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Episode 13 is ready for replay -- see below for the link (2hrs 13mins, 26 tracks). After six months of adventures in entry-level radio broadcasting, Episode 13 was a special experience because my guest was the CEO and founder of World Salsa Radio -- Felipe Martinez (also known as EldelaClaveSF), a DJ and dance instructor based in the San Francisco area. It was through his invitation to join the WSR team of DJs that I found a little part to play in his internet radio project. And it has been good fun, even with all the bloopers, and I look forward to another six months (plus more?) at World Salsa Radio. See the pre-show post for more information about Felipe Martinez. Show Highlights: Introductory salsa mix: ~32:30 featuring 6 artists: Cheo Feliciano, José Mangual Jr, Andy Montañez, Javier Vazquéz, Ray Pérez, Moncho Rivera. Spotlight 1 (New salsa releases): 32:31~ featuring Fernandito Rentas, Rico Walker, and Manyoma Brothers. Spotlight 2 (Latin music by Japanese artists) 46:20~ featuring Alisa Sunaga, Aya Nakano, and Yoshi Yamada y su Japonismo. Spotlight 3 (Covers of Cuban music): 1:02:57~ featuring Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano, Lo Nuestro, and DJ Ricky Campanelli. Spotlight 4 (Guest talk): 1:20:39~ featuring our guest, Felipe Martinez, who talks about his inspiratinon, projects, and future goals; he also chooses 3 songs for us to listen to (by Maité Hontelé & Oscar d'Leon, Polo Montañez, and Grupo Niche. Concluding salsa mix: 1:51:15~ featuring 5 artists/bands: Jesús Pagán y su Orquesta, Sonido 70, Cesar Concepcion, Orquesta Cali Charanga, Rene Figueroa y su Orquesta Son Clave. Replay Episode 13 NExt episode 14 Guest: Fabrizio Zoro Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Ready for replay is Episode 14 -- see below for the link (2hrs 24mins, 27 tracks). October 27 was another fun show for World Salsa Radio. Our guest this time was the multi-talented Fabrizio Zoro of Milan, Italy, where he fulfils the roles of salsa DJ, composer, arranger, musician, band leader, and artistic director of a music label. Perhaps he is best known as the director of one of Europe's best salsa bands, La Maxima 79. It was great having him on the show, where he gave an interesting talk*. See the pre-show post for more information about Fabrizio Zoro. *Although both English and Spanish were used on the show, the guest showcase was solely in Spanish. There is an English transcript of the interview towards the bottom of this page. Show Highlights: Introductory salsa mix: ~35:19 featuring 7 tracks by La Maxima 79, Mundito Y Su Orquesta Celestial, Sr Ortegon, Bailatino, Echo Park Project, and DJ Fabrizio Zoro. Spotlight 1 (New salsa releases): 35:20~ featuring Lazarito Valdes y Bamboleo, Son Con Ron, and Orquesta Yambao. Spotlight 2 (Latin music by Japanese artists) 49:21~ featuring Rie Akagi, Orquesta Copa Salvo, and Obrigarrd. Spotlight 3 (Covers of Cuban music): 1:06:41~ featuring Cheo Navarro, Orquesta La Criolla, and Alfredito Linares. Spotlight 4 (Guest showcase): 1:22:13~ featuring our guest, Fabrizio Zoro, who talks about his inspiratinon, projects, and future goals; he also chooses 3 songs for us to listen to (by La Maxima 79, Los Dementes, and Orquesta Elio Revé). Concluding salsa mix: 1:56:19~ featuring 5 tracks by La Maxima 79, Joel Uriola y su Orquesta, Orquesta Magia Caribeña Federico Junior, and Fabio Gianni. Replay Episode 14 Guest Showcase English transcript Feat. Fabrizio Zoro (by Angel Figueroa) And now, it’s the highlight of the show, with the guest showcase. With us today is Fabrizio Zoro -- Italian DJ, composer, arranger, musician, and director of La Maxima 79 based in Milan, Italy. Hello everyone, I am Fabrizio Zoro, director of the orchestra La Maxima 79, from Italy. I live in Milan, in the north of Italy, and I started deejaying in February of 2002, so it's been 20 years, and these days I mostly deejay at European events, but I have also been to several festivals in Asia, Africa, and South America. In addition to directing La Maxima 79, and working as a producer, I also have a music label called iLatin Music, based in Milan. I started playing salsa and bachata and fell in love with the music and began dancing different styles. ...It was a lot of fun. And I am very grateful to the many people who started before me who helped me learn the basics of deejaying, not just about pressing "play" and "pause", but also everything needed for deejaying salsa. From the year 2009 I started the project of La Maxima 79, a project that continues to be one of the