Por el Mundo

Customer Review: POR EL MUNDO IS A GREAT CD!
What can I say I LOVE THIS CD! But whats so good about it well number 1 I love the lead singers voice (Jose Guadalupe). To me he has a voice to kill for but thats just my opinion you might think diferently. But as far as i'm concerned i think this is a super album to buy cause every song on here is so good my personal favorite well... it would have to be number 3 (Aqui No Mas.) I just love that song I can not explain the feeling I get when I hear this song it makes me feel so good inside not to metion like I want to dance. but the song (Espinas) is good to hey there all good thats why I think you should buy this cd you will love it if you like banda musica like I do. Look i'm going to be honest with you I would never tell someone to buy a cd I never herd or thought was not a good cd to buy thats how I am but everybody has different taste in musica so u may like it may not but I know I love it and i'm so glad i bought it I would never get rid of it. Even though it is an old album of theres I still listen to it to this day thats how much I love this cd it was one of the best investments i ever made. I am a musica freak and I love mexican musica and and if you do to buy this cd.

Anyone who has ever been to a social dancing event knows that not everyone has a good time, or at least not equally so. Some sit out many (if not all) dances, while others never seem to sit down. Why the difference?

There is only one reason for dancing at a social do: to have fun. There is no competition, no need to be absolutely perfect in the steps, and no reason to be stern and serious while cutting a rug. The key skill is the ability to socialize while keeping feet in time to the music.

This is easier said than done for some people, and is what makes the difference between sitting on the sidelines and hitting the floor. Many people are very self-conscious about dancing, either because they dont know the steps or because they think they look silly. Others are so intense while doing the steps that they can barely look up, and even when they do, conversation is impossible because they are silently counting and concentrating on foot movement.

Beyond the basics of dance etiquette, there are some rules of thumb that warrant following to master the art of dance floor socializing. Here are some examples:

Prepare yourself. If you know that there is a big event coming up that will include dancing beyond the non-contact freestyle sort, learn the steps. Take a social dancing class or two to master the basics. And practice. When the event comes along, you will be able to take to the floor without worrying about your skill and having to count in your head.

Dress to dance. Think about the dancing part of the event when you plan your outfit. Shoes need allow you to move safely, clothes need to make it easy for a partner to make contact as you move through various steps and turns.

If you want to be asked to dance, put on your happy face. Looking stern will make you appear unapproachable. Tap your fingers or toes to the music, smile, and make eye contact.

On the other side of the coin, try not to refuse an invitation to dance. Most songs are no more than three or four minutes long, so dancing with someone that might not be your ideal partner should not be too much strain. Be gracious, be polite, and you will be rewarded!

Dont dance with just one person. Dancing with a wide set of partners is a cornerstone of social dancing. Dance with everyone, and get everyone to dance.

When you make it out onto the dance floor, keep the fun going. Again, some rules of thumb:

Be entertaining. While having a good time yourself, engage your partner. Think of dancing in terms of moving to music while carrying on cocktail party conversation. Dance at a level you both enjoy, and exercise a good sense of humor. And smile!

Make your partner feel appreciated. The most popular dancers are not the most skillful, but the ones who clearly appreciate and enjoy their partners. Most people are not interested in dancing with someone who is obviously bored or feeling put upon, no matter how great their footwork may be.

Never blame your partner for anything that may happen on the dance floor.

Do not start teaching on the dance floor, unless your partner asks you to do so. Unsolicited lessons are more likely to embarrass your partner than to make them happy. If you are a more skilled dancer, you should be able to match yourself to your partners level of ability.

If you are leading, do so comfortably. Cranking your partners arm to force a turn or pushing and pulling them into position will not be a pleasant experience. If your partner is not doing what you want, your lead probably was not clear enough or beyond her own skill level. Tone it down and lead steps that can be transmitted and received enjoyably.

If you are following, dont start back-leading. It is disrespectful to your partner when you steal the lead.

Protect your partner. If you are leading, anticipate the movement of the other dancers and move your steps into empty areas of the floor so that you dont run into other couples. If you are following, keep an eye out behind your partners back. If a couple is bearing down in his blind spot, let him know with pressure on his hand or shoulder, or simply by telling him.

Avoid humming or singing along with the music you are dancing to.

Social dancing is social. Each dance is a brief encounter that should be fun for both partners. Approach the floor with a good attitude and sense of humor, concentrate on the enjoyment of dancing rather than technical proficiency, and dont worry if there are missteps or other mistakes. Youll go home well exercised and happy!

This article was contributed by Master Portable Floors. Master Portable Floors is the floor of choice by professional dancers. The floors have been rated highest quality by the American Swing Dancing Association and the Ball Room Dancing Association. Master Portable Floors has a unique flex action that provides a comfortable dancing surface that reduces hip and joint injuries. To learn more about Master Portable Floors visit www.masterportablefloors.com.

dance music cd

Coldplay: Live 2003

Riding high on the phenomenal success of A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay is in peak form on Coldplay Live 2003. This CD/DVD two-pack was filmed (on Super-16mm film) and recorded in Sydney's Horden Pavilion on July 21 and 22, 2003, during an exhaustive year-long world tour, and the medium-sized arena provides a fitting stage for the London-based rock quartet, not so grand as to overwhelm the music, but large enough to indicate their large and loyal following, which includes enthusiastic fans of either gender. Especially when played in DTS 5.1 surround, this 90-minute concert is richer, thicker, and (of course) louder than Coldplay's studio recordings, lending a wall-of-sound expansiveness to the band's signature sound, which draws from such diverse influences as Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Verve, U2, and their own unique sonic landscape. "Politik" gets the gig off to a rousing start, and other impressive highlights include "Daylight," "Yellow," the as-yet-unreleased new song "Moses," and the popular hits "In My Place," "Clocks," and "The Scientist." And while the concert visuals are slick and professional (perhaps placing a bit too much emphasis on singer/frontman Chris Martin), this DVD and CD--the latter containing a truncated 70-minute version of the same performance--are best appreciated for their pristine audio quality. Culled from 400 hours of home video, the 40-minute "concert diary" represents a wasted opportunity, enjoyable for hardcore fans but offering no insight into the band or its individual members. Much better, then, to play the concert at healthy high volume, and appreciate Coldplay in the prime of their young career. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Review: The best concert I never went to!!
I got the Coldplay 2003 DVD as a birthday present in '04. Coldplay's my favorite band, so you can imagine my excitement. Back in the days, I never thought I could ever be in a real concert of the band, I lived too far away from any place they toured. Almost four years later, I still think the DVD was the best concert in my life. That is, taking into consideration that I went to see them, against all odds, in NYC in 2006. It's not that the concert was bad, it was one of the best days in my life. It's that to me, the DVD is so good that I can't get enough of it. The band plays perfectly, the connection with the crowd is real, the choice of songs is fantastic, the sound is epic, the transitions that go along with songs, including colors, angles and views of the crowd and the band are nothing but exciting and bright. If there's any DVD I would ever recommend, it's this one. It's the closest you'll come to live the Coldplay experience if you haven't got the chance to live it already.
Customer Review: Wow. That's all I have to say.
Not only is the music CD great, but the DVD packs quite the punch. The only tiny thing that bugged me was how the CD didn't have every song off of the DVD, but I guess that's what makes the DVD that much better. If you like Coldplay, but this DVD, you will not regret it. Best $20 musical purchase I've made in a long time.

Here today, gone tomorrow, bars have a reputation for short-term success. But a few have the ability to ride the times and keep on top of the game.

