slaphappy

I'd like to meet:

Salsa music fans, DJ's, musicians, performers, collectors, producers, authors, artists, dancers, choreographers, promoters: People interested in the historical and cultural influences on the development of Latin music - especially salsa and related genres.My add policy: FROM me - your profile, even if set to private, probably indicates that you have an interest in Latin music/salsa, though you may be an artist/designer I like, have a site about books/literature or be a place/organisation that interests me.TO me - see the above, private profiles with no message or without an obvious common link will be deleted. You will not get an add if you are, for example, wanting to "show me pictures that MySpace won't allow you to", a grunge band from Belarus, or quite clearly someone who just wants 50 zillion "friends" so that you can e-mail your 1 real friend about how popular you are (slaphappy's tip of the day; save your keyboard muscles and simply remove the visible friends counter, replacing it with a fake htlm version that says you have 238,651 friends).

I'd welcome comments here at MySpace, but will remove any that contain GARGANTUAN and/or REALLY ANNOYING moving images; sorry but they just mess with the layout and to be honest if you have to say it with a glittery/moving image of a gyrating koala bear then it's probably not worth saying anyway, is it? I have also been removing messages that probably have not come from my friends (but appear to) that, typically, offer great phone deals or other spam related content

Music:

Far too many but classic salsa by the likes of Joe Cuba Sextet, Hector Rivera, Javier Vazquez, Ocho, Alfredito Linares, Orquesta DeeJay, Raphy Leavitt, early Lebron Brothers, Fernando Lavoy, Cortijo, Lucho Macedo, La Lupe, Roberto Roena y su Apollo Sound, Johnny Colon, 'Bush' Buckley, Tempo 70, New Swing Sextet, Frankie Dante & Markolino Dimond.My favourite singers include Cheo Feliciano, Wuelfo Guitterez, Ada Chabrier, Miguel Quintana, Marvin Santiago, Tony Molina, Frankie Vazquez and the legendary Ismael Rivera.All Time line-up? Pretty much impossible to say but the ABSTRACTO ALL-STARS might comprise (given the power of ressurection and taking these at their prime):PIANO - Perucin BASS - Cachao CONGAS - Giovani Hidalgo BONGOS - Roberto Roena TIMBALES - Endel Dueno TRES - Papi Oviedo TRUMPET - 'Chocolate' Armenteros TRUMPET - Chappottin TROMBONE - Willie Colon TROMBONE - Papo Vazquez SAXOPHONE - Mitch Frohman VOCALS - Cheo Feliciano VOCALS - Fernando Lavoy VOCALS - Ada ChabrierI have much respect for the many talented and hardworking musicians that play mostly for the love of Latin music in todays scene. There's a lot a great Latin Jazz and 'Latin with other genre' music (bands like Ska Cubano, Senor Coconut & Salsa Celtica) around that I listen to a lot.Of the current crop of salsa artists my personal favourites include Bio Ritmo, Rigo y su Obra Maestra, Los Soneros del Barrio, Spanish Harlem Orchestra and projects involving the always in demand Chino Nunez and Gerardo Rosales.On rare occasions when i'm not listening to Latin music most likely i'm tuned into some old Ska, Northern Soul or classic Funk.More artists I listen to a lot include Tito Rodriguez, Machito and Tito Puente (obviously)...Arsenio Rodriguez, Benny More, Libre, Larry Harlow, Johnny Pachecho, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, Ruben Blades, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Fania All Stars, Los Kimbos, Orq Dicupe, Charanga 76, Willie Rosario, Los Fakires, Pupy, Angel Canales, Sonora Matancera, Sexteto Juventud, Ray Perez, Los Dementes, Los Satelites, Manolito, Jose Mangual jr, Trio Matamoros....I think i'll return to this list once again and add even more - that's the problem with lists, they are never quite complete!...here's more: Mongo Santamaria, Son Cafe, Osvaldo "chihuahua" Martinez, Tony Pabon, Sonora Poncena, Pape Fall, Changui de Guantanamo, Joe Bataan, Dave Pike, Ray Roig, Pete "boogaloo" Rodriguez, Mulence, Sabu Martinez, Willie Bobo, Candido.....

Movies:

Treasure of the Sierra Madre (my all time top film) Dark Star Nick Broomfield documentaries Fargo The Club Glengarry Glenross Cross of Iron classic 70' Blaxploitation movies like Coffy Carlitos Way Leon Gast docs; Our Latin Thing/When we were Kings. Shaun of the Dead Westworld American Werewolf in London (keep off the moors lads) The Warriors Raging Bull The Man Who Would be King (no remakes - please!) Night of the Living Dead Life of Brian This Sporting Life Peeping Tom An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (short) Amistad Dr. No Crossover Dreams Nightmare Before Christmas Alien The Commitments Raiders of the Lost Ark Night of the Hunter (original) Trainspotting Shawshank Redemption Electra Glide in Blue The Thing (both versions) In the Heat of the Night Kes Madness of King George 28 Days Later Dog Soldiers Zulu Bladerunner Mysterious Island

Television:

Sopranos Deadwood Simpsons irreverent satirical comedies/panel shows (like ...QI, Have I got News for You, Mock the Week, Genius - which is actually a radio show but watch this space...) NYPD Blue The Office Abigail's Party Roots (buy the 25th anniversary dvd set - superb) Rescue Me Kojak (original, definitely NOT the remake series!) Father Ted Alan Partridge Hill Street Blues Phoenix Nights

Books:

Can't you take a hint! At http://abstracto.wordpress.com you will find reviews and content outline of the following (more added each month):* Afro-Cuban Jazz: 500 recordings rated & reviwed * Arsenio Rodriguez (transnational flows of Latin music) * Celia: My Life * Cocinando: 50 years of Latin album cover art * Cuban Fire: The story of salsa & Latin jazz * Cuban Music from A-Z * From Afro Cuban Music to Salsa * Latin Jazz: The Perfect Combination * Mambo Kingdom * Mambo Montage * My Music Is My Flag * Passion & Pain: The life of Hector Lavoe * Salsa! Havana Heat, Bronx Beat * Salsa: Musical Heartbeat of Latin America * Salsa: The Rhythm of Latin Music * Salsiology * Situating Salsa * Spanish Harlem’s Musical Legacy * The Hellfighters of Harlem * The Rough Guide to Latin * Tito Puente and the making of Latin Music * Tito Puente: Hispanic-American Biographies * Trompeta: Chappottín, Chocolate & Afro-Cuban Trumpet style * Tropicana NightsWhen i'm not reading about Latin music I enjoy books about travel, art, graphic novels like the 100 Bullets series, Hawaiian Dick & The Walking Dead series, 1970's Luke Cage comics, detective novels by the likes of Kinky Friedman, Chester Himes, Henning Mankell, Steven Torres (Precinct Puerto Rico series), Alexander McCall Smith (No1 Ladies Detective Agency series - can't abide his other series though!).Long-time dead authors I really like include Robert Louis Stevenson and Ambrose Bierce.

Heroes:

Nobody that I don't know on a personal level - careful about meeting your heroes, some of them are very ordinary people; they just don't know it.