best salsa orchestras in Europe and exports salsa around the world. In the 2000s there was a lot of salsa already but it was all very "clean". I preferred the salsa of the 1970s -- Bobby Valentin, Ismael Rivera, and Los Dementes. So I decided to do something modern but in the old style... and I continue working as a DJ, director, and producer. You can find me on both Instagram (@fabriziozoro / @LaMaxima79) and Facebook (Fabrizio Zoro / La Maxima 79 / iLatin Music Distribution). How exactly did you start your salsa career? I started in 2002 thanks to a woman who was an instructor of Latin American dance. Actually, I preferred house music at the time, but in the end I found myself doing a little dancing here and there, and then it started getting into my blood; it was like a drug because every day after work I would go salsa dancing. And I started deejaying because in the normal clubs I always admired the DJs who appeared like God looking down from their console... and I wanted to be the same in salsa. What are your inspirations? For sure the big names in salsa, like Ismael Rivera, Los Dementes, Tito Rodriguez Jr, Orquesta Revé, Oscar d'Leon. But I always believe that when you have an idea, you should follow it to the day you die and do everything you can to realize it as best you can. What was a memorable experience you had with your band, La Maxima 79? What comes to mind at the moment is the time when we went to Mexico to play for the first time, and the song "Iglesia Rumbera" had been released only about ten days before, but when we appeared, the crowd of about 6,000 people sang out loud all of the words to "Iglesia Rumbera", even though it had been out for little more than a week. I'll never forget it -- the dancing and the singing. It was just incredible. What are some current projects and future goals? We are doing our fifth album; we are just about ready to start recording and I also have a lot of songs to do under my name, DJ Fabrizio Zoro. I did a salsa cover of "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. And I just released a song called "Cienfuegos" dedicated to the Cuban city. It's a very romantic, moving song, with a great vibe, and it is available on all digital platforms. What are you looking forward to in the future? Here in Italy, TV and and radio do not currently pay any attention to salsa and bachata, so I look forward to the time when they can become more mainstream and bring people closer to Latin music because, honestly speaking, once you discover Latin music, you will never be able to forget it. At the moment it is happening with reggaeton. I hope some day it can happen with salsa and bachata, too. What message do you have for DJs, dancers and other salsa enthusiasts? That they enjoy doing what they love and that they hang on to their own ideas and styles, whether its for deejaying or for dancing. This is fundamental, and they need to do it with passion, to never stop listening and to continue educating themselves about musicians, salseros, bachateros... and to never stop learning and studying because latin music is universal. NExt episode 15 Guest Nora Suzuki Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Episode 15 is available for replay -- see below for the link (2hrs 13mins, 24 tracks). The guest is Nora, lead vocalist of Orquesta de La Luz, which received much critical acclaim in the 1990s. She spoke about her projects, her inspirations, and how she started in salsa. See the pre-show post for Nora's introduction on Encanto Tropical. Show Highlights: Introductory salsa session: ~34:01 featuring 7 tracks by Orquesta de La Luz, Celiz Cruz, Yolanda Rivera, and Sol. Spotlight 1 (New salsa releases): 34:02~ featuring El Barbaro, Irving Manuel, and DJ Henrix. Spotlight 2 (Latin music by Japanese artists) 49:25~ featuring Wave Con Salsa, Yoko, and Latin Yaro. Spotlight 3 (Covers of Cuban music): 1:06:58~ featuring Rey Ruiz, Johnny Cruz (feat. Yolanda Rivera), and Gambino Pampini. Spotlight 4 (Guest showcase): 1:23:41~ featuring a talk by Nora (Orquesta de La Luz) with a selection of 3 songs from her new album Salud a la Vida. Concluding salsa session: 2:03:39~ featuring 2 tracks by Oscar d'Leon and Celia Cruz. Replay Episode 15 NExt episode 16 Latin Music in Japan Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Ready for replay is Episode 10 of Encanto Tropical from World Salsa Radio, comprising 25 tracks (2hrs7min). See the bottom of the page for the link. It was a lot of fun having as our guest DJ Nik of "unshazammable/UFO-salsa" fame -- from San Francisco. He gave a great talk and provided 6 