Ten years ago, I was sitting in The Groucho Club one late summers evening discussing with a now well known haute couture designer, the new wave of drinking culture that was enveloping the capital, arguing that London really had never been so exciting. Up until that point, drinks were very much a secondary element of the overall experience wine was simply white or red, beer came only in a pint glass and vodka was whatever paint-stripper the barman chose to pour. But in the nineties, we were on the cusp of a cocktail movement. New-world wines were making the Chardonnay and Shiraz as commonplace as the Bordeaux, while new conceptual drinks like Red Bull were seriously shaking up the market, broadening peoples drinking landscape and challenging us to think about drinking as more of a lifestyle. Slowly, what was behind the bar appeared to be taking over the focus of the night. People were whispering rumours of late night bars that were open into the wee hours, where glamourous glitterati rubbed hips with the international jet-set over Manhattans and Martinis. They, along with The Groucho, were the places everyone wanted to be seen and their popularity seemed untouchable to all but the most cynical.

Of course, everything has a lifespan, we cynically agreed: fashion is dead in a season, and a fashionable bar well you wouldnt want to bet the house on it would you? We both concluded that fashions simply cant last and those bars, which today were the subject of snaking queues, would quickly turn to yesterdays news as would the drinks that were being quaffed within. Of course, in most cases we werent far wrong. Mondo, Saint, Titanic, Riki Tik... all have fallen by the wayside having once been celebrity favourites of their day. Many others have turned from exclusive A-list excellence to godawful tourist tat. The Gin Sling became the Sea Breeze became the Bramble became the Vanilla Mojito

But its not all doom and gloom. Today, another ten years hence, I am back in the same leather couch of the same Groucho, and ordering from the menu a Red Bull, a drink whose ability to transcend fads and trends seems to symbolise the aspirations of nightlife culture. It has history and heritage and has attained almost timeless appeal. Fashionable works for a while, but every owner, manager and promoter hopes and strives for one thing ultimately and that is to be the next classic. Because the classics, while small in number, exist on a plain far superior to fashion. Dotted amongst the sprawling community of one-off wonders that populate the bar world, a few classics really have stood the test of time, riding the cyclical waves to achieve immortal credibility. The Groucho is one of those timeless classics. Through the years it has always been at the top of its game, its members list comprising the same names that populate the pages of the celebrity press together with the successful and powerful in the world of media.

Nowadays, octogenarian founder members sit comfortably alongside young achievers and its long-term future would appear to be set in stone. Embassy is another long-time winner or more to the point, its ever-present Rock n Roll proprietor, Mark Fuller, who ran the original Embassy twenty years ago with equal success. This most recent incarnation of one of Londons most famous clubs, now with a fine dining restaurant that counts among the capitals very best, and glitzy nightclub in the basement, is a rare constant in the oscillating world of the fashionable. Another face that has always been associated with bar and club supremacy is Jake Panayiotou who ran original celebrity hot-spot, Browns for a decade before moving on in its hay-day. His last few years at the helm of the Wellington Club in Knightsbridge have seen the age-old members club climb to yet new heights. But its not only members clubs that can battle through the ages unscathed. Music-led venues such as Medicine Bar in Islington, Bar Rumba, The Cross, Bar Vinyl and The End have all proved their mettle, while the likes of Hanover Grand, The Gardening Club and Iceni have collapsed into the annuls of hip history.

So, what is it that sets the one-hit-wonders apart from the immortals? What makes a classic? Three characteristics seem to pump through the veins of all the long-term winners.

Quality, choice and adaptability, says Cas, The Grouchos pre-eminent bar manager, as he deftly shakes up cocktails from behind the bar. You have to offer a quality experience in the drinks, the music, the food and the people. You must give customers what they want and you have to adapt to the times. Subtly underlining the point, my Red Bull silently arrives at the table on its own tray, dressed with a single, perfectly folded napkin.

Can staying power really be so simple to achieve? With twenty years of success behind The Groucho, the club is quite an authority on the subject, but it was Darwin who concluded that the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting to their environment. Sounds pretty familiar to me and, lets face it, you cant argue with Darwin.

HERE TO STAY

Our selection of bars that we think will still be doing it in ten years time

MAYFAIR: Embassy

An all-round club for the all-round socialite, Embassy offers food on a par with Michelin starred restaurants, drinks that are as good as any great cocktail bar, a basement club and a guestlist that could double as a whos who of London.

COVENT GARDEN: The End & AKA

One of the capitals most respected dance music venues, with Mr C behind its success. Music is always ahead of its time and drinks are a world away from most dance music venues.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE: Wellington Club

With over 100 years of history, The Wellington has been reborn as an exclusive hangout for the citys hippest. Lounge bar and club rolled into one and popular with the paps and the press alike.

WEST: Woodys

On the banks of Londons longest canal, Woodys has become accepted as the members bar for the music industry. Three floors of food drink and dance with a collection of the best music and cocktail mixologists in the country.

ISLINGTON: Medicine Bar

It was the bar that put Islington on the credible map. One of the original DJ bars that has been made a home to the clubbing community of the 1990s.

CAMDEN: Bar Vinyl

Reputedly the first DJ bar in London, Bar Vinyl combines a record shop with the only bar in Camden really worth its salt. The bar is minuscule, but the offering is enormous and the future is vast.

SHOREDITCH: Home

One of the originators of the Shoreditch movement, Home made its mark before all of the others and continues to hold its own. It has moved from a scraggly basement bar to a slick, but funky cocktail bar and restaurant and continues to define the times.

SOHO: The Groucho

A favourite media hangout, The Groucho is like a party in your own front room with the kind of people that anybody would eat their own right arm to have turn up at their party. Now with a more modern bar on the first floor to complement the leather and wood ground floor classic, it is a members bar that suits all and bound to see in another twenty year term.

HOXTON: Zigfrid

A newcomer to the Hoxton set, Zigfrid is most likely to be here in ten years. Brainchild of leading bar designer, Paul Daly, it appeals to the more creative Hoxtonians and since the district is a hotbed of creativity, its proving pretty popular.

FITZROVIA: Social

A collaboration between bar gurus The Breakfast Group and music gurus, Heavenly Social, this backstreet concrete bunker of a bar offers some of the best DJ-led and live music about. Now with sister venues in Islington and Nottingham, Social is destined for a big future.

Jeremy Mascarenhas has been editorial director of the seminal London Bar Guide magazine http://www.londonbarguide.com for 10 years. He is also global editor of The World Bar Guide, an online guide to the best bars in the world http://www.worldbarguide.com, publisher of The Big Directory (a bar industry bible) and a freelance drinks marketing consultant. He has worked with most of the leading drinks groups including Red Bull, Mot Hennessy, Diageo, Brown Foreman, Budweiser, Asahi, Tiger Beer and Grand Marnier. Through his publishing company Scene It, as well as the London Bar Guide, he has published guides to Sherry, UK nightlife, cocktails, Japanese restaurants, the much lauded London Restaurant Guide and much more besides.

dance music charts

Coldplay (A Rush of Blood to the Head, Group) Music Poster Print - 24" X 36"

We bring you the best selection of Movie Posters, Music Posters, Sports Posters, Art Prints, Television Posters, College Humor, and more! This is the premier destination for finding entertainment posters. Find authentic movie advertisements, increase your celebrity photo and poster collection, locate that missing pop idol piece you need to complete your set, or discover rare concert sheets from your favorite musicians and bands. Whether its that one rare framed art print youve been looking for, or you need to wallpaper your dorm room with the hottest, sexiest posters, this is the place to find everything. Brand new, perfect condition, fast shipping! Buy from the best!!!

An Exciting new series of Learn to Dance instructional videos which has encouraged learn to dance and fitness is rapidly being recognized. In an era poorly populated with "well being and healthy culture" dancing is an exciting innovation to lifestyle. It provides fitness with friendship and a new outlook in life.

Cha cha is a dance of the Latin American vogue of ballroom dancing where it is has become known as Cha Cha. In general Cha cha is a charismatic dance and a joy to watch. Inspired by television programs like Dancing with the Stars the ChaCha and other forms of dancing are now being learn in the home.

Rumba is another of the dances. American style rumba is characterized by the hip movement arising from the bending and straightening of the knee. Rumba is a sensual Latin dance, It is considered erotic for its hip movement and relatively slow rhythm. It is a slower dance and perhaps that is what adds sensuality.

