MEET INCREDIBLE ARTISTS FROM AUSTRALIA AND OVERSEAS
The Sydney Salsa & Mambo Convention is a brand new event like no other in Australia. Born from a passion for Salsa and Mambo, It will bring back the vibe of the Sydney Salsa Congress days and fuse it with the sophisticated feeling of NYC Palladium.
This 3-day and 3-night event will bring together some of the most iconic dancers in Australia and overseas, who have been hand-picked to give you an amazing experience. With an approach that goes beyond dancing, the SSMC invites you to learn about the history of Salsa and Mambo whilst you enjoy a whole weekend of workshops, live concerts, parties and shows where the roots and traditions of these dance styles meet the flair of modern dancing.
Salseros and Mamberos out there, you can’t miss this event!
BANDS
MUCHO MAMBO
14-Piece Big Band
One of the few authentic Mambo bands in the world, Sydney’s very own Mucho Mambo will wow you with their 14-piece wall of sound.
Mucho Mambo’ timeless Big Band will transport you back to the golden era of Mambo from the 1950’s and 1960’s. The orchestra’s world class arrangements fuse our favourite Latin rhythms Mambo, Cha Cha Cha and Salsa, with Jazz harmonies and orchestration, creating a unique and powerful modern edge.
Influenced by the classic Cuban orchestras and the New York Mambo movement of the 1950’s. Mucho Mambo has been honing their craft and blowing audiences away with their tight arrangements, brilliant musicianship and unique retro visual element since 2002.
You will not be able to resist to get up and dance!
NUYORICO
8-Piece New York Fania Salsa Band
The Nuyorico band (named after New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent) will transport you back to the barrios of New York for Fania Salsa, classic Cha Cha Cha and groovy Boogaloo.
This 8-piece band features the best Latin musicians in Sydney and has an impressive ‘dancing’ repertoire drawing from the masters of New York Latin music from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s such as Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades, Cheo Feliciano, Pete Rodriguez, Joe Cuba, plus many more!
This awesome band consisting of a groovy 3 piece rhythm section, funky brass and world-class vocals will set the dance floor alight with some serious old school Salsa Dura and other classic tunes to get everyone up and dancing. Get your dance shoes on and be ready!
SALSA DJs
DJ Chris
After being dragged into Salsa classes by a friend, Chris soon fell in love with the dance and the music. Collecting music was the next step and after a couple of years and much research, Chris cut his DJing teeth at Sydney’s legendary Pumphouse. Chris has a unique style blending new Salsa and Mambo with some of the old great classics. He is a resident DJ at Off Broadway Hotel and is frequently invited to gigs all around Sydney.
DJ Gav
DJ Gav, holder of the most original DJ name in the DJ world, first fell in love with Salsa many years ago in a Latin dive bar in Kings Cross. He then began collecting Latin music, learnt to dance Salsa and travelled the world to study Latin percussion and music. DJ Gav has been a regular on the decks at some of Sydney’s best Salsa nights and he also plays percussion for the Latin bands Samba Ninja and Equa Hey. A long-running resident DJ at Mambo G’s famous Salsa nights and monthly parties at Off Broadway Hotel in Sydney, you can catch him every Monday behind the decks spinning new and classic Salsa or on the dance floor.
DJ Juan Carlos
Born and raised in Cali, Colombia (aka the Mecca of Salsa) Juan Carlos has been dancing professionally for over 20 years. He has a broad variety of music from all eras and all flavours of Salsa, ensuring to read the crowd and draw from his years of expertise to keep the dance floor full. Juan regularly plays his music all around Australia and Colombia and keeps expanding his knowledge in the field.
DJ Helios
Helios started collecting Salsa music while traveling through South America in the late 90’s. Once back home, he started Latin dance parties on the Sunshine Coast and has since been DJ’ing in most Latin clubs in Brisbane. Helios’ reputation grew over the years, leading him to being invited to various Latin festivals around Australia. Always passionate about classic and modern Salsa, he is an asset to the Latin scene in Australia, guaranteeing amazing tracks for a perfect night of non-stop dancing.
DJ MaMbo G
After amassing a wide collection of Salsa music, Graeme started DJing in the UK in the 90’s under the supervision of his mentor Mauricio Reyes. The NY sound of Salsa and Mambo spoke to him and the dancing scene too. Returning to Australia in 2006, he opened his first social night to much acclaim from linear Salsa dancers and schools. Being invited to play at many national and local events to this day, Mambo-G continues to play his passion for all genres that influence linear Salsa. Keeping the dance floor full of new, classic and rare grooves, Mambo-G always encourages dancers to get out and have fun on the dance floor regardless of their skill level.
DJ Nathan
DJ Nathan is based in Melbourne. Being a passionate dancer, his sets are guaranteed fun for the Melbourne Latin dance community with music tailored for dancers. Spinning some of the best Mambo, Salsa, Cha Cha and the odd Bachata thrown into the mix, with a great range of classics and new tracks, enriching the dance community with an amazing playlist full of fun and groove. Spinning tracks for over ten years and still finding new gems to keep dancers guessing.
DJ RAYAN
Rayan started dancing Salsa in 2009, when he was inspired to start collecting Salsa music. His DJing journey started only after years of collecting his favourite tunes. After relocating to Melbourne from Dubai, Rayan quickly established himself as one of the prominent DJs in the Salsa scene. In addition to being a Salsa dancer and vinyl collector, Rayan enjoys playing both classic and modern tunes keeping the crowd dancing all night.
DJ Debby
DJ Carlos
Bachata DJs
DJ PEDRO
Pedro’s music translates his passion for Salsa and Bachata from the beginning to the end of the night. Pedro started Djing in the Sydney social dance scene in 2014. With the tutelage of some of the best DJs in Sydney, he has quickly become a leading name in the Latin Dance scene. He currently runs Salsamania and Bachateame, two of Sydney’s largest monthly events, and is constantly being invited to DJ in festivals and events across Australia such as The Sydney International Bachata Festival, The Salsa Palladium, Dodoule, Bailando Sensual Festival to name a few. Be ready for a night of amazing music.
DJ VANESSA
Vanessa is a multidimensional DJ who plays Bachata, Zouk, Salsa, Kizomba and more. She is also a passionate dancer and has travelled the world performing and competing on her favourite styles. Being a hardcore Latin dancer, she knows how important it is to make sure the right music is represented for each genre while catering for all dancers. Vanessa values the importance of preserving roots and history, making sure the correct music structures and instruments are there in every song. Make sure you hit the dance floor when she’s on deck.
DJ ALI
DJ BRENDAN
DJ Juan
DJ NESTOR
