JOHNNY VAZQUEZ 1999 (Year) PERFORMANCE — For anyone who has ever been anyone within the world famous Los Angeles Salsa Scene, Johnny Vazquez is a name that resonates strongly and carries a lot of weight with it. Johnny is truly a legend of the west, of Los Angeles, of Salsa, of the L.A. Salsa Style that is taught around the world. Johnny began dancing at an early age following the footsteps of his brothers Francisco Vazquez and Luis Vazquez, both of whom are also Los Angeles Salsa mega-stars. All three of the Vazquez brothers are legendary around the world, but Johnny Vazquez, in specific, is a legend ranking at a level of his own. What would it be to be Johnny Vazquez and be known for so many accomplishments? We'll have to ask him one day...Well, this is a video posted by Anthony (Tiny) on Youtube.com. Anthony is an afficionado videographer…

LOS ANGELES STYLE SALSA — The three Vazquez brothers are considered to be the major catalysts that changed salsa dancing forever, and began the evolution of the worldwide dance phenomenon that Salsa dancing has become today.

Never before them had Salsa dancing been so popular around the world. A few can claim that without promoters and event organizers, the popularity of Salsa dancing would have never reached the levels it has, but I would contest that without 'the talent' that attracted multitudes back in the early 90s, the events would have been a failure or impossible to market or even organize in the first place.

The non-Latin people who came rushing to the events around the world loved the music, but they really did not care whether they understood the lyrics or didn't (as they still don't); what they cared for was the adrenaline and the rush of…

LOS ANGELES SALSA — There are many names that come up as possible contributors of what L.A. Style Salsa has become in the past decade or so, but when it comes to giving credit to a sole originator of the style, that person has and will always be: Francisco Vazquez. 

Francisco Vazquez is considered by many as the greatest salsa dancer in the world. A complete innovator, a visionary, and someone who in the 90s single-handedly promoted a flashy, dynamic, showy style of salsa dancing that featured fast-paced footwork and strong accents to the music: L.A. Style Salsa. 

He is the founder, choreographer, and principal dancer of the world acclaimed dance troupe "Los Rumberos," which has been consistently in the top 5 salsa dance teams in the world. Los Rumberos has laid the foundation to many of the greats in salsa, such as Luis and Johnny Vazquez (Francisco's…

The first of a three part series discussing the evolution of Salsa in San Diego.

Hot Tub Time Machine: Salsa Style

Hollywood has had a lot of success with time-travel movies. “Blast from the Past,” starring Brandon Fraser (The Mummy, School Ties) features a teen who grows up in a nuclear shelter, coming up top after an absence of more than 10 years - and everything has changed including music, fashion, and technology. Imagine doing the reverse, going back in time, like in the recent comedy “Hot Tube Time Machine.” What would you do without texting, Facebook and the Internet? What would you do without LA Style On-1, New York On-2, or Bachata?

Believe it or not, Salsa has been in San Diego for some time now, before the teams, the performances, the club circuit and the socials existed. Things were different, but the people, the teachers…

The history of salsa music and dancing is one that has a lot of controversy surrounding it. Some music purists don't like the fact that the word Salsa is used to refer to it, as they say that such word should only belong in the kitchen. Others argue about who deserves the credit for the origin and creation of the music, Cubans or Puerto Ricans. Many have very harsh feelings on the subject that are more based on national pride than anything else. But for most of us who just happen to love the music, we don't really care about the controversies and simply want to give credit where credit is due for what we love so much.

In the recent years, it has been widely accepted that the music indeed has its origins in Cuba, where European classical rhythms and African drumbeats fused together and generated a partner dance enjoyed…