Tango. The complex figures of this style became the basis for the style of Tango seen in the touring stage shows. The dance was simplified and adapted to the preferences of conventional ballroom dancers. Most Dance Instructors recognize that lessons needed to be easy to learn and the new methods have captured the true spirit of the dance.

Salsa. The dance steps currently being danced to salsa music come from the "Son" but were influenced by many other Cuban dances such as Mambo. Solo salsa steps are called "Shines." Salsa can be an improvised dance, taking any form the interpreter wishes. The free flowing pattens of salsa add a sexy feel to this ever popular dance.

The waltz has been danced for centuries in many forms. It has evolved to be a dance of grace and elegance. The Waltz is recognized as smooth and graceful dance and it is characterized primarily by its rise & fall action. The Waltz has a unique freedom of expression, including the ability to showcase character and theatrical presentation.

Samba. The festive mood and style of the dance fits most of today's popular music. Samba is a fun dance that has kept popular to this day. The dance can go from average to a very fast pace. The dancer simply follows the beat of the music whilst an Instructor adds easy moves and technique depending on the mood of the music.

Foxtrot is a universal and social dance and may be danced to wide range of music. Unlike slow Foxtrot, it is easy to learn and can be danced on a crowded dance floor. It is seen as one of the great social dances and can be danced to medium and fast music tempo's. The ease of learning is wonderfully expressed by any would be dancer.

Jive was introduced to competitions in 1968 as the fifth dance in the latin section. Jive is characterized by its upbeat tempo. It is an energetic dance with dance steps taking in the triple step, one set forward and the other set back. The introduction of unique step-by-step learning has made this vibrant dance an easy dance to learn.

In conclusion, Dance Schools and Professional Dance Coaches have provided innovative and complimentary new methods to the art of learning to dance. New techniques are available for people to learn to dance at home. There is hours of fun that will combine cardiac and physical fitness with the joy of dance.

Subscribe for Free Video Clips of eight new Learn to Dance at home DvD lessons and Learn to Dance with Louis Van Amstel of Dancing with the Stars Fame.

Alan (AL) Smith is an Australian dancer and is working to distribute the collection worldwide from his website LearnToDanceDvD.blogspot.com

AL believes that learning in the home is a pleasant way to surprise friends with a new found talent.

latin music video

Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]

After wrapping up her world-wide sold out Oral Fixation Tour, Shakira is back with the LIVE CONCERT Blu-ray that captures it all. Viewed by over 2M people in 36 countries, Shakira delivers all of her smashes, such as "La Tortura"(featuring Alejandro Sanz), "Hips Don't Lie" (featuring Wyclef Jean), "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes". Fans can witness Shakira shifting gracefully from the hypnotic hip-swaying siren to the all-out rock star in love with her guitar.

TRACK LISTING:
1.Intro/Estoy Aqui
2.Te Dejo Madrid
3.Don't Bother
4.Antologia
5.Hey You
6.Inevitable
7.Si Te Vas
8.La Tortura (featuring Alejandro Sanz)
9.NO
10.Whenever, Wherever
11.La Pared
12.Underneath Your Clothes
13.Pies Descalzos
14.Ciega, Sordomuda
15.Ojos Asi
16.Hips Don't Lie(featuring Wyclef Jean)

BONUS FOOTAGE:
"Barefoot": a 20-minute documentary focusing on Shakira's nonprofit organization, shot in Colombia
"Around The World in 397 Days": a 5-minute behind-the-scenes exclusive

BONUS VIDEOS:
OBTENER UN SÍ(LIVE)
LA PARED(LIVE)
LAS DE LA INTUICIÓN

BONUS AUDIO CD TRACKS:
1.Intro
2.Estoy Aqui
3.Don't Bother
4.Inevitable
5.La Pared
6.Hips Don't Lie

VIDEO/AUDIO SPECS:
Full 1080p24 High Definition Picture
PCM (uncompressed) Stereo
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (640 pbps) PCM (uncompressed) 5.1 Surround Sound
Customer Review: Fantastic
This DVD along with Live and Off the Record are simply fantastic. Shakira is the whole package from the voice of an Angel to a body...well, that's out of this world!! How could you not love this goddess!!!!!
Customer Review: Bought it for the price. Ended up liking it.
It was available for less than fifteen so I picked it up. I liked Shakira's first major Spanish album before her international success. I hadn't really listened to her newer stuff. When I put it in I was pleasantly surprised. The visuals are great and the sound is even better. To be honest I do skip a few songs whenever I watch it but I still consider it a good purchase for the price.

Yogafit founder Beth Shaw has compiled an exquisite set of intoxicating grooves featuring female vocalists. Created to enhance the experience of yoga, dance or late-night listening with your sweetie, Angels Voices is sure to click in your pulse as a relaxes your mind. Award-winning DJs the Gordon Brothers mixed this entrancing selection of tracks to maximize the mystical union of body, mind, heart and spirit. Juicy world beat rhythms drive magical melodies and lay the foundation for showcasing the deliciously sensual vocals of electronic stars such as Suzanne Sterling, Sophia, Darshini, Irina Mikhailova and Helene Horlyck.

While I've reviewed a number of the CDs this music comes from, compilations such as Angels Voices are always a great way to introduce people to music that they might not otherwise know about. Helene Horlyck, for example, is featured on Achillea: The Nine Worlds. Achillea is Enigma co-founder Gens Gad, so if you love to groove with Enigma (I'm a huge fan) you're sure to love tracks such as "Cape Porcupine," "Odin's Hill" or "Staraja Ladoga." Keyboards, outrageous guitar licks and loads of seductive percussion make these tracks, and everything on Angels Voices, a delight for the senses.

I would also like to point out the group Hands Upon Black Earth. Though they have yet to release a solo album, the succulent grooves and enchanting vocals of Irina Mikhailova on "Aroha Eternal" and Suzanne Sterling on "The Star and the Snake" are hopeful signs of more to come from this mysterious, inventive collective.

An excellent choice for active movement, including Sweat Your Prayers and other forms of sacred dance, Angels Voices is sure to quicken the pulse and awakened the kundalini life force. It's also a superb introduction to the Sequoia Groove releases on Sequoia Records, all of which I highly recommend.

Steve Ryals has been writing music reviews since 1994, and to date has published more than 1200. Steve specializes in World Beat, Native American, New Age, Meditation, Contemporary Instrumental, Chanting, Devotional Singing, and more. He currently writes two music reviews every month as part of his Drunk with Wonder Newsletter. To sign up for his FREE newsletter go to http://www.drunkwithwonder.com

latin music artist

Puro Huetamo

GL Bluex Womens Bluetooth MP3 Watch

The GL Bluex time pieces are as much electronic Swiss army knife as Swiss watch. Listen up to 1,000 or more of your favorite tunes on your wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset while never missing a call from your mobile phone. Record and listen to your voice messages. Store your music files, picture files, and important documents so that you can take them with you wherever you go. One more thing...you can also tell the time. With the Audiophile in mind, the G-Lite Premiere Bluetooth Stereo Headset captures the essence of superb wireless sound quality at an affordable price point. Stylish and comfortable, the G-Lite Premiere works with any Bluetooth enabled device to deliver high fidelity listening at home or on the go. The over the ear earpiece mutes out unwanted background noise. Available options include a 3.5mm Bluetooth Adapter and USB Bluetooth Adapter for your PC.

So you know you want to buy a ringtone, but have no idea what kind to look for? Many sites offer a wide variety of different ringtones for numerous cellular carriers, including Ringing Phone and MonsterTones. Take the following quiz to help narrow down what type of ringtones you should shop for:

1. I listen to music like _____:

a. cheetahs run after prey.

b. cats drink milk.

c. dogs bite mailmen.

d. cows eat grass.