songs for us to check out. Show Highlights: Intro (random unshazammable salsa set): ~43:22 Spotlight 1 (New salsa releases): 43:23~ featuring Descargas de la Onda (DDLO), Son de Kafe, and La Paris All Stars Orchestra feat Marc Wilkins. Spotlight 2 (Latin music by Japanese artists): 58:19~ featuring Chica Boom, Aya Nakano & Ken Yokoyama, and two shamisen players. with the band La Excelencia (Yutaka Oyama and Masahiro Nitta) Spotlight 3 (Covers of Classic Cuban Music): 1:13:43~ featuring Orchestra Baobab, La Sonora de Lucho Macedo, and Oscar D'Leon. Spotlight 4 (Guest talk): 1:28:30~ featuring DJ Nikolai Caswell, who talks about his background, memorable experiences, and future plans; he also chooses 6 rare, unshazammable songs for us to listen to. REPLAY EPISODE 10 Next EPISODE 11 Guests: Frankie Martinez & Lia Robertson Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Coming up on Encanto Tropical (Episode 11) on World Salsa Radio: two special guests! One is a dance teacher/choreographer and the other a dance coach. Together they form an inspiring duo who work and perform both in New York -- where they are based -- and internationally. I’m speaking of Frankie Martinez and Lia Robertson. I’m very pleased they accepted my invitation to appear on the show. Although they were busy with preparations for the New York International Salsa Congress, they found time to provide interesting answers to the questions I sent them. Of course, as part of the spotlight, they select three special songs to share with us on Encanto Tropical. As usual, there are 4 spotlights in total, after my introductory mix in the first half of the show. New salsa releases Latin music by Japanese artists Cover versions of Cuban music Guest Showcase Join us! Encanto Tropical 11 www.WorldSalsaRadio.com 21:00 Sept 8 (Thu) - Japan Time 05:00 PT | 08:00 ET | 12:00 GMT | 14:00 CET To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

The next Encanto Tropical (Episode 12 on Sept 22) features Sr Ortegon as my guest. He is a DJ, musician, composer, and producer based in Cali, Colombia. Prolific with musical output, Sr Ortegon is a Latin Grammy Award-nominee and a popular resource for Latin-themed sounds for film, television, and advertising. He also has experience as a resident house DJ. I'm very happy to have him on the show! Our guest will talk briefly about his background, projects, and inspiration. And, as usual for the guest showcase, he will share three special tracks for us to listen to. Another show not to miss! Encanto Tropical comprises four spotlights which form the main part of the show: New salsa releases Latin music by Japanese artists Covers of classic Cuban songs Guest Showcase The spotlights are preceded and followed by salsa sets where I play a range of material. Inspired by our Colombian guest for Encanto Tropical 12, I intend to feature Colombian salsa and some salsa fusion -- a sub-genre Sr Ortegon has especially engaged in recently. Check out Sr Ortegon on Spotify, YouTube, and MixCloud: SPOTIFY SR ORTEGON YouTube SR ORTEGON MIXCLOUD SR ORTEGON Join us on Sept 22 on World Salsa Radio! To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

The next Encanto Tropical features Felipe Martinez as our guest. Tune in for Episode 13 on October 13 to hear his talk! Also known as EldelaClaveSF, the California-based DJ and dance instructor is the founder and CEO of World Salsa Radio, the same internet radio project that this show belongs to. Felipe Martinez stays busy as he teaches regular dance lessons while deejaying both locally and internationally in addition to running the internet radio station, which came about during the pandemic and currently schedules more than two dozen shows hosted by DJs from around the world -- broadcasting on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. It’s exciting to have Felipe Martinez as a guest on my own show after he invited me several months ago to join the team of DJs at World Salsa Radio! He will share with us some information on his background, inspirations, and goals, as well as other thoughts. In addition -- as is the custom for the guest on Encanto Tropical -- he selects three special tracks for us to listen to. Encanto Tropical comprises four spotlights which form the main part of the show: New salsa releases Latin music by Japanese artists Covers of classic Cuban songs Guest Showcase The spotlights are preceded and followed by short salsa sets where I play a range of material inspired by our guest for Encanto Tropical, Episode 13. Check out some shows hosted by guest Felipe Martinez (EldelaClaveSF): Join