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| Andrés Meneses |
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Latin Dancing & Music Event Producer, Event Promoter, Choreographer, DJ & Dance instructor.
Since he can remember, Andrés has been dancing and listening to music. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in both San Juan & Viña del Mar, Chile, he recalls a Salsa party when he was 15 years old where the ladies raced only to the guys that could dance. At that point he vowed to himself, "Whatever this is, I have to learn it!"
He has been involved and/or organized over 5,000 events in the past 12 years. His expertise has also led him to be the executive producer of events with the Cardenas Marketing Network, the nation’s largest Hispanic event production and marketing firm (Miller Banda Mas Chida Battle of the Bands 2006). He has also worked in conjunction with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs in many Latin music and dance projects since 1998 including Chicago Summer Dance Program, Winter Delights, Millenium Park opening ceremonies, Dancing for the New Millenium, Spanish Harlem Orchestra & Maraca &Otra Vision at The Park West & The Chicago World Music Festival just to name a few.
His work producing Angel Melendez and the 911 Mambo Orchestra under his own record label Latin Street Music earned him a Grammy nomination in 2004 and the privilege of being an official Grammy voter. As a music producer, he has also released Willy's NYC Salsa Project "Lo Que Traigo Yo" & Damian Rivero "Con El Diablo En El Hombro". He has also produced concerts for Maraca & Otra Vision, Fania All-Stars Adalberto Santiago and Ismael Miranda, and The Singers of The Apollo Sound: Sammy Gonzalez, Tito Cruz & Papo Sanchez, Luigi Texidor, Hector Tricoche, Ha*Ash, Grupo Tranzas, SuperLitio, Cartel de Santa, Lira 'n Roll, Fanny Lu, Leprosy, Domenic Marte, 4Ever, Voz a Voz, Willy Torres, The New Swing Sextet, Jimmy Bosh & La Sonora Dinamita de Vilma Diaz amongst others.
Andrés is the producer of the Chicago Salsa Festival (Latin Street Salsa Congreso) every year in the Summer, producer of The Chicago Qualifier for The World Salsa Championships (World Latin Dance Cup) televised by ESPN, producer of the largest and longest running Tropical/Salsa Nightclub events and concerts at Excalibur Nightclub, producer and promoter of Live Salsa Sundays at The Cubby Bear and music curator of The Chicago White Sox, The Chicago Bears, The Chicago Bulls, The Navy Pier Beer Garden, Carnivale Restaurant, & Nacional 27. As a dance show producer, Andrés organized theatre dance performance productions (Latin Dance Revue) at the Chicago Theatre, the Dance Center of Columbia College, Athenaeum Theatre, and the Copernicus Theater amongst many others.
Andrés is the business manager and runs all the aspects of Artists management for Grammy nominee Angel Melendez & The 911 mambo Orchestra, Willy Torres & His NYC Salsa Project, Los Guitarristas, Gilberto “El Pulpo” Colon Jr, Afinca’o, William Gomez Con Cache and booking agent for over 30 Latin music artists & Djs in Chicago including Nelson Sosa, Carpacho & Su Super Combo, Mariachi Zapopan, Jose Valdes, & many more.
As an instructor, Andrés has been teaching for the last 20 years and full time for the last 12 years. Both he and Lisa "La Boriqua" were featured in two Salsa Instructional Videos now sold nationwide, and they have been invited to perform numerous times on TV with local affiliates such as ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN, FOX and many cable TV station programs. Personally he has performed with The Chicago Latin Street Dance Company at The Chicago Theatre, The Athenaeum Theatre, The Dance Center of Columbia College, Chicago International SALSA Congresses 2003, 04, 05, 06 & 07, Montreal Salsa Convention 05 & 06, Chicago Salsa Festival 2007, 08 & 09, The Miami Salsa Congress 2007, 08 & 09, The Puerto Rico Hustle & Salsa Festival 2007, 08 & 09 & Dance Chicago 2007 just to name a few.
Andrés is currently the owner of Latin Street Dancing Inc, owner of Latin Street Music Inc, director of The Latin Street Pro Team, voting member of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, voting member of The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, member of the Chicago Jazz Institute, The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, the Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce of Illinois & Board member of the Chicago Music Comission.
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