2. The kind of music I like listening to when working out is:

a. danceable pop music

b. head bobbing hip hop

c. aggressive rock

d. whatever is on the radio

3. My Ipod:

a. has thousands of songs from all different styles.

b. has a good variety of songs, but I dont download often.

c. has only my favorite songs.

d. I dont have one yet, but Im hoping to win one from RingingPhone (see author box).

4. A night on the town must include:

a. dancing at a night club

b. dinner at an elegant restaurant

c. bellying up to the bar at a watering hole

d. tossing out $10 for a flick

5. I think dancing:

a. is the best way to express yourself

b. is good fun if the time is right

c. is for those who like it, not me

d. looks stupid and is silly

Scoring for questions:
A: 5 points
B: 3 points
C: 2 points
D: 1 point

If you scored:
20-25 points: You are club royalty. You dont go to the party, the party comes to you. Your personality is very outgoing, and you know that you only have one life to live. The music you like to hear is danceable, fresh, and always tearing up the hottest night spots around the world.
Recommended Ringtone: Disco Inferno by 50 Cent, Rap ringtones, Dance ringtones

15-19 points: You enjoy being out and about, but as a change of pace rather than as a standard. Dancing and being out with your friends is fun if the mood is right. While you can be a major extrovert, you first have to adjust to the surroundings. You like listening to music and have an eclectic collection, but you dont always follow the latest trends.
Recommended Ringtone: U Dont Have to Call by Usher or other R&B ringtones

10-14 points: Although you dont hit the town often, it is a blast when you do. People see you as a quiet type, but those who really know you see a bit of a wild streak. You have a strong opinion and arent afraid to express what you think. While you listen to music frequently, you have a small list of favorites that you play again and again.
Recommended Ringtone: One Step Closer by Linkin Park or Rock ringtones

5-9 points: Youre the type of person who does their own thing, is very opinionated, and has no fear of telling people what you think. You like being around people, but sometimes doing something solo is cool, too. The type of music you tend to listen to is a little under the radar to your friends, but you enjoy being on the cutting edge of what is out there.
Recommended Ringtone: Take It Away by The Used or Alternative ringtones

Jonathan Bentz is an Associate Editor of the Cool Ringtones Blog and has downloaded 39 ringtones in the last month on his new Samsung camera phone. Check out MonsterTones for all the hottest ringtones. Enter promo code MJKB0 for a buy one, get one free special. Also, check out Ringing Phone.com for information on how to win an IPod Nano.

80's dance music

Butterfly Cocktail

Recently, from an opportunity in the Daily Mail I was fortunate enough to have an exclusive dancing session with none other than the very talented celebrity dancer Vincent Simone. He was simply one of the best teacher's one could hope to meet to learn the intricate steps involved in dancing. Vincent Simone is a World class Latin American dancer and I am a mere novice.

In this chaotic and fast paced lifestyle that we all seem to live isn't it about time that we create a space for ourselves to give more 'me time' and have more fun. What better way than learning to dance by exercising the body and calming our thoughts or more importantly to release the frantic ever active mind into the ever beating heart.

When we are healthy and radiating positive energy we literally attract a feeling of well-being and like a magnet draw pleasurable experiences into our lives. Conversely, if we are tired, stressed or feeling low in energy we may need to learn how to convert the negative energy into a blissful state and dance could be one of the ways to achieve this.

When you are dancing to enhance your mood it may help to visualise the seven colours of the chakras.

RED Passion

Visualise the colour red when dancing the Argentina Tango can help you to access the passion to give more energy and liveliness to this dance. When learning the technique coupled with the accentuated movements and maintaining the powerful posture. Tango is the uniquely intoxicating 'forbidden dance', a story of two people connecting passion and romance.

ORANGE Sensuality

Visualise the colour Orange when performing the Rumba can help with this slow, sensuous dance that has an almost teasing and rejecting quality between the two people involved. It has a rhythmical slow Latin beat with gyrating hip actions and dance expression that is more moody and has a serious quality.

YELLOW Confidence

Visualise the colour Yellow when dancing the Cha-Cha which is a happy, carefree dance expressing dynamic confidence and empowering everyone as they dance these steps. With the Cha-Cha's forward and back movements depicting the essence of give and take between the couple.

GREEN Compassion

Visualise the colour Green when performing the Swing as it is a lively, energetic tempo with accentuated movements of the hips and thighs. Imagine the rhythm of the Swing keeping in unison with the deep resonating beat of your heart.

BLUE Communicative

Visualise the colour Blue when dancing the Foxtrot similar to the blue sky or blue water that ripples downstream and flows with the music. The seductive slow tempo encourages the releasing of control and the willingness to surrender and communicate your deepest emotions.

INDIGO Imagination

Visualise the colour Indigo when dancing the Samba as it is a lively rhythmical dance that requires light-footed, circular movements of the hips and shoulders as you match and mirror your partner. The vivacious pulsating beat of the Samba creates seductive and animated movements that almost appear animal like.

WHITE Elegance

Visualise the colour White when dancing the Waltz with extreme charm, poise and elegance as you imagine Swans floating across the water gracefully creating breathtaking spectacle majestically gliding across the dance floor with ease.

The Art of learning to dance is a step-by-step process of leader and follower that requires trust, respect and timing creating a musical symphony that expresses the spirit of the dance between two people as they move as one.

The freedom that the dance gives releases the body, mind and soul that captivates the imagination of the audience and I am truly hooked on learning to dance.

Susie Newman, author of Simple Guide to the Chakras at http://stores.lulu.com/simpleguidetothechakras designed to show you how to heal and balance the seven chakras coupled with powerful meditations. She is currently working on other projects helping to integrate tools and techniques to encourage awareness and enhance day-to-day living.

latin music artists

Last Salutation

Customer Review: LOVE IT
Ok... LET ME START WITH...I WAS ON TOUR WITH THIS GUY. I very rarely GO IN TO "WATCH" THE SHOWS, BUT RANDY DREW ME IN. The kind of music that sweeps you off your feet. I WILL always love this cd. and I will always admire Randy. Soooper Smooth music. Soooper Doooper Oooper Artist!

Imagine a backdrop of a vast ocean with surging waves for a grand dance called The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea. Or picture a fairyland landscape and palace for a dance called Grinding an Iron Pestle Down to a Needle. These are but two of the many classic creations used as a backdrop by NTDTV for its Chinese New Year Spectacular show playing at New York City Radio City Music Hall from February 14 17.

Tranquil artistic concepts from Chinese paintings and the magnanimous charisma of Western paintings are combined with a hi-tech application of traditional art, photo-electricity and projection used as backdrops. The combination makes for a rare delight of artistic performances. It is not surprising that the show ranked 7th on Billboard Magazines top 10 shows in Feb 2006 based on ticket sales for the 2006 shows at Radio City Music Hall.

Li Wencheng, head of the New England Monte Jade Science and Technology Association, said, The backdrop for the NTDTV Chinese New Year Show is indeed rather unique and the skillful application of projection and photo-electricity has to be the creation of an expert.

The backdrop makers of the NTDTV show have extended the effect of our backdrops to its extreme, noted Radio Citys Manager.

The enormous background screen used during NTDTVs Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall has the effect of bringing the audience into the performance. In a typical stage setting, it is difficult to create a multidimensional effect, even with a large number of performers. The space on stage has limitations, and stage props also often give people a feeling of things being faked.

However, when Soprano-Alto Yang Jiansheng sings a vocal solo, she stands alone on the stage with no accompanying dance or stage props. However, the magnificent backdrop makes the audience feel as though they are right in the midst of the performance.

For example, in the 2006 Chinese New Year Spectacular, throughout the show the backdrop kept changing along with each performance, from misty rain, pavilions and towers, to the water-bound country in south China to shining spears and armored horses and famous mountains and rivers; from green bamboo and red flowers and the change of four seasons to the sun, the moon, the stars and the auspicious clouds in the highest heavens.