us on October 13 with Felipe Martinez on World Salsa Radio! To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Encanto Tropical's next guest is the lead singer, arranger, and songwriter Nora from Orquesta de La Luz! Tune in for Episode 15 on November 10 to hear Nora give a talk and share a selection of songs from her latest solo album, 'Salud a la Vida'! Only at World Salsa Radio. Nora is the lead vocalist of Japan's most celebrated salsa band, Orquesta de La Luz, which received special acclaim in the 1990s when it debuted on the world stage. Orquesta de La Luz released several albums and Nora remains their lead singer, having attained 'salsa diva' status for her many accomplishments with the band and recognition around the world for her musical talents. I was thrilled when she acepted my invitation to join Encanto Tropical, which coincides with the release of her latest album on all digital albums. In fact, the release was timed to celebrate a landmark birthday of hers after forty year of singing salsa. The album title 'Salud a la Vida' says it all -- a celebration of life with a collection of touching songs, mostly covers, in her signature style. It was great fun preparing for the show as I went through the entire repertoire of Orquesta de La Luz to choose songs for the playlist. My aim was to select tracks that were representative of Nora's talents as a vocalist, songwriter, and arranger. My wish is that whether or not listeners are familiar with Nora, they like the selection. As a long-time resident of Japan, it's a thrill to have Nora on Encanto Tropical. She can be considered an ambassador of Japan in the salsa world since, during her worldwide tours, she received such critical acclaim. In recent years, NORA regularly appears at the Tokyo jazz club Ginza Swing as a solo artist. In addition, she accompanies Orquesta de La Luz when they occasionally go on tour, perform at local jazz festivals, and play at schools for children. She is actively involved in the band's collaboration with artists of various genres, not just salsa. On the Episode 15 she talks about several topics; most interesting for me are her start in salsa as well as her current projects, which include the recent release of her fourth solo album. In addition -- as is the custom for the guest on Encanto Tropical -- she selects three special tracks for us to listen to. Encanto Tropical comprises four spotlights which form the main part of the show: New salsa releases Latin music by Japanese artists Covers of classic Cuban songs Guest Showcase See the Program Description for more information about the structure of the show, especially the spotlights. The spotlights are preceded and followed by short salsa sets where I play a range of material inspired by our guest for Encanto Tropical, Episode 15. With Nora in mind, I mix in several female vocalists for the first half hour of the show. Tune into World Salsa Radio for Episode 15 of Encanto Tropical with Nora on November 10th! ***** New Broadcast time Due to the switch from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time, Encanto Tropical will now broadcast an hour later than previously in Japan (at 22:00). This corresponds with 13:00 GMT and 14:00 Central Europe, but the starting time remains unchanged in the Americas (05:00 Pacific / 08:00 Eastern). To listen live, first click on the link above. Then create a username in the white box before clicking the play button. Wait a few seconds for the show to load. Don't forget to say "hi" in the chat! (All episodes are also available for replay). Encanto Tropical is a part of World Salsa Radio with DJ Angel Figueroa Broadcasting from Chiba, Japan 2nd & 4th Thursdays Subscribe for email updates about Encanto Tropical Visit World Salsa Radio for more programs

Fun memories of my all-vinyl after-party set at the Taiwan Salsa Carnival. Three years ago this coming weekend! (Video by XiaoYing).

I am having a little go at seeing how these four photos will print out as canvas pieces for wall decor in my home studio. All were taken in Kyoto, 2019.

We had some good fun today with a test run for next weekend's killer event, "Habanebros Hot Sauce Launch Party" at S'wich, in Kyoto, where I will be streaming tunes from Chiba on Saturday, Oct 16... There will be food by Osaka's "y tacos", cocktails by Tom Östgard (Playhouse), with support from Dictador Rum Japan, and of course the amazing hot sauce by Los Habanebros. The artist Mike Dinsmore, whose artwork is currently being featured, will also be in attendance. For more information, check out the Facebook event page.

