By Ysabella Escalona
Aug 31, 2023, 10:00 AM EDT
As part of the 21st edition of the International Salsa Congress in New York, the International Salsa Museum (ISM), with the support of Americans for the Arts and Getty Images, organized a special exhibition to pay tribute to the Queen of Latin Soul, La Lupe, and the King of Mambo, Tito Puente.
Open from September 1 to 3, the exhibition will feature objects, instruments, photographs and more memorabilia that will provide a different experience for fans, with the purpose of preserving the legacy of those who were the pioneers of the genre.
“This exhibit provides an educational experience for those who are unfamiliar with the history of salsa and the early artists of the genre,” said La Yoli, La Lupe’s daughter, who was involved in the process of creating the exhibit and supplied items the only ones in his family who were important in his mother’s life and career.
“I feel very happy to be able to lend some of the objects for the exhibition and that this honor be done to my mother, who would be very happy for this,” added the also singer.
Sharing the exhibit with La Lupe will be artifacts and instruments that once belonged to the famous native New York singer of Puerto Rican descent, Tito Puente, provided by his son, musician Tito Puente Junior, who will also be part of a panel about the past, present and future of salsa, which will be complemented by a joint presentation with his orchestra during the Congress, on September 2.
“We want the exhibition to be bigger this year, so we will also celebrate other artists like Eddie Torres, known as “El Rey del Mambo”, and other salsa figures such as photographers and executives of the genre,” added Willy Rodríguez, some of the founders and executive director of the International Museum of Salsa.
There will also be retrospectives of other notable artists, such as Ralph Irizarry, Alfonso “El Panameno” Joseph, the Anacaona Orchestra of Havana, Luis Figueroa, as well as pioneering choreographer Eddie Torres Sr., the prolific photographers who captured his rise such as Joe Conzo, Danny Hastings, Ernie Paniccioli, Cynthia Carris Alonso and Allen Spatz, as well as venues that resonated with his pulse, such as Artie Ramos’s Side Street.
The museum will be open to the public of all ages and tickets are limited. For tickets, visit: www.InternationalSalsaMuseum.org.
Annual congress for salseros
The 21st edition of the New York International Salsa Congress will take place from August 31 to September 3, and will once again have the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square as its main venue.
The series of events will kick off with a party at the Iguana NYC restaurant, followed by workshops at the Broadway Dance Center and the Marriott. It will feature panels, live performances by the most influential artists of the moment, dances for the public, workshops, shops, parties, exhibitions, among other activities, where salsa fans from all over the world and of any age can interact and enjoy.
Among the artists that will have live performances are: La Excelencia band, Tito Puente Junior and his orchestra, Charlie Aponte and Luis Figueroa, who will receive the David Meléndez Award, for his tireless dedication to preserving the cultural values of Latin music and giving new life to the salsa genre, inspiring the next generation of artists.
For more information on schedules, artists, tickets and more, visit: www.newyorksalsacongress.com