Colorful events that took place in the thousands of years of Chinese history were replayed to perfection on stage. The design of the backdrops was definitely the creation of an expert. The backdrops did not use dominant color themes to supersede the performers on the stage. Instead, they provided a very logical and harmonious artistic atmosphere.

Audiences of all ages and walks of life are guaranteed to be impressed by the backdrops in the 2007 show at Radio City Music Hall. Whether for the artistic and technologically advanced use of the screen or the magnificent performances, it is a show you dont want to miss!

Yi Xin is a computer technician, an avid martial artist with a penchant for Chinese History. For more info about the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular in your area, please visit:

http://shows.ntdtv.com

http://www.ntdtv.com

latin music lyrics

Into the Light World Tour

Captured during a two-night stand at a Dutch arena, this 100-minute concert special documents Gloria Estefan's lavish 1991 world tour, which underscored the Cuban-American singer's graduation from acclaim as a dance-floor diva to the ranks of female pop superstars. At its best, Into the Light World Tour displays the relentless energy, personal warmth, and crack musicianship that Estefan and her husband, producer, and principal collaborator, Emilio Estefan Jr., had evolved through her old band, the Miami Sound Machine, and taken uptown through her solo career. When the star and her band kick into high gear, percussion simmering and horns blazing in taut, deftly arranged choruses, the propulsive lure of salsa is hard to resist.

Technically, Estefan is a singer with a supple tone but modest range, hardly suggesting the caliber expected of a bona fide diva. Neither does her small, compact frame suggest a dancer's physique, despite the production's reliance on extended dance sequences. Yet she makes the most with what she has, harnessing formidable physical energy and transmitting considerable warmth to her audience. Her material, including both Miami Sound Machine hits and subsequent solo signatures, works best when staying closest to her roots, riding the giddy syncopations of uptempo Latin rhythms, or plying the lambent emotions of traditional ballads. Her exhortations to dance--"Get on Your Feet," "Conga," and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" being the inevitable faves--work handily with an ecstatic audience.

More grizzled viewers should be forewarned that this, like most recent concert films, isn't purely documentary--apart from backstage sequences that duly flatter the star, the live sound has been liberally sweetened during post-concert production. --Sam Sutherland
Customer Review: A great concert
I never actually saw this video. I was at the concert. The concert was awesome, so if this video does a decent job of capturing it, then it should be great too.
Customer Review: Gloria is the best and so are her concerts
Gloria is the best singer ever. On stage she's a divette. She's the best and so are her shows. The way she sings live is great, and so is her dancing. The band is great too. They know how to play and everybody goes wild in the audience!!!!!!!Always!!!!! I love her with all my heart and soul, 4 ever.....

Few songs that break the rules of pop songwriting ever achieve mainstream success. Deviate from the predictable verse/chorus structure in 4/4 time arranged for a basic grouping of guitar/keyboards, bass and drums, and you can pretty much guarantee being marginalized. During a 20-year period from roughly 1965-1985, however - a period that witnessed a flowering of musical creativity and widespread openness to experimentation - it was possible to break the rules and have a hit record. Here are ten unlikely hits from that period.

Good Vibrations - Beach Boys - 1966, #1

Brian Wilson spent six months and an unheard of $50,000 perfecting this pop masterpiece. While it starts out with the usual verse/chorus alternation, it moves into a contrasting section that could be a bridge except that it moves on to something yet different. The music quiets down to a hush - highly unusual for the middle of an uptempo song - before the voices launch back into the chorus. Rather than fade out on the chorus at this point (the standard formula), a completely new section intercedes before the outer space theremin from the chorus returns minus the vocals to lead the fade-out.

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane - 1967, #8

This quintessential example of pyschedelia is built on an unusual AAB structure. In the first half, the melody follows a folk song pattern: rather than a chorus, the two verses each conclude with a melodic tag. The song then breaks free from this structured section and moves into something that feels more improvisatory. The melody rises higher as the music intensifies and climaxes with the final phrase repeated twice.

Suite Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash - 1969, #21

True to its name, this is a mini-suite of four contrasting sections: ABCD. There are no choruses, only a changing sequence of verses. After slowing in the B section, the rhythm picks up in the C section. The sequence of verses becomes condensed in section D, propelling the music to its climax.

Black Dog - Led Zeppelin - 1969, #15

A song in which the music keeps stopping and starting breaks the rule of continuity, but there is a play between symmetry and asymmetry in the structure of "Black Dog" that is both surprising and satisfying. The structure is: A (verse three times) / B (instrumental) / A (verse two times plus "ah ah" melody) / C (contrasting bridge). Then the entire structure is repeated.

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - Paul McCartney & Wings - 1971, #1

Two disparate songs were combined to create this study in contrasts. The opening, slower "Uncle Albert" song is comprised of three verses, two sung and one spoken. The second song, "Admiral Halsey," by contrast, is uptempo and uses a verse/chorus structure. But McCartney further plays with our expectations by putting the chorus first, and instead of a second verse he goes into a third contrasting section in an even faster tempo ("little little be a gypsy"), before returning to the chorus.

Living in the Past - Jethro Tull - recorded 1969 but released 1972, #11

Money - Pink Floyd - 1973, #13

These two songs used unorthodox time signatures: 5/4 and 7/4 respectively (Apparently the irregular beat did not interfere with general public's ability to enjoy the music). The clever use of cash register sounds to set the rhythm in "Money" is also an unusual introduction for a song.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen - 1975, #2

The blending of a soulful ballad, a rousing rock-out section, and a tongue-in-cheek opera make this virtuosic song an unlikely hit, but it has become one of the most enduring songs of the 20th century. Probably no other popular song has captured the essence of the surreal so well.

O Superman - Laurie Anderson - 1981, #2 (U.K.)

Everything about this song, from its half sung/half spoken lyrics to its vocoder vocals to its minimalist arrangement and rhythmic pulse built from repetitions of the sound "ha" cry out "anti-pop." Yet its eccentricity was its charm. Groups like Kraftwerk, the B52s and Devo were also having success with eccentric, anti-pop music during this period.

When Doves Cry - Prince - 1984, #1

Prince had to fight hard to stand his ground against Warner executives who could not imagine that a dance song without a bass part could be successful. But the brilliant omission of the bass line heightens the plangent, high register cries of his voice at the end of each chorus. With the minimal arrangement - drums, vocals and simple keyboard motive (augmented by strings in the final chorus) - Prince distills the music into its most basic elements: the percussive rhythm and the expressive lament of the voice.

While many artists continue to write music that isn't a slave to pop song format, such songs have largely vanished from the hit charts since the mid 1980s. Musically, the public has become much more conventional, shifting its focus from musicality to image and celebrity, which increases the pressure on artists to stick to the formula. Perhaps we'll someday see a resurgence of mainstream music that isn't afraid to break the rules.

More music articles at Song of Fire (obergh.net/songoffire)

latin music artist

Scientist

Taken from the 2002 album, 'A Rush of Blood to the Head'. This exclusive Euro pressing includes both of the B-sides found on the UK edition, 'I Ran Away' & '1.36' but also includes a live version of their first single, 'In My Place' recorded live in Manch
Customer Review: Must-have for any coldplay fan
I only give it 4 stars because I don't like to give 5 stars to anything unless it has life-altering capabilities (e.g. OK Computer). The live version of "In My Place" is nice, but nothing unusual. The 3rd track, "1.36" is an energetic number, but nothing spectacular. The fourth song, "I Ran Away," is pure and beautiful. Although it's production is a little raw, this song is the sole reason you must buy this single. In my opinion, Coldplay still hasn't put out a bad song, from the Safety EP, to both studio albums, to every last b-side. It's ALL good. Also, make sure you buy this particular release, because it's the only one with the live version of "In My Place." By the way, I just saw Coldplay in concert last week. If you ever get a chance to see them live, you have to go. One of the best shows I've ever seen.

