The Amazing
Dave Valentín!
DON JIBARO's NOTE:
"As a professional musician for over 45 years, I don't get impressed easily... until I hear Dave. His remarkable talent and mastery of the instrument just blew me away! Period!"

Born on April 29, 1952, in New York's Bronx borough to parents who were from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Valentin was surrounded by the music his parents listened to. The Valentin household was filled with the sounds of Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente, Machito and others. He picked up bongos and congas as a child, and by his early teens, had joined a Latin group as a timbales player. He performed with the group in New York City's Latin nightclubs on the "cuchifrito" circuit, the workingclass dance halls of New York. "Oh yes," he said in an interview with Fernando Gonzalez of Knight-Ridder Newspapers, "I've done my three sets for $50 and leave the club at 6 a.m. Sunday morning and seeing the people in Harlem going to church as I'm going home to sleep." He was accepted to New York's High School of Music and Art where he studied percussion, but it was not until Valentin was 18 and in college that he became interested in the flute.

• READ MORE about DAVE •

 
Les Rivera & Don Jíbaro chill at KPFK in Los Angeles
Waiting, of course, for their cué.

“I saw Tony Vega once, a while back and I was impressed with his singing. You tell me if I was wrong.” —Don Jibaro

¿Wassa Salsa?
Salsa refers to a fusion of informal dance styles having roots in the Caribbean (especially in Cuba and Puerto Rico), Latin and North America. The dance originated through the mixture of Mambo, Danzón, Guaguancó, Cuban Son, and other typical Cuban dance forms. Salsa is danced to Salsa music. There is a strong African influence in the music as well as the dance.

Salsa is usually a partner dance, although there are recognized solo steps and some forms are danced in groups of couples, with frequent exchanges of partner (Rueda de Casino). Improvisation and social dancing are important elements of Salsa but it appears as a performance dance too.

The name "Salsa" is the Spanish word for sauce, connoting (in American Spanish) a spicy flavor[1]. The Salsa aesthetic is more flirtatious and sensuous than its ancestor, Cuban Son. Salsa also suggests a "mixture" of ingredients, though this meaning is not found in most stories of the term's origin. More on this fabulous and  delicious concept later

Latin Lady DJ ...Rest In Peace
Margarita Valdés... Latin Lady Dj Margarita! ...Daughter, Sister, Mother, "Titi", Grandmother, and Friend. Born in April 13, 1955 in San Francisco , CA. Per her dad, Margarita had been tapping out rhythms since the age of one (1), when she could tap out the nursery song "This Old Man" without missing a beat.

She was passionate and very proud of both of her heritage backgrounds. From her father, she inherited the Mexican culture and from her mother, the Puerto Rican culture. Having music as an integral part of her life, Margarita learned to play piano, organ, violin, accordion and drums by ear.

She will be known for her achievements in her field of entertainment, specifically as a female Salsa DJ, event promoter and radio personality, as “Latin Lady DJ Margarita”. Her passion for Salsa drove her to host several web pages, podcasts, and radio shows to promote not only the music but the artists as well.

As a civic minded individual, Margarita served as a volunteer in various cultural and community organizations in Santa Rosa , CA , Honolulu , HI , and Scottsdale and Phoenix , AZ. We will all remember her for her involvement in the Puerto Rican Social Club of AZ, Inc. as a member of the Board and events DJ.

She was also a member of the United Puerto Rican Connection and Chaired the Infrastructure Committee for the Puerto Rican Center of AZ, Inc.

Margarita was a very kind and loving soul; quick to make lasting friendships that she treasured very dearly. She was a servant to our community with her dedication, sacrifices and relentless enthusiasm for the good of our culture. Her motto was always: "Live, Love, Laugh and Salsa.... The Rest is Optional!"