SalsaHouston.com wants to thank all 3800+ of you for
being the #1 salsa community in Houston AND Texas!!!

Like the rest of the world, Houston witnessed an
evolution in the Tropical Latin music/dance scene in
the past few years with the growth of reggaeton.
Reggaeton is fast becoming the preference of the
newer generation. Many salseros are slow to accept
reggaeton because the rhythm is electronically
synthesized, and it lacks the standard clavé.

Reggaeton continues to evolve and grow, sometimes at
the expense of salsa. Night club attendances have
dropped. Special events like the Houston Salsa Congress
and concerts by out-of-town salsa artists were less
attended. Salsa radio airplay is down, especially
with KLOVE 106.5-FM changing to RECUERDO 106.5-FM.

For salsa to grow, the community needs more contribution
than solicitation. In these challenging times for
salsa in Houston, not only has the contribution
dropped, solicitation has increased. SalsaHouston.com
remains committed to reflect the will of the community
and not the individual solicitors to avoid becoming
a spam list. SalsaHouston.com was founded on this very
principle as reinforced in the past "State of Salsa
Addresses" and the FAQ:
http://SalsaHouston.com/message/216
http://SalsaHouston.com/files/FAQ/2002.html
http://SalsaHouston.com/message/51
http://SalsaHouston.com/files/FAQ/FAQgeneral.html

Challenging times can bring out the best or worst in
a community. Here is how YOU can bring out the best
in the community and help salsa grow in Houston:

1) Get out on the dance floor!!! Get your friends
out early and stay late!!! Many venues offer early
birds NO cover, FREE salsa lessons, drink specials,
and FREE tap water!!! Spread the word on the latest
FREE Salsa Lessons posted at http://SalsaHouston.com !!!

2) Dance with someone new!!! Introduce your friends
to others. If you do not, then you are not their
friend. And if others do not introduce you, then
they are not your friends. Salsa survival depends
on everyone dancing with each other!!!

3) Request more salsa on the radio!!! Airplay is
down, and it will stay down if salseros do not tune
in. The local stations and schedule that carry salsa
at this time are: 1) MEGA 101.1-FM, Sundays 10am-1pm
(713-212-6342), 2) KTSU 90.0-FM , Saturdays 9-10pm
(713-313-4354), 3) XO RADIO 107.9/96.9-FM, (rare plays,
but will play more if requested at 713-390-5100)!!!

4) Support the contributors more than the solicitors!!!
Every salsa business contribute something in hopes
of greater return. Your support to contributors is
a contribution to the community. Supporting
solicitors just pad the pockets of the solicitors.
Contribution is the key to community growth!!!
A good example is at
http://SalsaHouston.com/message/332

5) Shut up and dance!!! Stop complaining and remember
what the Caribbean slaves sacrificed to pass down
the rhythm!!! Afro-Cuban rhythms started in the hot
tropics on the dirt floor, not on the wooden dance
floor in the cool A/C. The slaves did not complain
about dance shoes, or the crowded dance floor, or
the music was too loud. They were just happy to dance
and pass it on to the offsprings. Remember the
slaves passed down the rhythm, not the cross-body
lead or the on-1 or on-2. The best way to pay tribute
to the slaves' sacrifices is to get in touch with our
"African Motherland" with the rhythm. Remember the
slaves longed to return but never did and the rhythm
was the only way that they could. We all came from
Africa -- some just left earlier than others. It
can be as primal as a baby feeling the Mother's heart
beat. But we can all pay tribute to the rhythm
by enjoying it, and that is what salsa is all about!!!

If everyone does their part in growing the community,
then SalsaHouston.com stays committed in doing its part
of keeping everyone informed. A growing community has
more leverage against the solicitations of businesses
in that we can demand more contributions and more of
the things we want.

Thanks for being part of this community in 2006!!!

Gracias.

SalsaHouston.com