The Birmingham ArtsFest is an annual festival that features the best in arts and entertainment that the West Midlands have to offer. This festival was inspired by the UitMarkt festival in Amsterdam. It was first held in 1998 with the purpose of showcasing the local artists' work and brings international attention to these talents.

ArtsFest is collaboration between the Birmingham City Council and Audience Central, a research agency dedicated to promoting and improving people's participation in the West Midlands' arts scene. In 2005 however, the Birmingham City Council started organizing the festival on its own.

The celebrations primarily take place at Centenary Square but activities are also held at Victoria Square, Custard Factory, Brindleyplace and Chamberlain Square.

The 2007 festival highlights are the giant air sculpture and an Arts Village. The air sculpture, called the Luminarium is a gigantic construction of tunnels and domes that can be explored by visitors. The Visual Arts Village features a wide array of artistic creations ranging from print-making to sculpture.

Activities are varied depending on which cluster area you are visiting. The areas and their respective events for the 2007 festival are as follows:

Centenary Square - in Centenary Square, featured performances are:

1. Painting on the Railings where local artists sold affordable artwork to visitors.
2. Drum voice orchestra and kiss the ceiling accapella singers. This is where performances from African orchestra and an accapella group make the celebrations even more festive.
3. Acrobatic arts performances
4. The Birmingham St. Patrick's Festival
5. Performance from the Birmingham Young Voices choir.

Chamberlain and Victoria Square Cluster - In this cluster you can witness the following:

1. A comedy performance at the Custard Balti Comedy Club
2. A singing workshop at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
3. A dance performance showcasing an eclectic mix of dance styles presented by the Windsor Dance company.
4. A drama performance and a presentation featuring a combination of World music and poetry.

Brindleyplace Cluster - The Brindley Place cluster events included:

1. A children's street dance performance based on "High School Musical."
2. A fun carnival workshop where visitors could learn mask-making and such similar activities.
3. A family-oriented and hands-on activities centered on a carnival theme.
4. A fashion show held at the Brindleyplace fountain.

Rep Cluster and CBSO Cluster - Activities in this area includes:

1. A workshop on t-shirt printing and badge-making.
2. A den-making activity where kids can make their own hideouts.
3. A songwriting workshop, storytelling, poetry and musical activities for children.
4. A Jazz-Latin performance
5. The Make your Mark with Art event, where visitors are asked to help make artwork to raise funds for charity.

St. Martin's and Eastside Cluster - The St. Martin and Eastside cluster featured events such as:

1. The revitalization of oral traditions through storytelling
2. A steelpans musical performance backed by Caribbean dancers doing street dance.
3. An exhibit of clay sculpture and a clay workshop.
4. The Festival of Extreme Building where a display of experimental buildings were showcased.

A street theater festival was also another highlight of the 2007 ArtsFest where performances and activities ranging from walkabout characters to circus troupe shows were featured.

For accommodation in Birmingham please visit: BirminghamHotels.me.uk. For more options HotelsBirmingham.org.uk

90s dance music

Puro Huetamo

GL Bluex Womens Bluetooth MP3 Watch

The GL Bluex time pieces are as much electronic Swiss army knife as Swiss watch. Listen up to 1,000 or more of your favorite tunes on your wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset while never missing a call from your mobile phone. Record and listen to your voice messages. Store your music files, picture files, and important documents so that you can take them with you wherever you go. One more thing...you can also tell the time. With the Audiophile in mind, the G-Lite Premiere Bluetooth Stereo Headset captures the essence of superb wireless sound quality at an affordable price point. Stylish and comfortable, the G-Lite Premiere works with any Bluetooth enabled device to deliver high fidelity listening at home or on the go. The over the ear earpiece mutes out unwanted background noise. Available options include a 3.5mm Bluetooth Adapter and USB Bluetooth Adapter for your PC.

“Play us something from home,” shouted a keyed up fan from the back of the audience who hoped to hear some traditional jigs.

I came from home,” growled the soloist. “Our house burnt to the ground. I’ll play something from there, if you want to get schnitty.”

Ashley Mac Isaac isn’t famous for his tactfulness. But he's a damn good fiddler.

After hearing the request for songs from his native Cape Breton Island, he said, “Most of the music I played (as a child) was for funerals. So I’ll play something up-tempo like that," he sneered, then a smile cropped emerged. "This next tune is called ‘My Home.’ ” He played a traditional Cape Breton song with a rock band backup, an intense mix he created in the mid-90's with his chart-topping album, "Hi, How Are You Today?"

Once the song was finished, he quickly shot his characteristic and expected middle-finger "gesture" at the person near the back who had made the request. Then Ashley continued to create some of the most remarkable fiddle music I’ve ever heard! Like many others in the audience, I was confused and awkwardly amused by his startling polarity!

Ashley’s not a “pretty boy” like many other pop stars and teen icons. No sparkling jumpsuits or nose jobs here. He wears a ball cap, sometimes hidden by the hood of his sweater, baggy jeans and big rings. His face is scruffy and his voice is rough, but again, he can sure fiddle.

This performer doesn’t go out of his way to make eye contact and occasionally turned away from the audience during his solos, not unlike Miles Davis’ notorious performances. Come to think of it, I think he was even wearing sunglasses in the dark concert hall! But again, his remarkable fiddling more than made up for his detached stage presence.

Ashley won't make the audience feel warm and fuzzy inside with stock compliments like, “This town’s the best town I’ve ever played in.” In fact, this east-coaster poked fun at our local British Columbian politics and called attention to the fact that “such a lively crowd” hardly budged from their seats during his high-energy concert opening. I wholeheartedly agreed with him on that point since his fiddling was certainly deserving of some audience participation and not dancing was an insult to the fiddler.

And what a fiddler he is. Ashley has mastered his instrument with marvelous innovation.

Before the concert I expected his backward violin hold and unconventional technique would have gotten in the way of my appreciation of him as a violinist, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. His musicality, phrasing, and sense of style were phenomenal. He was up and down the neck of his instrument with such fluency as to lead a non-player to think it was incredibly easy.

There’s one word to describe Ashley MacIsaac’s playing: INTENSE. From lilting jigs to hard rock with fiddle solos, his intensity was electrifying. He'll never leap across the stage with enthusiasm and he only grugingly step-danced in the traditonal style, “hobbling and wobbling” as he put it. Even without the typical violinist's stage presence, he does give an electrifying, intense show and his attitude is fun.

Though his sound is rough and harsh, the subtle nuances like grace notes and other embellishments make his interpretation of traditional Celtic songs priceless. I was captured by his aggressive yet nimble bowing and laughed each time another few stands of hair came loose from his bow. He had to stop a few times to yank out the stray hairs from his balding instrument, during which he would babble on about everyday things.

He explained in great detail about his dinner earlier that night at a Chinese restaurant. “I had the ‘Lovers for Two Dinner.’ I was pretty full by the end of it. I don’t know what that has to with the next song.”

Neither did we.

He's also a smart-ass. His musical repetoire included musical gags from a violin wolf whistle to the chorus from La Cucharacha. His band didn't even seem to know what was going to happen next and I swear he played the traditional reel, "Fairy Dance," twice. No one seemed to notice or care.

Initially I was nervous that he's go too far with the edgy remarks, but I grew to appreciate his straightforward, honest approach to talking to the audience. His candid and direct remarks helped the audience warm up to him as a person, not just a pop star. It must be a Cape Breton thing: all the players I’ve seen from the island are “what you see is what you get” sort of people.

“I started playing fiddle when I was eight years old,” he said at the end of the show. “I’m 28. I’ve played for 20 years. That’s a good two-thirds of my life. I’ll be darn near one hundred by the time I’ve lived as much as I’ve played.”

Most of the audience was lost at this last remark, dazed expressions across our blank faces, but we all nodded slowly and asked for more fiddling.

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a professional violinist and music teacher who has enjoyed creative writing for years. She writes for two Canadian publications and Australia's "Music Teacher Magazine."

