to right:
John Entwistle, William Erik Avitia,
Giju John (Founder & Director),
Corey Raynor,
Miguel Escobar
Jon Entwistle
Part adrenaline junkie, part business analyst, part salsero, Jon brings a lot to the Beyond Dreamz Team. He grew up in in New York, but then headed to Atlanta in 2000 to study
Electrical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology - one of the oldest and most respected polytechnic institutes in the United States. After graduating in 2004, he moved to California to study at the University of California at Berkeley where he earned his Masters degree. After falling in love with everything California, Jon settled here, abandoned his engineering background, and started work as a business
analyst.
During his spare time, Jon has always looked for new ways to get his blood pumping. He has walked on hot coals, has run with
the bulls in Pamplona, and has been scuba diving with sharks in the Bahamas.
And in case any of you
are thinking you've been busy...Jon's just recently took a 6-month
vacation during which time he spent skiing, dancing a lot of salsa,
spending time with his family, training for a half-marathon that
he'll complete in May, and taking teammate Corey's suggestion to travel
around Brazil for a month of
hang-gliding, surfing, capoeira, and Brazilian funk dancing.
He first caught the serious salsa bug back in 2006, after taking a class from John and Liz at the "Down Low" in Berkeley, CA. John Narvaez strongly encouraged him to come and join
Salsamania. Jon successfully auditioned for their training group, and
has subsequently joined their latest exhibition team "Projecto Mania" -
performing with the group at the esteemed San Francisco International
Salsa Congress in 2007. After seeing Giju's music video online,
Jon became excited about the opportunity to audition for the Beyond
Dreamz Team, particularly given Giju's long-standing with Salsamania as
an original member and key performer with the group. He is quite inspired by the idea of melding Salsa music with the South Asian culture. His goal with the Dreamz Team is to gain more dance and performance
experience, as well as to participate in a globally focused dance
production company, which Beyond Dreamz provides.
William Erik Avitia (co-team captain)
William Erik originally hails from Brownsville, Texas. He attended Cornell, University where he majored in Hotel Management - a decision he admits was arrived at (I suspect following a few beers), after his friends spun him round the Cornell campus and declared "Hotel Management" his major... because his feet had landed in that general direction. That might be true, but no matter... with a 4.0 grade point average, any choice would likely lead to success. Apart from being a bit, well - smart, William Erik was "Cool-Popular". Not to be confused with being simply "cool", or plain ol' "popular". First of all, he has two names. That's kinda cool for starters. He participated in his high school band, playing the Clarinet for seven years, as well as serving a term as Drum Major. He is an accomplished classical pianist - though claims he hasn't practiced in a couple of...um, I think he said "eons".
While attending Cornell in New York, he was presented with an opportunity to join "Sabor Latino" a popular Latin dance team that performs Salsa On1, Merengue and Bachata. Coming up in a Latin culture, he has seen some differences in Latin style dance across various regions. Upon coming to California in 2006, William Erik began to learn the On2 Style for the first time, and feels that this was when he began to learn the dance in its "true" form. He joined up with Salsamania, dancing initially on the training team, then quickly excelled to the semi-pro, then pro-team where John and Liz appointed him team captain.
William
Erik came to the Beyond Dreamz Team as a result of his leadership and dance
abilities. Prior to being selected, he was given an opportunity to perform during Giju's Album Debut at the ESPN World
Salsa Championships in Florida last year. Through that success, he is now a valued performer on both Salsamania pro-team and the Dreamz Team - where he also serves as Team Captain along with fellow dancer Tatiana Lim. William Erik enjoys the double-challenge and believes that Beyond Dreamz gives him a chance to more fully develop himself as a dancer.
GIJU (Founder and Director)
Giju is the founder of Beyond Dreamz Entertainment and the director of the Beyond Dreamz Team dance production company. Giju is a classically trained vocalist, professional Salsa dancer, choreographer and performer. He is one of the original members of the world-ranked Salsa dance company "Salsamania", dancing with them for 7 years before retiring this past December to manage and develop his own entertainment production company.
After completing the launch of his first music video and album, Rang Rangeeli yeh Duniya, Giju has begun to tour and promote Beyond Dreamz. He has just returned from a highly successful six week tour across India with Dreamz Team co-director and his professional Salsa partner, Kristen Nolan. The two attended media events, taught workshops and gave performances at popular Salsa haunts around the country. Giju is currently preparing the Dreamz Team for an end of May debut at the L.A. West Coast Salsa Congress.