This is the first chart in a four-chart series covering what I feel are notable songs in the year 2021. (The other charts are Spring, Summer, and Late 2021). The focus is on salsa and Latin, but other genres are included, too. The total number of songs in this chart is 140. For each chart, songs are organized into 18 lists (see the project description in the previous post). Lists 1-8 are on salsa and have 10 songs each. The other lists have 5 each. Artwork & DJ Mixes Some album artwork is included with an anecdote explaining a particular selection. A bonus feature is a list of five inspiring DJ mixes, each with an embedded audio player. About Song Selection Information about song selection is explained under Notes near the bottom of this page. Most importantly... This is a curation of songs based on personal relevance in 2021--regardless of release year. Only List #1 (New Salsa) features 2021 releases. There is no ranking system; tracks are listed in alphabetical order. Be sure to check out the forthcoming Spring, Summer, and Late 2021 posts. Listen online All 18 lists are on Spotify and Apple Music--just click on the button at the end of a list. To see all playlists, click on either of the images below. Note: A playlist will update with 5 or 10 new songs once the next chart gets posted, and when you 'like' a playlist, it gets saved to your profile for easy access. Let's go! Salsa | Other Latin | Other Genres | Mixes Salsa 1. CONTEMPORARY SALSA - New Released in early 2021 (Tracks 1-10) Still Hot from 2020 Special Pick: "Son Nocturno" Cuba Quartet is made up of three (not four) musicians: Andreas Unge, Gunnar Thullberg, and Thomas de Paula Eby, all members of the Swedish timba band Calle Real. This album just oozes fresh appeal, with a vibe inspired by TheBuena Vista Social Club. The guitar work is especially noteworthy. Released in late 2020, I discovered the album in January 2021, using "Son Nocturno" for a live stream. It is not a typical dance floor filler, but it's deep and could work well with the right songs before and after. 2. CONTEMPORARY SALSA - Recent (Still Hot from 2020) (Tracks 1-10) Winners from the 2010s Special Pick: "Cuba No Se Fue de Mi" ​There are several interesting "Salsa Anthems" -- what I call the best tunes from the 2010s. They all made a huge impression on me at first listen, but "Cuba No Se Fue De Mi" (2019) by Orishas gets special recognition not only for its outstanding lyrics and raw emotion, but also because the Cuban hip-hop trio, who are not really known for danceable tracks among salseros, delivers here for those with imagination and an open mind. Released in 2019, it still has an edge in early 2021. 3. CONTEMPORARY SALSA - Anthems (Winners From the 2010s) (Tracks 1-10) The Millenial Era Special Pick: "Pepita" ​The next list is for songs from around the time of the millennium. It takes me back to when I started deejaying regularly and when I was discovering a lot of great material. They are all important songs,, but a standout is "Pepita" by Africando, featuring Boncaba Maïga and Hector Casanova on vocals. An atmospheric start morphs into an uptempo swing with a catchy melody. Africando was the name of a project to bring together musicians from Senegal --and later other African musicians -- with New York musicians. 4. Contemporary SALSA - nostalgic (The Millennial Era) (Tracks 1-10) The Golden Era Special Pick: "Flores para Tu Altar" ​I was once asked if I knew a certain punchy track which referred to Santeria gods. There were no other clues, and I had no idea what it could be. Some time later I heard something by French DJ Jeremy Castex on a CoBeatParty live stream that fit the description. “Flores para tu altar” has great lyrics, an intriguing introduction, riveting instrumentation, and catchy syncopation. It's by the Venezuelan band Dimension Latina 77. I was thrilled when I managed to get the vinyl at a store in Kyoto. 