Her business, Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop, has won several distinguished young entrepreneur business awards and offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories and supplies for very reasonable prices: Visit http://www.fiddleheads.ca

dance dance music video

Coldplay

Everyone wants their wedding day to be special, unique and memorable, and weddings abroad are growing more frequent as young couples seek to avoid rainy days at home and seek out the most idyllic spots to say their vows. For those who like the sound of a Caribbean beach wedding, the natural choice is the island of Cuba. The island is so beautiful that plenty of newlyweds are tempted to spend their honeymoon in Cuba as well!

Some people are daunted by the thought of organizing a wedding abroad, but it doesn't have to be so difficult. Here are 5 of the most important things to get right for the perfect wedding in Cuba.

What you need

First, the boring part - paperwork. It may be the last thing you want to think about, but if you miss out a crucial document your day could be ruined! For a wedding in Cuba, the bride and groom both need to have:

-Copies of passports and birth certificates

-Details of their education, home address, employment and the full names of both parents

If the bride or groom is divorced or widowed, they need to have their Certificate of Divorce or their original Marriage Certificate and former spouse's Death Certificate. These need to be translated by the Cuban Consul, and the original copies taken to Cuba when you go to get married. Copies of these documents need to be faxed to your hotel three weeks before your arrival in Cuba.

Also, be sure to note that you need to be in Cuba for at least 72 hours before the ceremony begins, so use that as an excuse to arrive early and relax on the beach for a few days before your wedding in Cuba.

Where to get married

For most couples looking to plan a Cuban wedding, there are two clear choices - the city or the beach. Despite the temptations of a sunny beach ceremony, Havana can be a vibrant and romantic setting for a wedding in Cuba. Getting married in Havana can be like stepping back in time, with old fashioned cars and handsome colonial architecture. Despite the fact that Communism and religion have rarely got along very well, Havana has numerous beautiful stone churches that can be the perfect venue for a wedding in Cuba.

Those who want to get out of the city and have a Caribbean beach wedding will be spoilt for choice. Varadero is the most popular beach resort in Cuba, but Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Guardalavaca are all fine choices as well. Wherever you go, you are likely to find white sands, blazing sun and balmy tropical weather. But on the subject of the weather...

When to get married

The last thing you want on your wedding day is for it to pour down with rain. This is a problem most people expect to deal with if they are getting married in the UK, but not for a Caribbean beach wedding! It's an easy mistake to assume that Cuba is blazingly sunny all year round; as a subtropical country, it is subject to periodic bouts of torrential rain. The rainy season runs from May to October, and the island sometimes suffers hurricanes during this time as well.

You don't need to worry too much - even in the height of the rainy season in the wettest parts of the country there's rarely more than 7 rainy days a month. But for the best chance of a clear day for your wedding in Cuba, you might want to consider the 'shoulder months' of April or November, when it will still be hot and sunny but the chance of rain is greatly reduced.

What kind of dance

The married couple's first dance is one of the most memorable parts of any wedding, and choosing one of the many Cuban dances will add a little Latin spice to the occasion. There are plenty of styles to choose from, but most couples will be drawn to either Rumba or Salsa.

Guaganco Rumba is an overtly sensual dance where the man tries to 'catch' the woman with a vacunao, which is usually a flick of a handkerchief or a pelvic thrust. If you'd prefer something a little more genteel, Rumba Yambu (often know as "old people's Rumba") is a slower and more traditional way of dancing. For those who want a dance that is relatively simple and great fun, Salsa is the way to go. Whatever dance you choose, be sure to invest in a few lessons beforehand to make sure that you are up to scratch for your wedding in Cuba.

What to do on your honeymoon

If you travelled halfway round the world for your wedding, you might well consider staying for a honeymoon in Cuba as well. If you got married on the beach, a romantic city break in Havana can provide the perfect contrast. Of course, if you held the ceremony in the capital, it's the perfect time to find a cosy getaway on the coast.

For couples who want a more adventurous honeymoon in Cuba, swimming with dolphins, salsa holidays, horse riding and diving are all popular activities on the island. You might even want to time your trip with one of Cuba's big festivals, such as the Havana Jazz Festival in February or the Santiago de Cuba Carnival in July.

Whether you want the perfect beach wedding or a romantic honeymoon, a visit to Cuba can give you an experience to remember for the rest of your life.

Emma Lelliott is the general manager of Captivating Cuba, an independent Cuba holiday specialist. With offices in Havana and the UK, Captivating Cuba can help you tailor-make the perfect wedding in Cuba.

90s dance music

Going Somewhere

Percussion is the oldest form of music known to man. From the historic drum of the human heart to the archaic animal pelt drums of our ancestors, the primal beat of the drum stirs something ancient within our souls which can urge us on to dance, groove, or psyche us up to perform extraordinary feats.

The most prehistoric use of rhythm was to send our ancestors into a trance in order to procure a vision or reach a state of poetical flow to deliver stories of tribal lore and tales of life and to communicate over long distances between tribes. Not much has changed over the ages.

Although beats are now heard behind more modern and complicated instruments and covered with sonic production qualities from recording studios they have still maintained the same basic qualities and serve the same basic functions, to put us into a trance and achieve a poetical flow and to communicate over long distances. The poetical flow now takes the form of rap or singing, and the tales of life and "tribal lore" forms the lyrics. Long distance communication involves sending CD's over the world. But at the beating heart of the matter it's still the same as it was in the jungle.

So how can you use this information to create beats of your own?

Well keep in mind the basic fact that the beat is used to create a mood and feeling in the listener which will convey the emotion of the musicians.

The art of percussion is the art of manipulating time.

The rhythm of life is a powerful beat! Basically what you are trying to communicate through a beat is little pieces of transmitted life. As such, you have to capture life within you so that you can transmit it out through your music.

The only way to do this is to get out there! Experience life! Get yourself into as many situations as you can. Note how you feel, observe the beating of your heart when you are excited, when you are sad, when you are scared, when you are relaxed and happy.

Great musicians have the ability to create these same feelings in their listeners through their music.

Take your time!

As a percussionist you form the back bone of the song. As such, the soul that you put into your beat is going to radiate throughout the whole song.

If the same vibe is flowing through all the musicians the music will come out flowing and naturally. If there are disparate clashes of ego throughout the band perhaps it is time to regroup. Strongly opposite emotions are like to create clash within the music. Although sometimes this clash is the basis for the greatest music!

Basically the soundest advice is to put soul and life into your beats. These aspects radiate universally throughout the music into peoples hearts no matter what your level of technicality is.

Ant Onaf is a content producer in association with LearnClubDance.com (http://www.learnclubdance.com), a online retailer of instructional dance videos.

latin music festival

Rosetta Stone V3: Spanish (Latin America), Level 1

Why is Rosetta Stone the world's No. 1 language-learning software? Because it works.

Escape the endless tedium of translation, memorization, and grammar drills. Get the language you want, the skills you need and the success you deserve by learning a new language naturally--the same way you learned your first language.

	The complete immersion environment puts your native language-learning skills to work, eliminating your dependence on tedious translation and rote memorization.

	Images		Intuition
	In Rosetta Stone you learn the meaning of new language from clear, real-life images. In this activity you learn colors.		You advance using language you've learned and clues from new images. That's your intuition at work. Now that you know colors, you can easily grasp the meaning of the new words...
	Interactivity		Instruction
	Throughout Rosetta Stone, you constantly interact with the program to confirm your intuition. ...and then check what you've learned.		From beginning to end you build systematically toward your language-learning goals, for the most effective and enjoyable instruction anywhere. And finally, you get the fun of trying your new language in a real-life simulation. Speech recognition shows you exactly how you're doing.

You learned your first language without translation.
You learned your first language easily and naturally by connecting words to objects and events around you. With Rosetta Stone, learn a new language the same way: using native speakers and thousands of real-life images to help you think in the new language from the very beginning. Studies show that learning exclusively in the new language, without translation as a crutch, is crucial.

