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I was looking forward to attending this concert. As a veteran performer of the Salsa Festivals (from 1992 to 1995 – last performance was the 20^th Anniversary) I was excited to be able to see the concert from a different point of view. On Friday afternoon I read an article in the Daily News regarding the appearance and performance of Eddie Palmieri. Mr. Palmieri is a Grammy winner and well respected in the music industry. The article mentioned how this was going to be his last time playing "Salsa" music because he wanted to experiment in the Latin Jazz field. He stated that he wanted to venture into something different and wanted to give it a try. It had been a while since I had seen Mr. Palmieri in concert so I was looking forward to hearing him and his orchestra. So with my Minolta camera I trekked over to Madison Square Garden. I knew from past experience that Ralph Mercado starts these concerts on time. I arrived a few minutes early to try and find a good viewing point. From where I was sitting, I did not have a front view of the stage. Security at the Garden does not allow anyone to stand in the aisles. Nevertheless, I made attempts to capture the best possible angle that I could.

At exactly 8:00pm the concert started. For the benefit of those who did not attend, allow me to take a moment to illustrate the stage. The stage setup remained constant throughout the evening. The general color of the stage was black accompanied by show lights of different colors. This design has been used before in most of the Salsa Festivals. It seems to work in terms of space for the orchestras but doesn’t afford a lot of space for dancing. Nevertheless, the space available was well utilized. The Eddie Torres Dancers utilized the upper half of the stage and the left and right corners of the main floor.

Paco from the New York radio station Mega 97.9 was the Master of Ceremonies. Paco has always done a fine job. I believe he has the voice for Master of Ceremonies. Remember that the following is just my point of view. Hope you enjoy it. Here we go!!!

Opening the concert was none other than Eddie Palmieri. He brought along a nine- member band with a lead vocal (Ray Castro) and three coristas (backup singers). The audience responded really well to his appearance. He immediately went into his first song which was a Bomba, followed by a Salsa and then closing with the famous "Vamonos p’al Monte" (one of my favorites). For the closing number, the Eddie Torres Dancers filled the stage. I counted at least 10 couples on the stage entering at the break of the song and dancing their hearts away. Eddie Torres has always done a superb job at these concerts. His choreography is on the mark and the dancers really did a fabulous job. They were all smiles and displayed enjoyment and fun in their performance. I recognized most of the dancers and had the pleasure of performing with a few of them in the past. There was a mix of students and his more experienced dancers. Overall, the song and dance performance complimented each other and offered the audience a mix of the best of both worlds. It didn’t seem like 30 minutes had gone by. But, yes his time was up and Eddie Palmieri had to exit. Once the number was done, Mr. Palmieri took a well deserved bow and made his exit. If Mr. Palmieri keeps to his words, and this is his last performance in Salsa, then it was a pleasure for everyone there to have witnessed it. All the best to you Eddie Palmieri!!!!

After a brief intermission, the second group came up. It was Los Adolescentes. The Garden roared with applause. They are fairly new to the scene and have done extremely well with their very first CD. Dressed in all grey, the foursome entered the stage after a brief musical introduction. Accompanied by a full compliment of musicians, they immediately went into their first two Salsa songs. The four young looking stars also danced along in every song. They had a routine for each song and were very much synchronized. The audience responded extremely well to their performance. After the first two Salsa songs, the group went into a medley of older songs done originally by Willie Colon and Hector Lavoe. The songs were Che Che Cole and Pirana. During these songs, there was a piano solo, a dynamic timbale solo, and an extraordinary and "tear down the house" Conga solo. The conga soloist was extremely creative with the Conga and really put on a show. This congero finished his solo with a half split in front of the Conga!! Wow! The audience went wild. The closing number for Los Adolescentes was the song Otro. Here, the Eddie Torres Dancers entered the stage and filled each available corner. The dancers were dressed in red, which by the way, blended nicely with the overall color of the stage. The choreography complemented the song and once again, Mr. Torres did a wonderful job with the choreography. Eddie Torres did not perform this evening.

I noticed that the time allotted to each recording artist was about 30 minutes. With their last song, Los Adolescentes said goodnight to a very happy and satisfied crowd. It was the first time I had seen them live and I found them exciting to watch and full of energy. I also enjoyed watching their synchronized dancing. They certainly knew how to move the crowd. Well done Adolescentes!!

