El Cantante

Though they don't look much alike, slight actor-singer Marc Anthony was born to play robust salsa sensation Héctor Lavoe. In addition to similar ancestry and vocal skills, Anthony has been building a respectable cinematic resume with roles in Big Night and Martin Scorsese's Bringing out the Dead. The title of El Cantante comes from a number Rubén Blades wrote for The Singer. Lavoe would make it his signature song. In the film, Anthony's wife, producer Jennifer Lopez, plays Puchi, the Nuyorican beauty who won Lavoe's heart. She narrates their story from the perspective of 2002 (the real-life Puchi passed away shortly afterwards). Leon Ichaso (Piñero) contrasts Lavoe's rise from Puerto Rican street singer to New York superstar with his fall from innocent immigrant to heroin-addicted ladies man. By the mid-1980s, Lavoe's popularity hit its peak, and Ichaso spends the rest of the time ticking off the tragedies of his final years: the break with trombonist Willie Colón (John Ortiz), stay in a mental ward, etc. It's a dynamic portrait, and Anthony and Lopez work well together, but despite the urban setting and Latin-flavored soundtrack, El Cantante follows virtually the same trajectory as Ray and Walk the Line (Ichaso has also directed biopics of Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali). His movie looks and sounds authentic, but Lavoe's story might've been better served as nonfiction. There's a sense that there was more to the man than what appears on screen. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Customer Review: El cantante sings!
I loved this movie and I also love JLo and Marc Anthony! I think this movie was underrated. If you are truly interested in Hector Lavoe, you will love it. If you buy it just cause you want to see JLo and Marc, you probably won't like it. They are good in the movie but the story is what made it for me. Of course, it goes without saying, Marc Anthony's voice is supberb!
Customer Review: WONDERFUL....
I rented this film recently and was surprised at how good it was. The story depicts the stormy life and tragic end to the great salsa legend Hector Lavoe. This movie hits you in the heart from the start. It makes you care about the character and his music. I now own a cd of Hector Lavoe and I never knew I could like salsa. Who knew?? His music is amazing and the tragic events of his life makes you want to know the person behind the prose of his songs. My ears know good music when it hears it and this man was a icon. Hector Lavoe.......rest in peace! I'm not much of a fan of Jennifer Lopez but she played a good role. However, another actress (a more popular one) would have made this film more marketable to the non-Hispanic population ( mass audience).

Salsa is a form of social get together of the people which celebrates dance, music and culture. It is considered to be a faction of Latin rhythmic types which contains the clave beats. Mambo, Son, Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, Guaracha, Merengue, Songo, Timba and few others are some of the most recognized form of salsa. Salsa is the only among Latin genres to have come back and inclined West African tune.

Salsa has become gaining more and more recognition now. A lot of institutions have been opened to teach this form of dance. In fact, few marriages in NYC demands a salsa dance by the newly wedded couple. Many events are organized every year to host salsa in New York. The salsa festival is generally organized in the spirit of friendship and fun and the affection of dancing. In order to make the salsa festival a grand one, you should always look for a perfect venue to host the event. Some of the superb venues for salsa of tango event in New York are:

The Burgess Hall: It is the premier venue in Cambridgeshire. It has a sufficient free car parking area and is completely air-conditioned. It has a great semi-spung dance floor and other facilities.

Rush: 579 6th Avenue, New York City. It is a huge event ground that organizes brilliant events like salsa and tango. The entry fee is kept low.

Columbus 72: 246 Columbus Avenue in NYC. This venue is very famous and is among the best place to host a salsa or tango night. The place is completely air-conditioned. It offers brilliant services and facilities to the organizers and to the people.

Plumm: This venue was basically made to host salsa events. It has huge dancing floor with live music and great DJs.

A lot of fantastic salsa event venues have come up in last few years. Some of them are LQs, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, Club Iguana, The Red Lounge, Vudu Lounge and SOB's.

Salsa is a very beautiful form of dance. The slow motion dance touches your soul when you see others performing. The feeling you get is, excellent!

Mario Stewart has a passion to write about New York City and the bars, restaurants and salsa in the city. He is internationally popular for providing the most apt reviews about the salsa in New York City You may visit one of his websites about salsa in NYC to find more details.

latin music com