The exclusive Dynamic Immersion method reinforces your natural language-learning skills with award-winning instructional technology. Identify your learning goals, then choose customized courses that take you there.

The timeless immersion method, along with research-based techniques and new technologies, make Rosetta Stone the clear solution to your language-learning needs.

What will you be able to do?

Understand everyday language.
Through Rosetta Stone's proficiency-based listening and reading activities, you'll learn quickly.

Pronounce words correctly.
After practicing with Rosetta Stone's speech recognition and analysis tools, pronunciation will come easily.

Speak without a script.
Contextual Formation makes sure you have the confidence and cues you need to get the words out on the spot.

Spell and write accurately.
You'll build gradually from letters to words and sentences.

Engage in real-life conversations.
With Milestone activities, gain confidence using speech alone in simulated situations.

Retain what you learn.
The unique Adaptive Recall reinforces language so it sticks with you in the real world.
Customer Review: Very Simple to Use
Rosetta Stone is very simple to use. However having a Spanish book, or obviously a native speaker to supplement the software would make it much more effective. This is because of being tossed directly into the language without a clear translation leaves the door open for some confusion. Overall a great interactive product that is a strong foundation to start learning a new langauge.
Customer Review: YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS
You cannot legally sell this software when you are done with it. They threatened to sue me when I did - they said I had not bought the software, but a license for the software and it was nontransferrable - that I did not have the right to even GIVE it away.

The exceptionally talented Jazz group Weather Report have released their CD entitled Heavy Weather. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Weather Report fans, and Jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Heavy Weather their artistic excellence is on full display as they have once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be their best work to date.

I wish it werent the case but, its not everyday that I get a CD for review that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just cant force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Heavy Weather. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Heavy Weather is a nicely varied, mix of 8 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly superb musicians. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. Theyre all here.

Listen to this CD and I believe youll find there's not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and this is clearly the work of a group of musicians in top form. So much so that if you're even mildly into Jazz music you'll enjoy this CD.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 - A Remark You Made, track 5 - Rumba Mama, and track 8 - Havona.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Birdland. This is a great track!

Heavy Weather Release Notes:

Weather Report originally released Heavy Weather on September 23, 1997 on the Legacy Recordings label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Birdland 2. A Remark You Made 3. Teen Town 4. Harlequin 5. Rumba Mama 6. Palladium 7. Juggler, The 8. Havona

Weather Report: Joe Zawinul (vocals, piano, synthesizer, melodica); Jaco Pastorius (vocals, fretless bass, mando-cello, drums, steel drums); Manolo Bandrena (vocals, percussion); Wayne Shorter (soprano & tenor saxophones); Alex Acuna (drums, percussion).

Recorded at Devonshire Sound Studios, North Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by John Ephland.

SEO Contest 2008 - First Prize $1,000

Search Engine Optimization contest. Contestants in the SEO contest 2008 is limited to 300. The rules and other information about the contest posted here. The contest search term is seocontest2008

latin music video

Verdi - La Traviata

Opera superstars Renée Fleming and Rolando Villazón star in the sumptuous 2006 Los Angeles production of Verdi's tragic masterpiece, La Traviata. This performance was the highlight of James Conlon's much-anticipated inaugural season as the music director of Los Angeles Opera, a post that followed his impressive tenure at the Paris National Opera. The lavish production was filmed in Hi-Definition Widescreen to capture all of the excitement and drama on stage. Veteran Verdi baritone Renato Bruson rounds out this dynamic ensemble. Renée Fleming's heart-breaking portrayal of Violetta, as captured on this extraordinary DVD, has earned her rave reviews from press and Rolando Villazón returns to the role that made him an international powerhouse after his critically-acclaimed, soldout performances at the 2005 Salzburg Festival.
Customer Review: Old style opera! In the bad sense.
Well, this is a good oportunity to watch and listen Fleming, Villazón, Bruson and Conlon together. But the mise en scene by Mrs. Placido Domingo is so bad. Looks like a poor old style in a little town! And Fleming, one of my favorites sopranos, is not Violetta.
Customer Review: I saw this live
and it was not remotely close to being a great Traviata. Fleming did not project well; Villazon seemed stiff and nervous; Conlon is clearly not an accomplished Verdian conductor; the sets were average at best. Too many USA people just give any Fleming performance an inflated rating because she is attractive and is from the USA.

All social activities have rules of etiquette and social dancing is no different. There are general rules of etiquette that apply to all forms of dancingsmooth, Latin, Texas Two-step, even disco line dance. Knowing these rules will make the dance floor experience enjoyable for everyone.

Before the Dance

There is no delicate way to put this: Please practice good hygiene. Offensive body odors and bad breath are frowned upon on the dance floor. Many dance aficionados will go so far as to avoid eating certain strong foods on the days they are planning to dance. At the very least, a good shower, deodorant, and a swig of mouthwash will ensure that you dance the night away without offending your partner.

Clothing will vary by the type of event formal, semi-formal, dressy casual, even shorts but can also vary by the type of dance. You may choose to wear western wear for country line dancing, or dark themed clothing for Tango. This is not required but if you are a novice it is great way to get accepted into a new dance community. There are a few general rules that apply to all dances:

Avoid big accessories that can get caught in your partners clothing or, worse, scratch or bruise someone.

It is advisable to avoid tennis shoes or any rubber soled, spongy type shoe. These shoes tend to stick to the floor (as they are intended to); if you are executing spins and turns, you can injure an ankle or knee.

Remember that dancing will require a partner. It is not pleasant to touch someones damp, sticky skin so avoid sleeveless shirts and dresses.

Women with long hair should consider wearing it up or in a ponytail to avoid hitting a partner in the face during a spin or having your partners hand get caught in it.

Men should carry keys and loose change in their left pants pocket making it less likely to bruise their partner.

At the Dance

Before you hit the dance floor, you will need a partner. It is considered rude to dance with the same partner all night, even if it happens to be your spouse! If you came with a partner it is generally accepted that they shall have the first and last dance. It is also considered rude to dance more than two songs in a row with the same person.

When asking someone to dance, you should do so politely and accept a refusal just as politely. These days it is acceptable for men and women to ask someone to dance. If you are on the receiving end of an invitation, remember that it is rude to turn down a dance with someone and then accept an invitation from another partner during the same song.

Once a song is over, men should escort women back to their seats or to wherever they were standing prior to the dance. If someone has just finished dancing, wait until they are completely off the dance floor before inviting them back out again. Do not pounce on someone as they are leaving the dance floor.

Do not block access to the dance floor by standing and talking or moving chairs into pathways. Dance spaces are usually crowded so be considerate of others space.

Social dances are categorized into two types progressive and spot dances. Progressive dances travel the floor like the Polka, Foxtrot, and Waltz. Spot dances are typically danced in one spot and include Salsa, Rumba and East Coast Swing. Dancers move counterclockwise around the floor in progressive dances. This is known as the line of dance and is like an imaginary circle going counterclockwise. In addition to the line of dance there are two lanes, the outside or fast lane and the inside or slow lane. Dances such as the Tango, Waltz, and Foxtrot are danced in the two outer lanes. Spot dances such as the Cha Cha, Swing or slow dancing are danced in the inside lanes.

Newbie dancers should move toward the center or outer edges, depending on the style of dance. While newbies should concede more space to more experienced dancers, it is equally rude for experienced dancers to hog floor space with fancy moves which force other dancers out of the way.

By following these simple rules of dance etiquette, you are sure to have a great time dancing the night away!

This article was contributed by Master Portable Floors. Master Portable Floors is the floor of choice by professional dancers. The floors have been rated highest quality by the American Swing Dancing Association and the Ball Room Dancing Association. Master Portable Floors has a unique flex action that provides a comfortable dancing surface that reduces hip and joint injuries. To learn more about Master Portable Floors visit www.masterportablefloors.com.

irish dance music