Want to learn more about Giju??
Check back here in May when we do an in-depth one-on-one Exclusive Feature Interview titled: "The Man Behind the Dreamz"...
For more on Giju's background and his company, go to:
http://www.beyonddreamz.com
Corey Raynor
Corey spent his early years living in a trailer with his father on ten acres of land in the glorious San Juan Islands. Inspired by the beauty of this expansive and pristine region, he spent his early years in a virtual Eden of a playground. Rather than the concrete jungle many of us grew up with, Corey transported himself via row-boat to visit with friends, while exploring the woods with his dogs. "This was the most awesome time of my life..."
Corey exchanged his childhood paradise for another intriguing lifestyle..he went to live in Southern California with his mother, who was a devout spiritual follower of the Indian sage -"Sri Aurobindo" - known as the Indian nationalist who originated the philosophy of cosmic salvation through spiritual evolution. During high school, Corey made several trips with his mother to the city of Pondicherry in India, where they lived and studied with the guru at his Ashram. It was during one of these visits that Corey saw Indian dance for the first time, and became thoroughly entranced.
Through high school, Corey explored basketball, martial arts and ballroom dancing. Though each contributed greatly to his understanding of movement, this ultimately didn't fulfill him. He parted for Hampshire College in Massachusetts where he had an opportunity to travel to Brazil. Here Corey discovered Samba and then Forro dancing, which really clicked for him. Once back in the states though, he learned that Forro dance wasn't very popular. Still searching for an outlet, he discovered the Down Low Lounge in Berkeley. He was taking a break from school and so had an opportunity to join Rica Salsa for a brief time. His next visit to California brought him back to the Down Low, where he met John and Liz. They asked him to join the Salsamania training team - which ultimately connected him to Giju and the Dreamz Team. Corey's primary attraction toward the Beyond Dreamz
Entertainment endeavor (apart from enjoying his laughter-filled friendship with fellow Dreamz team member Alicia Cacace...), is to have a chance to participate in something that
involves the music and dance of two cultures he's grown to deeply
appreciate. Oh, and by the way... Corey is also an "excellent" Bachata dancer!! =)
Miguel Escobar
Born
in San Salvador, El Salvador, Miguel came to the U.S. in 1990
along with his parents and 2 younger brothers. He grew up in a small
beach town called La Libertad, a town known for its world class surfing waves.
As a local, he adopted the popular sport of surfing and body surfing at a
very young age. However, he said, soccer is his passion: “It always
has been and it always will be …” It was here where Miguel spent all of his
childhood and his teenage years. He attended a private, catholic, all
male school. He was the co-captain of the Valley ball school team
for two years. He competed against the best school teams across the country.
Miguel is a Chemical
Process Engineer for the Life Science and Manufacturing industry. He
speaks Spanish, Conversational Portuguese and English. He studied for two
summers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil pursuing a minor in
Portuguese. He is an Xtreme sport enthusiast who loves mountain biking,
soccer, basketball, surfing, snowboarding, volley ball, and of course dancing.
He brings to Bay Area
Salsa, not only a culture steeped in traditional Latin rhythms, but a lifetime
of experience immersed in those rhythms. If you've never had an
opportunity to social dance with Miguel... put that on your list. Just a social
dance, ladies! He's taken. :-)
"In El Salvador,
people have various gatherings to join in community, and dancing is ALWAYS a
part of those occasions. Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue, it is all a very vivid part
of my culture."
When Miguel first saw
the Bay Area style of Salsa, he was concerned that the focus on technicality
would take away from the natural feeling and intention of the dance. Now,
having participated with various groups he feels dramatically different.
Miguel now believes that the technical aspects of Salsa actually lend
something more to the total dance form, providing a wider range of opportunity
for expression. Having started his Salsa experience with the San
Jose State Latin Dance Team, he then joined the Salsamania training team before
advancing on to Son de Mania, the semi-pro team under
the direction of John and Liz. His participation on the Beyond Dreamz
Entertainment "Dreamz Team", is primarily motivated by a strong
belief in Giju's vision to introduce this style of Salsa to a broader world
stage and to support those efforts in whatever way he can.
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Giju Featured This Month on SalsaGang
Stud of the Month ;-)
"Giju has carved out his own path through proper training and unwavering
dedication to his craft. The result is a unique blend of Latin-Indian
music which has clearly transcended all cultural and language barriers,
reaching out to an immensely diverse global audience."
Check out the entire feature at: SalsaGang
A special shout-out to our friends over at SalsaGang... Jimmy Bui, president and Rodney Aquino, founder - who contacted us last month to get the scoop on Giju's recent music activities. Thanks for your continued efforts to support and build Salsa community!
SalsaGang
"Bringing the salsa dance community together through Friendship, Funship, and Danceship."
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Giju Goes Mobile
Get Your Free RingTones!!
Download:
Rang Rangeeli
Dhoondun Tujhe
Dhoondun Tujhe A capella
Ashtufah
Check this space monthly for more mobile media!
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TOUR DATES
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| DATE |
CITY |
EVENT |
VENUE |
| May 7th |
Mountain View, CA
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Beyond Dreamz Team Performance
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Albertos
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| May 15th |
San Francisco, CA
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Giju Live Performance
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"Bring Your Own Art"
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| May 16th |
Campbell, CA
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Dreamz Team Performance at HSF
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Dance Spectrum
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| May 29th |
Los Angeles, CA
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2008 West Coast Salsa Congress
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LAX Radisson
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| July 11th |
Mountain View, CA
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Beyond Dreamz Summer Social
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Albertos
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DJ Spotlight
Feature Interview
DJ Fab Fred: One-On-One Exclusive
"Find What You Need... In The Music"
- DJ Fab Fred
Intro
DJ Fab Fred had a dream and a very strong vision to share his passion for great music. Fred is a highly experienced and successful DJ, producing world-class entertainment through parties, night club productions and events, as well as satellite radio programs. You may well know him as the man responsible for the music behind PB&G's sizzling Hot Salsa Friday's, along with many more core Bay Area events - including Giju's first Beyond Dreamz Entertainment Social at Alberto's this past Feburary. We finally had a chance to catch up with Fred, who shared some great insights and information about the current Latin Salsa movement. Enjoy!
Interview
MG: How did you get started as a DJ?
FF: I started as a DJ because in high school I was holding parties in the
basement of my mom's house - I wanted the music to be continuous,
non-stop like at the clubs me and my friends would sneak into. I
started with a small Radio Shack mixer and used turntables I got from a
pawn shop. IT WORKED!!!
MG: Tell us about your involvement in the SF Bay Area Salsa community and your current activities.
FF: Well I've been attending Salsa concerts since I was a kid. I would go
to shows at hotels and sneak into small clubs in the Mission district
of SF where I knew some of the owners. I continued going to shows and
concerts and collecting records and cassette tapes of my favorite
artists. I began dancing when I was old enough to get into the Salsa
clubs legally and eventually dabbled in dance instruction. I began
promoting Salsa clubs because I wanted to widen peoples knowledge of
the salsa that was available to be heard. At that time, all the DJs
would play the same tired Salsa Romantica that was popular at the time
so I wanted to get the old school salsa back in play and open peoples
minds to Salsa Dura and Mambo.
MG: Who are some of your favorite traditional Salsa artists? Contemporary artists?
FF: Far too many to mention, especially since a lot of the old bands that
have heavy duty hits only made one recording. Everyone is familiar
with the Fania stable of artists but that's not really hardcore old
school, that's more mainstream and filtered. But I still love those
Fania artists like Barretto, Puente, Colon, Lavoe, Harlow and others.
MG: What qualities does a track need to have before it can get the "FabFred" seal of approval?
FF: I came up having a sound that was pure jazz - I made a name for myself
by playing instrumental pieces and latin jazz. I still love that style
but I also love good vocals and harmonies too. I must say that I prefer
(and am known for) playing slower, groovier music that demands more of
the dancer. My music allows dancers the room for expression and keeps
them dancing all night long.
MG: What other types of music are you influenced by?
FF: Truly, I can listen to, and appreciate, all types of music. Outside of
salsa, my favorite music is Soulful House music. It has great rhythms
(heavy latin infuences), vocals and feeling. My favorites
artists/producers/DJs are Louie Vega, Jay-J, and Grant Nelson.
MG: Can you share your impressions about today's Bay Area Salsa scene?
FF: Alive and well - thank goodness! I believe it's still growing but we
are in a time of change in which the results are still to be seen - but
I feel like there's going to be a shift in Salsa and the way it's
presented.
