A month to sing and dance

ATLAPA goes all out. As mentioned in last week's column, “Feria de la Rumba” starts today at 9:00 p.m. at ATLAPA. Tickets are $26 VIP and $11 for general admission. There will be something to suit the taste of any and all night-life lovers: locals with reggae music, areas with electronic music, and separate spaces with restaurants and bars.

Polish your dancing shoes. For salsa lovers, dance your heart out at the tune of several salsa professionals. The National Salsa Fair will be held this November 16 at Figali Convention Center with Wichi Camacho, Pedro Bull, Cheo Feliciano, Roberto Blades and 6 national orchestras. Door opens at 12:00 p.m. and the concert will run until 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $17 for general admission (area without seats) and $38 for VIP (tables of 10) and are sold at Blockbuster.

Meet the legend. For Spanish music listeners looking for thoughtful lyrics and catchy tunes but turned off by the word “fair”, I highly recommend the Juan Luis Guerra concert on Thursday November 27 also at Figali at 7:00 p.m. Juan Luis Guerra is one of the best merengue performers of our time, winning Grammy and Billboard awards among others. He has sold more than 20 million records around the world. Besides his romantic repertoire you will find songs with socially conscious lyrics that have more than once shaken his audience to wake up to the realities facing the region. Tickets for this concert are more expensive than the fair though, ranging from $30 up to $250. They are available at Video Avenue.

Two generations under one roof. If you prefer English music and are not really into dancing except for an occasional and slight head bob, opt for the Duran Duran and Maroon 5 concert on Tuesday November 18 at the Figali Convention Center. The concert is the first of its kind, bringing together two generations of Grammy winning pop rock bands on the same stage. Seating for this concert will be in the open air outside Figali. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and tickets run from $25 - $150 and are on sale at Video Ave.

Going electronic. A couple of years ago few of our countrymen listened to let alone knew what electronic music was. Today, it’s appeal has grown, with radio stations like 88.1 FM playing entire shows of electronic, and many Calle Uruguay clubs advertising their electric nights and their international DJs. It’s not surprising that concerts are following. Bob Sinclair, French DJ made famous by hits like Love Generation, Children of the Sky and Sound of Freedom, will be performing in Figali on Monday December 1 (okay, maybe not November, but close enough!). Tickets are available on Video Ave.

Music geniuses in the Panama Jazz Festival. The American Wayne Shorter and the Cuban Chucho Valdes, two living legends of jazz, are part of the repertoire of musicians that will participate in the Panama Jazz Festival 2009. The fair will take place between January 12 and 17 2009. Famous Panamanian pianist Danilo Perez expects attendance to surpass last year’s 16,000 people. The festival which will be dedicated to the Panamanian bass player Clarence Martin, “is consolidating” and acquiring “a great level” according to Danilo Perez because of the group of artists participating, mainly the saxophonist Shorter and the pianist Valdes, pioneer in the Afrocuban jazz.

PS: A non-concert related note. Panama’s National Institute of Culture and the Patronato of Panama Viejo are putting forth an antique cars exhibit in Panama Viejo this Sunday November 16 near the Cathedral tower. The exhibit starts at 10:00 a.m. If you haven’t checked it out yet, take the opportunity to climb up the newly built stairs of the Cathedral, which make for a great view of the city.