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This music is Son, you will hear it from the band formation, from the sound, based mostly on guitar and tres, from the relaxed melodies and the paced tempo. Still, if you are used to Cuban Son, it will sound different, partly because of the songs which have a ballad feel but mostly because of Henry Fiol’s peculiar voice and unmistakable singing style: his voice is gentle, almost frail, more melodic than rhythmic, possibly more prone to tell stories than to kick you out of a chair and make you dance.

The first few times you listen to his CDs you will most likely find a sense of homogeneous continuity in the music. It is the result of using the same arrangements, similar tempo and very similar harmonies based on simple 2 or 4 chords passages, on which Henry Fiol’s melodies tell often interesting or funny stories. This is a fancy way to say that all songs sound very much alike if you miss the lyrics.

All this does not suggest much appeal for a dancer and I have to admit this music is not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, one or two of his CDs may come handy to beginners or intermediate dancers. First the rhythm is very clear, conga and clave are unmistakable and overall this music comes as close to salsa 101 as you can possibly hope. Secondly, the regular and un-intrusive pace makes it ideal for practise and I still use it occasionally myself if I need to practise some passages which require attention and I do not want to be carried away my the music. For the very same reasons this music may come handy to salsa instructors both for group and private classes.

This is the CD from Henry Fiol I end up using most often for my practises, probably because a bit more lively than others or simple because I like it best. “De guatebuena a guatemejor”, “No comprendo las mujeres”, “De la mano a la boca”, “Guapo fantoma”, “Moforibale al tambo” and “Guaperia” are the tracks I enjoy the most, with “No comprendo las mujeres”, “De la mano a la boca” and “Guaperia” the most suitable to beginner dancers struggling to find the time in salsa. As in all other CDs from Henry Fiol, you will find some Son Montunos which you can use to dance Cha Cha Cha, in this case “El huerfanito” and “No te bañes en el yumuri”. If you are willing to give a try to just one CD from Henry Fiol, I would recommend this one.18/5/08

Josie Neglia - Advanced Salsa Combinations & Tricks

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

Style: LA

Content: Shines, figures, tricks and dips.

General Comment: As always with Josie, this video is very well produced, very well taught and contains good material. It is mostly for performers and/or 'flashy' dancers, less for social dancers. Some figures are very nice. Others are a bit 'over the top'. Some very nice shines (I really like Rogelio's ones). Both dancers are at their best, and they can be inspirational for both ladies and men. Rogelio's contribution to this video should not be underestimated. One of my favorite male style on video.

Reviewed by Fabio from SalsaIsGood - Good

Fact 1 . Roughly speaking, most people dance salsa either On1, or On2 Modern Mambo (NY style) or On2 Classic Mambo (Puerto Rican style also similar to Cuban contratiempo). Today Modern Mambo is used more frequently than Classic Mambo at congresses and salsa classes around the world.. more...

There are no objective answers to the above questions. They all, one way or the other, depend on subjective views on the artistic expression we call salsa, on what we like, and on what we intend by salsa in the first place. But we can still say reasonable things about the matter and make the creative process clearer and possibly easier. What follows are some thoughts of mine, mostly borrowed from my maths background. I am sure all this must have been said already within the art or humanistic literature, and if you are aware of work in this area please let me know, so that I can learn more.