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| Latin Dance on New U.S. Postage Stamps Kicking off National Hispanic Heritage month, Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, the U.S. Postal Service will dedicate Let's Dance/Bailemos stamps at the Copacabana nightclub tonight. The stamps bring to life four sassy Latin Dances: Salsa, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo and Merengue. The ceremony will include performances by Willie Colon, acclaimed composer/trombonist; Vonzell Solomon, "American Idol" finalist and former postal carrier; and The Copacabana Dancers. The stamp dedication is being presented during the Puerto Rican Family Foundation's annual Excellence Awards, Noche de Fiesta. Stamp artists Edel Rodriquez, who created the Cha-cha-cha stamp, and Jose Ortega, who created the Salsa stamp will be available to sign autographs. Showcasing one of four popular dances on each stamp, four different Hispanic American artists created designs that expressed their personal interpretations of Latin Dance. Although the four stamp images are similar in style, the artists who produced the stamp images never saw the other's work. The Mambo stamp was created by Sergio Baradat who, as a young child, leftCuba with his parents and immigrated to the United States. Known for its up-tempo beat, fast footwork and sensuous body language, Mambo laid the groundwork for its offshoots: Cha-cha-cha and Salsa. Salsa stamp creator-artist Jose Ortega, of New York City and Toronto --was born in Ecuador, grew up in New York City and currently owns a Salsa clubin Toronto. Popularized in the 1960s by New York Puerto Rican musicians, salsa integrates rhythm and blues, and jazz into Afro-Cuban rhythms. Capturing the famous Cha-cha-cha in a vivid stamp is a native of El Gabriel, Cuba, artist Edel Rodriguez, who resides in Mt. Tabor, New Jersey. Derived from Cuba's danzon, and taking its name from the last three beats in its 1-2, 1-2-3 rhythm, the cha-cha-cha is slower and more constrained that the up-tempo moves of its sister, the Mambo. To complete the Latin dance stamp series, the Merengue was captured by freelance illustrator Rafael Lopez, native of Mexico City and currently residing in San Diego. The Merengue is a mix of European and African derived styles and in the first half of the 20th century became the national dance of the Dominican Republic. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |