Mayor Miller Salsa's on Saint Clair

Mayor Miller Salsa'd on Saint Clair Friday night as he proclaimed 10-16 July 2006 as "Latino Week." Revealing that his wife is from Ecuador, Mayor Miller was on the spot to dance, and dance he did. Betty Colon, took a turn with Mayor Miller as His Worship to kicked off Hillcrest Village / TLN Salsa on Saint Clair, the hottest and spiciest dance, food, and fun festival Toronto may have seen.

There was heat on the street Friday and Saturday as Mexican, Puerto Riccan, Columbian, Venezualan, Peruvian, Ecuadorian cooking scents and pulsating rhythms brewed an intoxicating salsa that seduced and drew waves and oceans of people from Christie to Winona all week-end long. By suppertime Saturday, St. Clair was a sea of people walking, eating, dancing, and enjoying the music that filled the hot summer evening.

There was dancing on the stage, dancing on the sidewalks, dancing in the cafes, dancing in the streets, there was dancing everywhere. Even a hot air balloon, emblazoned with "Malibu" floated by Friday evening, perhaps drawn by the sounds and smells of summer salsa fun?

Cuban born broadcaster Ismael Cala and Montreal based "TLN Hoy" host Ginella Diaz were the thread that kept the music playing and playing throughout Friday night and all of Saturday. Switching easily from Spanish to English and even to French for a visiting Montrealais, they drew the crowd closer to the mainstage, almost like inviting someone into their livingroom.

Despite his best efforts over the past year, salsa still eluded Ismael, but Ginella did get him moving a bit to Caribe Son's traditional and not so traditional rhythms. Caribe Son even snuck in a calypso flavoured tune and Billy Bryans checked out the sound as well as the tunes and got in a few dances.

Street Festival - Yes!

Conceived by the Hillcrest Village Business Improvement Association and Tele Latino Network - TLN Salsa on Saint Clair has blossomed into a true street festival for year two, and has put Saint Claire Avenue West on the map for a must do Toronto destination. A very proud Joe Mihevc turned his office into a media centre for the week-end.

Jennifer & Giovanni led the crowd through some CardioSalsa with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Who knew salsa can burn 600 calories an hour, get the heart racing and healthy all while having fun?!

YTV brought their portable delight, Weird on Wheels and the children were busy playing games, making big puzzles and playing in the fun house all day. Clowns made balloon hats and Rhythmic Fire's young dancers led people into Salsa and Merengue and Bachata lessons all day near the Plaza car hot spot. There was even an early Saturday evening Salsa contest.

Big City Small World

Salsa on Saint Clair also went on the air to Toronto and to the world through streaming audio as CBC Radio 1 (FM 99.1)'s Claudia Garcia de la Huerta broadcast Big City Small World from the mainstage to a sea of people. 2005's Salsa on Saint Clair so thrilled Claudia, she had to come back and bring her special live radio to Saint Clair and bring Saint Clair out to the world.

"Let's get the salsa party started! -- with my house band for the hour, Cafe Cubano and Rojito!" exclaimed Claudia the crowd roared as her compadre, ex-TLN Hoy host and current producer of CBC's Fresh Air Mariel Borelli dove into the crowd looking for stories.

Glowing with her pregnancy, Claudia too eluded her salsa lessons, "I'm Chilena, I can't dance. It's true. But this year, I have an excuse, Isabella."

Claudia introduced her daughter-to-be to the crowd, saying that Isabella already loved music and she hoped that Isabella would join in the fun with a nudge or a kick or two.

Rojitas had the crowd at his feet while Amanda Martinez, fresh from Sola, her first CD seduces the crowd with her music. With a Mexican Father and a South African Mother, travelling to Mexico and Cuba, Amanda personifies Toronto sound.

"... Latin bands in Toronto fuse the music. [There are ] so many amazing musicians from Cuba, everyone brings their own style - passion!"

Comedian Martha Chavez, who plays Yuk Yuk's in September 2006 and who presented "Broad Appeal" at Lula Lounge in March 2005 spilled the beans about the Hispanic cheerful look to life. "Lots of tragedy with earthquakes and hurricanes... what can we do? Make Love, Dance Laugh!"

Salsa - Cumbia - Fun!

With Evaristo Machado bringing his big band to pump salsa out to the crowd, Son Ache getting them to dance anywhere in earshot, and Betty Colon's I-Pod driven salsa party at Arlington & Saint Clair, Salsa on Saint Clair was salsa.