MG: What do you think about
Giju's approach to Salsa with his album Rang Rangeeli...and do you
think it can successfulfully cross most cultures from a rhythmic point of
view?
FF: I like Giju's approach with his album. I believe that opening Salsa up to new frontiers, languages and cultures can only be a
positive thing for our music, dance and community.
MG: How do you see your role in bringing, securing fresh sounds that inspire and encourage further growth in Bay Area Salsa?
FF: As a DJ, I have the responsibility of educating the people about the
past and present. Both are equally important and they work hand in
hand. As a promoter - I am always trying to think of new avenues for
the music and fresh ways of bringing NEW interest to our thing - the
music.
MG: In closing, what can you tell you us about yourself and perhaps other Bay Area DJs, that might help us to more deeply appreciate the important role you each play in Salsa entertainment?
FF: For one thing - there are no bad DJs out there. There are only
different tastes and that is what makes it interesting. People have a
choice as to whom they want to follow and who they vibe with. Everyone
has different tastes, likes and dislikes so ther is something for
everyone. This kind of diversity is what makes our scene so vibrant.
We as DJs need to keep pushing the importance of the music and make
people understand the connection that should exist between themselves
as dancers or spectators and the music. Take away the music, and
you're left with... silence.
* * *
Thank you for spending
this time with us, Fred. We look forward to an update on your DJ
activities and experiencing much more of your awesome "Spin-Abilities"!
For additional information on DJ Fab visit: www.djfabfred.com
Check out his Montage above to hear a Fab Fred favorite; provided especially for Beyond Dreamz Fans: "Rumbon Melon" by Orquesta Sensacion ~
Photographs and links in this feature provided courtesy of Fab Freddy.
Marie Gunter, Editor (all rights reserved.)
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Giju Featured On New SF Bay Area Salsa Hub
Dancing With The Stars - SF Bay Area Salsa
Giju's innovative and diverse approach to proliferating Salsa has inspired a new online SF Bay Area Salsa Hub. The site launched just two weeks ago featuring Giju's music video, album tour and promotional shots. The Salsa Hub also provides visitors an opportunity to purchase his album directly from Amazon.com.
"Giju's
presence on the site has drawn a huge number of visitors , providing
them with an opportunity to learn more about the excellence and
diversity this region's Salsa community has to offer - a wonderful
ONGOING benefit for all Bay Area Salsa leaders to gain
more exposure."
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Giju's Blog
Changing Gears
The
LA Congress (a.k.a West Coast Salsa Congress) is only a month or so
away and I’m very much looking forward to it! This is going to be my
8th consecutive year at this congress event, which many consider as the
“mother of all Salsa Congresses".
I have a very personal connection to this Congress, as this
is where I debuted my Salsa performance with Bay Area Salsamania back
in 2001. Since then, I’ve been a regular performer at this event as a
member of the Salsamania pro team. But this year... I’ll be there with
my own team. =)
It’s kind of a strange, but nice feeling. I was so used to and
comfortable being a Salsamania dancer. Now I’m going there with my
group, the "Dreamz Team". There's a completely different set of
dynamics at play now, a different feel..!! I think it comes along with
the transition and as a natural part of my growth toward taking on more
leadership as a dancer and performer.
Our rehearsals are in full swing now. We finished the
choreography last week, though I’m facing a couple of creative
roadblocks with the opening of the choreography. So, I'm toying with
different ideas...not totally settled on anything yet. Kristen and I
will be working on a resolution this week.
I feel so fortunate to have such talented and good-spirited
dancers on this team. Everyone is very easy to work with, and each one
of them works "very" hard. I especially appreciate the fact that the
our dancers are so dedicated to the success of Beyond Dreamz Entertainment. They have very demanding jobs, and are also involved with other dance teams (primarily Salsamania), so it's an honor to have their support and participation. Just for a
few more weeks; that’s a comforting thought.
We had our team photo-shoot recently. That was fun. One of my
very good friends, Alok, came in and took some really cool shots.
Some of the shots
are featured in this newsletter.
Check them out under the MONTAGE sections posted above in the newsletter titled, "2008 Dreamz Team Salsera's and Salsero's".
Hope to see you all in L.A.!
Until next month, peace.
Giju
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A Few of Our 2008 Sponsors & Supporters
A Few of Our 2008 Sponsors & Supporters
  
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