Next up was Tito Rojas. It was clear that he was a favorite. I’ve seen Tito Rojas perform in the past and he always satisfies his audience. Tito wore a light colored suit and was looking very sharp. The band’s first number was No te Olvido followed by Me la Llevo. This second number brought in the Eddie Torres Dancers. What I enjoyed about the dancers this time was that at one point there was a switch and all of a sudden, the ladies were leading the men!! I don’t know if anyone else noticed this switch but I thought it was a nice touch to the performance. After a few bars of music, the switch occurred again and the dancers returned to the standard men leading the ladies. The next number Tito sang was Es mi Mujer. I believe it’s one of his latest hits. During this song, Tito was handed a Puerto Rican flag from someone in the front row and when he held it up, the Garden went wild. He held it for a few moments then placed it down and continued on. One of the highlights of Tito’s performance was during his last few songs. What Tito did was honor Frankie Ruiz. Tito did this by singing Amigo, which is a song Tito recorded in memory of Frankie Ruiz. The audience once again went wild. During this song, the marquee up above, displayed "Frankie Ruiz, 1958-1998". It was a little emotional at the same time. I’m sure many people there took a moment to catch their breath. The last song Tito sang was Ahora Preguntas Por Mi. It was clear from the audience response that they enjoyed this song very much. Tito would walk the stage from left to right waving at all areas of the arena. He would walk to one side and then to the other. The audience did not get enough of Tito. Apparently, he went overtime and I could see Mr. Ralph Mercado signaling to him that his time was up. It was funny watching Mr. Mercado trying to signal to Tito. Tito did not want to finish but he had no choice.

Every now and then, it’s good to open your act in a different way; a way people will remember. This is what the next recording artist did. La India appeared way above the audience in a "lift" high above the Garden Stage. (The lift is a piece of equipment construction workers use for reaching high elevations). La India did make a grand entrance. She sang her first song, Dicen que Soy from this position high above the Garden stage. The lift moved front and back among the audience so that some could get a better view of India. La India wore a beautiful satin or silk red-orange outfit. When the song ended, she found herself making her way onto the stage. It was then that I noticed none other than Isidro Infante on the keyboards and leading the band for the next 30 minutes. The next song was Mayor Venganza. It was one of the favorites with the audience. I believe the theme and lyrics of her songs relate to many people. The audience really enjoyed her songs. Since all of the artists were pressed for time, all the songs followed one after the other. The third song India sang was one of my favorites. It’s being played currently on the radio and is her most recent hit. I call it the "La La" song because of the use of the word throughout certain parts of the song. I like the way the song begins and picks up rhythm along the way building to a wonderful end. Clearly, the next song was a favorite for the audience. The song is called Ese Hombre. It was a hit for La India and the audience ate it up. I’d like to add that India sang each song with a lot of passion. Her body language and hand movements expressed a lot of emotion. Closing out her set, India surprised the audience by honoring Frankie Ruiz. As soon as she mentioned his name, the audience responded positively and applauded. India began her medley by singing La Rueda. This song put Frankie Ruiz on the map. She then went into Como lo Hace and then finished the medley with Puerto Rico. This song expresses strong national pride and relates to Frankie Ruiz' love for Puerto Rico. She sang most of this song a cappella. You can imagine what the largely Puerto Rican audience was feeling throughout that number. La India then finished and blew kisses for everyone at the Garden. For sure the audience loved her performance and La India responded accordingly. La India made her exit and soon the last group of the evening would be filling the stage.

At about 11:30, it was none other than El Gran Combo. What can be said about El Gran Combo? They are in institution. For many years they have been thrilling Salsa lovers all over the world. I think the only other orchestra that’s been around longer is Sonora Poncena and Willie Rosario. El Gran Combo opened their set with a medley of three songs. They happened to be oldies and some of the favorites. Their fourth song was extremely familiar to everyone who is a fan. They sang El Menu (y despues que le ponga salsa, que le ponga salsa) I think you know the rest. Anyhow, it’s also a favorite of mine. I was already standing so I danced a few moves too. By this time, the aisles were filled with people dancing. I guess Security gave up. The Eddie Torres Dancers once again filled the stage for El Menu. The colors of their outfits were a mix of Gold, Silver, Red, Black and Blue. There was synchronized dancing for this number and everyone looked sharp. Congratulations to all the dancers!!

Once the number finished, the dancers made their way offstage and El Gran Combo went into their next song called Ojos. It’s an oldie but goodie. One of the things I've always liked about El Gran Combo is that the singers all dance a synchronized routine throughout their songs. It adds spice and "salsa" to their overall performance. El Gran Combo closed the evening at the Garden and once again the Salsa Festival was over. It was terrific to hear and witness some of the best that the Salsa world has to offer.

It was also a pleasure for me to sit down and just enjoy the evening. As a dancer and having performed in these concerts, I can recall the preparation and rehearsal required for these types of shows. I remember learning at least 12 routines to perform to various numbers. We would dance each song with a different routine. Wow! Times have changed. The dancers tonight performed 5 times. Nevertheless, I’m sure their rehearsals were just as tough and rewarding. Overall, I was happy to see that Ralph Mercado hired dancers for this concert. It helps keep the dance alive. I enjoyed the concert very much and the selection of music was on the money. Thanks Ralph Mercado for believing in the dancers. Also, thanks for once again bringing some of the best recording artists to Madison Square Garden.