5. CLASSIC SALSA (The Golden Era) (Tracks 1-10) Songs for my Father - Special Pick: "Me Voy a Pinar Del Rio" ​Next is a list of songs in tribute to my father, who passed away in January. He laid the foundation for my love of Latin music. Childhood memories involve Sundays with him playing Cuban records. Many songs were on high rotation, and I came to learn from my father’s tastes, which are essentially the roots of salsa. One particular song that I came to like is “Me Voy a Pinar Del Rio” by Celia Cruz and La Sonora Matancera (1950s). It sits here alongside other great classics which have special meaning for me. 6. THE ROOTS OF SALSA Songs for my Father (Tracks 1-10) Missed Gems Discovered in 2021 Special Pick: "Unidos en una Sola Voz" Being part of a record pool allows DJs to receive promotional tracks before the official launch date and discover new artists they otherwise would not know. In the case of TheLatin Heartbeat Orchestra, there is a twist. I did not know this band (nor their 2018 track "Unidos en una Sola Voz") until they came to my attention in February 2021. Assuming it was a recent release, I was surprised to notice that Spotify indicated that it was actually from 2018! The next list is all about late discoveries. 7. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER (Missed Gems Discovered in 2021) (Tracks 1-10) Exclusively Cuban Artists Special Pick: "Soy" List 8 focuses on Cuban artists, but it is not limited to musicians who live on the island. Take Ex corde, a duo comprising Cuban-born Yacel Sagarra and his Japanese wife. They both reside in Kobe, Japan. From their 2018 album comes a wonderful track with soulful vocals and guitar work by Sagarra. I've always wondered why "Soy" never really became well-known. Consider it a hidden gem and perhaps a potent sign of things to come from this talented singer, songwriter, and bandleader. 8. SPOTLIGHT: Cuba Exclusively Cuban Artists (Tracks 1-10) > Back to top Other Latin Music Spotlight: Japan Special Pick: "DRACULA" 9. SPOTLIGHT: Japan Exclusively Japanese Artists (Tracks 1-5) Full Circle Special Pick: "La Musica en Verité" 10. SPOTLIGHT: Africa Full Circle (Tracks 1-5) New & Recent Bachata Special Pick: "Las Puertas del Cielo" 11. Spotlight: Bachata New & Recent (Tracks 1-5) Contemporary Easy Listening Special Pick: "Mariage D'Amour" 12. LATIN LOUNGE Contemporary Easy Listening (Tracks 1-5) Deep Latin Vibes Special Pick: "Brujeria" 13. DEEP LATIN VIBES Classic Boogaloo / Cha cha cha / Son / Guajira (Tracks 1-5) Reggaeton & More Special Pick: "Honey Boo" 14. SABROSURA SIN CLAVE Reggaeton & More (Tracks 1-5) > Back to top Other Genres Old & New Jamaican Music Special Pick: "War Zone" 15. SPOTLIGHT ON JAMAICA Old & New (Tracks 1-5) Old & New African Music Special Pick: "Boula niit tognié" 16. SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICA Old & New (Tracks 1-5) Club Jazz Special Pick: "Mango (Club des Belugas Bossa Remix)" 17. SPOTLIGHT: Club Jazz Acid-/Nu-/Funk-Jazz & Broken Beat (Tracks 1-5) Upbeat Vibes Special Pick: "Just in A Moment to Find a Way to Sun Day" 18. MISCELLaNEA Upbeat Vibes (Tracks 1-5) > Back to top Bonus: Inspiring Mixes of Early 2021 Max Pela – LIVE from Home (Afrobeta Bodega) Traditional Salsa Grooves Vol. 9 (DJ Eddie UK Salsa) Salsa y Boogaloo Episode 4 - The Art of Salsa Bass (DJ Jason Ortiz) I Didn't Know You Could Dance! Feb 2021 (DJ Mr. Thomas) UnShazammable Digital Salsa Attack (DJ Nik) > Back to Top Notes Although the charts mention 2021, only one list is exclusively for 2021 releases (List #1). Songs in the other lists have been chosen because they were somehow relevant to me in 2021. For example, lists 2 to 5 have salsa tracks from other years, but they were used in DJ sets this year. List 6 is a selection prepared for a tribute to my late father, who passed away in 2021. List 7 features salsa discovered in 2021 but from earlier years, et cetera. The basic criteria is that songs were chosen for some personal relevance in 2021. It goes without saying that song selection for any list is subjective. My intention is just to share songs which had meaning for me in 2021, regardless of release date. In order to give value, cohesion, and relevance, I carefully organized these lists. However, this project was for fun, so in no way are the lists intended to be authoritative. Besides, I cannot conceivably know the full range of possible songs relevant to a certain category. Finally, a top-10 (or top-5) ranking style has been avoided. Instead, songs are listed in alphabetical order by title. Let me know what you think about these lists. Any recommendations for early 2021? Are there any songs that were personally significant for you regardless of release year? If you enjoyed this project and wish to support future projects, please consider buying me a coffee. Just click on the icon below. Thanks! > Back to Top