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).

Origin:

Rueda de Casino originated in Havana, Cuba in the 60s. Rueda is a particular style of Salsa where dancers form a circle and dance in pairs (leaders and followers). All dancers perform the same moves as they are called by the "caller" and dancers swap partners quite a few times during one dance.

Music:

Rueda's music is exactly the same as Salsa music, as it is just a variation for the dance and not the music. The music is played in 4/4 with beats 4 and 8 representing a pause and the other beats representing steps. Claves, Congo or the tin drum are often used to mark the main beats of the music.

Dance:

Rueda is a particular style of Salsa where dancers form a circle and dance in pairs (leaders and followers). All dancers then perform the same moves when the moves are called by one person in the circle. Most of the moves involve dancers changing partners and so, dancers find themselves moving around the circle during a dance. A lot of the moves have hand signals to represent them, which is particularly useful when dancers are dancing in a big circle or in a noisy environment when it is not particularly easy to hear the caller. Most Rueda moves are common to partner dancing in Salsa, whereas some are specific only to the group variation of the dance.

Latinos NZ Popularity Scale: 7/10

Rueda is quite popular in New Zealand and is quickly gaining popularity with more dancers getting used to the dance. On an average night out in a Latin Club in New Zealand, you will often see "Rueders" get together for a few Ruedas.

Why dance with just one, when you can dance with them all?!

Article taken from Latinos.co.nz (http://www.latinos.co.nz)

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