Salsa City Forum » Salsa Music and Dance » Mixing

Sorry to be the board's Victor Meldrew, but am I the only one who doesn't like salsa tracks being mixed together? I like to dance one song with one partner, after which she and I can choose whether we want to dance another one together. And how am I supposed to do my one flashy dip if the song's ending is chopped off?

I agree that mixing salsa is a bad idea. Here is an eloquent rant by Edie the salsa freak on this subject:

DJ Mixing NOT

Edie’s website is Salsa Freak!

I couldn't agree more. I think you should name the guilty parties. The only way we can stop this nonsense is to complain to the people concerned, who either are unaware how unpopular this practice is or don't care (in which case complaining will at least make you feel better).

I have never bothered to complain about mixing in the past but I have complained on a few occasions about the music being too loud. The only reaction I ever got was an astonished and contemptuous sneer. Complaining is not easy, but I guess it's worth a try.

Mixing is a difficult issue with regards to salsa "DJ-ing". As a dancer I like to continue dancing with my partner until the end of a song and actually consider it quite rude to finish a dance prior to the songs end. Like Tom - I enjoy finishing with a dip/drop ;-) so if a song is mixed - when the heck do you stop!?!

However... as a (amateur) DJ I have to ensure the music plays smoothly from song to song without the tracks clashing (eg Celia Cruz followed by Orishas) and that there is no "dead space" between the tracks. Certain songs like Orchestra la Palabra's Lady have very slow beginnings which if left to play in would leave the dance floor "cold". Once people on on a high from dancing it is our job to try and keep them there and there is NOTHING worse than a silence between tracks.

In cardiff all the DJ's / teachers are also very keen dancers (John Pamplin / Andy / Myself) and trying to strike the balance is difficult. If all we do is stand behind a DJ booth it gets very boring watching everyone else enjoying themselves (think of watching someone eat a fillet steak while your on a diet) and unfortunately Cardiff is a very "clicky" scene where I have personaly had feedback that people "gossip" that teachers don't dance enough with everyone else in the club (especially our students) - in a sense, we're seen as salsa snobs, but... if we're out dancing - it is very difficult to get back to the DJ booth and change tracks without encountering the problems I have already mentioned.

Both Andy and Myself have tried to create CD's that are mixed but also have a definate beginning and end. If people don't like them - then speak to me and we'll try to do things differently

Thanks for your thoughtful contribution Paul, it's helpful to get your point of view. I have to take issue with your contentions that the music should play "smoothly from song to song without the tracks clashing" and "there is NOTHING worse than a silence between tracks".

All you have to worry about is playing a variety of suitable music; if the music is suitable the tracks definitely do not have to blend together. In fact, contrast between succeeding tracks is good. A second or so of silence between tracks is perfectly ok and eliminates any possible problems with clashing of rhythms, styles, etc.

As to longish intros, this is only a problem because Cardiff dancers are so frantic, we seem to think we have to be going hell-for-leather every second we're on the dancefloor. But really it's ok to stand for a few seconds listening to the music and connecting to the underlying rhythm before the verse starts.

Very pertinent comments Hugh. I know from experience that Paul has good taste in music and is only doing what he thinks is for the best, but it is just as easy (if not easier) to make a well balanced compilation CD as it is to "mix" songs. The gap between songs can be as short as you like. I have made over a dozen such CDs myself and they make for a good 80 minutes dance sequence. This should leave Paul plenty of time to keep the ladies happy (dancing!) without having to worry about rushing back to the DJ booth to put the next track on. Variety is the best approach, mixing speeds and type of music. If a particular track has a long boring intro it is easy to edit this out (in the case of Lady I would recommend deleting the first 6 minutes 44 seconds, but that's just my opinion, I know the ladies love it!). We all seem to agree as dancers that dancing to a complete track is the most satisfying scenario. I would also like to point out that editing a track is insulting to the musicians who created the song to be enjoyed as they recorded it.

Paul, my comments weren't aimed at you - I usually find the way you put music together fine for dancing to. But recently, late night at the Toad, there's been some strangely abrupt segues (can't really call it mixing) which mean that you suddenly need to change tempo in mid-dance and never know when the song is ending. Without naming names, let's just say that the person who's apparently responsible prefers music with lyrics in Portuguese rather than Spanish...

Hi Tom. I'm well aware that you thoughts weren't an attack at me :-) As I said, I am in full agreement with you regarding mixed tracks and salsa dancing.

The items I mentioned in my reply were aimed generally towards the chat room as a whole after reading the opinions expressed by yourself, Hugh and Pete. After reading that people were thinking about complaining (see earlier entries) I thought that I would simply try to provide a couple of explanations (in my opinion) as to why mixing occurs. I freely welcome criticism, in fact - I encourage it to make sure the salsa evenings / lessons / music can develop :-)

Tom/Hugh. I agree. DJs who mix their music dunno what the hell there're doing.

I have an explanation for why they mix.

1. They get bored, literally. once the CD is playin, there really ain't anything for em to do

2. They're wannabe fatboy slims & all the stardom/fame which goes along with it

DJs are mostly a bunch of losers. There is a TON of salsa music produced every year. Do we get to hear any of it? Mostly not - making us listen to the hits from the late 90s early 2000s. Why? They don't wanna pay for their music like all other DJs who have to constantly buy the latest hits.