Another Excellent Tune: Creo en el Amor

A GREAT tune from one of my readers! This is another example of "contrast" providing emotion. I wrote about this concept a while ago and I'll add the link to the "Related Articles" section at the bottom of this article.

Check out Creo en el Amor by Rey Ruiz


This is not a new tune, but I heard it a couple times in the clubs but never found the title/artist. Within 5 minutes of reading Tom's suggestion in the comment section of my last article, I purchased this on iTunes. It makes my day to find another great song.

Thanks again to Tom Van Geffen for this suggestion. As often happens, I get so many great ideas/music from my readers. I'm always thankful!

Please send me your favorites too! I can't use them all, but great music should always be shared with others. I also suggestion you actually buy a copy from the artists you enjoy, so they make some money and can create more great music for us.

Let me know your thoughts!

Related Articles:
Contrast: An Element of Emotion
Love this tune: Yo No Se Mañana

Men are from Earth. Women are from Earth. Deal with it.
-- George Carlin

Love This Salsa Tune: Yo No Se Mañana

I'm still editing my latest article, but I've been listening to this tune over and over and I love it. I originally heard it in a club and went to the DJ to find the name and artist so I could download my own copy and enjoy it.

In the first two weeks I've had the tune, I've heard it over 84 times so far, not including hearing it in the clubs and listening to the YouTube versions. Yo No Se Mañana (by Luis Enrique) is one of those I can easily hear a few hundred times.


I love the intro being so laid back and chill, and the song building until the end. There are also 'pop' and 'bachata' versions available too. A GREAT song works across many styles.

Here's a link to the 'Pop' version which is also excellent. I predict a crossover hit for these guys. It's on YouTube via this link: Yo No Se Mañana (Pop Version)

Almost 3 years ago I wrote an article recommending listening to great songs at least 100 times. (You'll see it in the "Related Articles" section below.) Check it out if you haven't read it in a while or missed it the first time. Soon I'm finish my update to that article as I've learned quite a bit in the last few years.

Note in the beginning of Yo No Se Mañana, (AKA the "introduction"), the pulse is implied. It's subtle but the time is running and constant from the first note. I've also put a reference to the "Implied Pulse" series in the "Related Articles" section below in case you missed those concepts.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think of this tune!

RELATED ARTICLES:

Listening to Music: 100 Times or More
Mastering Music: Not On The Dance Floor
Musical Pulse: Explicit and Implicit (Part 1)
Musical Pulse: Explicit and Implicit (Part 2)

I identify more with women than with men. I guess I have a strong feminine side.
-- Lenny Kravitz

Modern Dancing - Amazing and Humbling (Part 2)

This just became "Part 2" of a series, because my friend Disa, (an amazing dancer herself) pointed out another video I should share. I had seen this performance on "So You Think You Can Dance" when it originally aired, but I didn't even think to search on YouTube for the clip. Thankfully Disa has her head straight and immediately sent it to me.

Check out this performance!

These dancers will continue to improve and grow over the next couple years. They are already pushing things, but with all the publicity and touring they will continue stretching. In a year or two every 15 year old will be doing this stuff, and in a few years we will be tainted again thinking this performance is so "2010".

Someone else will see what they are doing and get inspired to put their own twist on things, continuing the cycle of building on the dancers before them. It will never stop.

It inspires me to practice a little more, let me know your thoughts.

Modern Dancing - Amazing and Humbling (Part 1)

Isn't it wild how music and dance (and most arts & sciences) continue to evolve?

The arts rarely stay the same, and there is always someone pushing the envelop, looking to take things to a different level. Sometimes I like the new level, sometimes I don't, but what I like doesn't matter much since the arts will evolve with or without me.

When "Rock and Roll" started in the 1950's and '60's last century, parents were outraged and thought it was a fad. Clearly they were wrong as it took over the younger generation and continued to grow and change popular music forever.

When hip-hop was heating up in the '70s and 80s last century, most of the existing dance world thought it would last a few years and burn out. Obviously, it's more vibrant today than when it started, and it influences our current partner dancing. I regularly see social dancers integrating moves from hip-hop, jazz, tango, hustle, west coast swing and many other dances. Check these guys out.


The clip showcases some very modern dancing, and some will love it and some won't. It's extremely athletic and way beyond social dancing. It's breath-taking, amazing and inspiring. Anybody who is a decent dancer will appreciate the level of dedication required to get to this level.

They make everything look so easy, but that's often the mark of dancing excellence. If you've tried any moves similar to the ones in the clip, you'll know what I mean. The complexity is 'off the chart' difficult, requiring untold hours of practice and refinement.

Enjoy it and let me know your thoughts!

Special thanks to Tom Tubbs (AKA "t0mat0" on Twitter). We follow each other on Twitter and he posts excellent dance videos. I steal some of his best and pretend I found them myself! I love the fact that people send me cool stuff. I hope you do the same! 

Money can't buy love, but it improves your bargaining position.
--Christopher Marlowe

Killer Documentary: Flamenco Dancing

Lots of people send me cool stuff and weeks or months later I turn it into an article. I originally posted this a couple weeks ago after the link was forwarded to me, but rewrote my thoughts after seeing it a few times.

I'll still watch it again. A few times are not enough for me. Each time you watch you'll see another inspiring moment. Sometimes I just want to quit work and practice, so I can join the fun.

(Many of my best articles start with ideas from readers like you, so please keep sending me your thoughts!!!)

This documentary is not new, but totally worth your time.



It's interesting watching these young ballet dancers grow into Flamenco dancers. The clapping exercises, the timing, and the process they go through are amazing. Few of us could be that good without their background, but it's still worth checking out even if you're a casual dancer.

It's very inspirational. They start so "simple" and build!

The passion from the instructors is obvious. They clearly know the history and story behind the music and movements. They combine amazing technique with an understanding of the feel, providing depth behind the movements.

You have to love the "circle" concept (around 26 minutes), where individuals take a turn dancing solo while everybody else provides the rhythm foundation and support. Hip-hop dancers do this all the time, but obviously it's been around a few centuries before they were born. (As they say, little is truly new. Most great artists build on the shoulders of the giants before them...)

Obviously this passion is way beyond what most of us will do social dancing. When you see the results from lots of hard work it may inspire you to work a little harder so you can join the fun too.

Great dance has it's moments of intense work. When it all comes together in the end it's a beautiful, inspiring, sensual experience.It's hard not to smile and feel good watching them perform.

Special thinks to Valentine Doran for turning me on to this clip.

Let me know what you think!

More details:
Flamenco Dancing Documentary page

Think green. Don't waste music! Once you hear it, start moving.
-Sam Carbin