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Introducing the Salsa FREAK herself

Just Who is Edie, The Salsa FREAK? (In case you've been living under a rock for the past few years)
Edie, The Salsa FREAK, is Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Salsaweb Magazine, Inc. Together with her partner Benjamin Rapoport, and an amazing team of dedicated volunteers, they have developed the largest Salsa dance website in the world. Over 8,000 printed pages of fabulous advice, humor, and information, both educates and entertains dance enthusiasts in every country where Salsa music is enjoyed. She is also the Web-author of the Salsafreak web page and one of the driving forces to this year's first ever Salsaweb's International Convention in DC.

Click here if you haven't read Part 1 of Edie's Cyber-Interview

Now that we got the Dancer side of you,
lets talk about the Salsaweb site.

- What did you do before you started Salsaweb? Were you originally from LA?
I was born in Colorado, and moved to Los Angeles in 1985. Until November of 1998, my day job used to be a software trainer / analyst for a small computer / software consulting firm in Los Angeles.

- What got you into writing, Do you find it hard to write (being creative), How often do you write and what do you normally write about?
I write about personal experiences that have happened to me, because I just know people will laugh about it, and "completely relate" to those experiences. I got into it one day when the company I was working for asked us to develop our own web pages. I started mine, with the intention of writing a self-improvement book. When I started writing it, I was stuck at the San Francisco airport for about eight hours, trying to fly standby to catch the next flight. It was misery. Fortunately, I had my laptop with me. That misery turned into the first paragraphs of "what it’s like to compete" and the "Helpful Hints" section of Salsaweb. I just started writing, and writing, and found I couldn’t stop! By the time I got back to Los Angeles (I could have DRIVEN home and arrived there faster…), I had my "story" completely done, and the first 20 pages-worth of articles written for Salsaweb. That day, in that airport terminal, Salsaweb was born.

- How old is Salsaweb and how did it get started? And where is Salsaweb Central as you so fondly call it?
Well, I used to be a fat, married person, with a dull job. I had been going to night school for the longest time, trying to get my degree, and working full time during the day. I had no life. Just work, school, work, school, and an occasional movie or dinner out.

Basically, I had a very boring life. I couldn’t control my weight. I had real bad allergies, asthma, and was pretty darn miserable. My back was "dented" from bending over a computer all day, and I wore these big, thuggy glasses.

One day, my husband (now ex-husband) went on a business trip for about a week. I was out of school, and wanted to go "do something" with someone, like go to a movie, to dinner, … something.. ANYTHING! I went to my address book, started thumbing through the pages, and realized that either all the names in there were long lost friends from years ago, or my husbands friends, whom I wasn’t too crazy about "doing anything" with…

I realized I had no friends.

I couldn’t believe it. Here, I had spent the last seven years of my boring life so engrossed with work and school, that I HAD MADE NO NEW FRIENDS TO JUST HANG OUT WITH.

I couldn’t believe it.

I started to cry.

I had such an empty, lonely feeling inside of me.

NO FRIENDS.  It was pathetic.

From that moment, I was determined that this would NEVER happen to me again.

That evening, I decided to get all dressed up and go to a local club nearby. It was a techno/rock club I had heard advertised on the radio. I went dancing, and had a blast. I went out every single night that week, until my husband came back a week later.

Going out like this became a regular "habit" of mine for about 3 months. I had a ball dancing techno again. I used to do it all the time before I was married, but for some reason had quit after I got married. My husband didn’t like to dance. He also didn’t like the same music as I did. This was always a problem in our relationship. I firmly believe you have to like the same kind of music in a relationship. This is a MINIMAL requirement!

One day, my "techno" club turned into a "Salsa Club" overnight, without me knowing about it. I went in, heard this "strange, yet incredible tropical rhythm…" and the rest is history.

You can read in more detail my story at http://www.salsaweb.com/stories/edie.htm

Since then, I have gotten a divorce, lost all my weight, gotten rid of my allergies, no longer have asthma, have quit my day job, competed and won major Salsa competitions, run the largest dance site in the world (Salsaweb.com), found a FANTASTIC dance / life partner, teach, and travel the world promoting and teaching Salsa and Mambo. All my dreams are coming true. I wrote my goals down over a year ago… and almost every one of them has come true! The power of the written word is ASTOUNDING. When I think about it, I feel like Cinderella, who has been given a "second chance" at life all over again. I have so much to be forever thankful for.

"Salsaweb Central".
Many people think we operate out of this huge building downtown, with conference tables, secretaries, glass doors, and expensive gourmet coffee service, with a sign at the top of the building that reads "SALSAWEB" in huge letters.

In reality, Salsaweb is a very humble organization with most of its content coming from very dedicated and loyal volunteers typing from their living rooms and bedrooms from all over the world. We all do this simply for the love of it. It is extremely difficult to make any money providing this type of information. Our advertising dollars and my video sales strictly go to pay our site fees and equipment purchases each month.

Edie, The Salsa FREAK, Salsaweb's Co-founder
& Editor in Chief

- How did the Cityguides section start?
This was the brainchild of our webmaster, Benjamin Rapoport. He had put together a site called Rapo.com, which listed local Los Angeles clubs. When and saw my articles about Salsa, and when I told him I was starting to get fanmail from all over the world, he asked me to join him. He decided to start listing clubs outside of Los Angeles. I believe we started with Paris, then Toronto, then New York, then Washington DC, then the rest is history… I never knew there were that many Salsa Clubs all over the world! My goal was (and still is) to travel to every single city where we list clubs, and to personally meet and go dancing with every single volunteer that helps us with the site. Every so often I’ll go to the Cityguides section, and thanks to Paco, cannot BELIEVE how much its grown!!! We have the most comprehensive combined and centrally listed database in the world for Latin Entertainment venues.

- Do you think that Salsaweb is a valuable resource for the Salsa dancer?
IT’S LETHAL. Because of the high speed of disseminating information over the Internet, It is the now world’s most accurate and comprehensive resource guide for Latin Entertainment events and information. I’ll put up a story, and within ten minutes, get a dozen or so emails from every corner of the globe giving me comments on it. It’s truly quite extraordinary. People have told me they thought they were addicted to Salsa, NOW, they tell me they’re addicted to Salsa"WEB"….. !!!

- Just how popular is Salsaweb?
Prior to Team Salsaweb’s trip to Europe, we had over 25,000 hits per day. After we got back, we jumped to 50,000 hits per day. When I got back from the Middle East, we have now grown to over 80,000 hits per day. We have over 8,000 printed pages of fabulous advice, humor, and information, that both educates and entertains dance enthusiasts in every country where salsa music is enjoyed. You can read more about us at:

The Phenomenal Success of Salsaweb Magazine:
Go to http://www.salsaweb.com/success.htm  

How Salsaweb got started:
Go to http://www.salsafreak.com/salsaweb_creation.htm  

Our thousands of fans, and what they have to say about us:
Go to http://www.salsafreak.com/fanmail.htm  

Vendor Testimonials:
Go to http://www.salsaweb.com/mambomall/testimonials.htm

- What plans do you have for Salsaweb for the near and distant future?
To continue to grow and help Salseros worldwide. I’d like to see Salsaweb featured as an exhibition dance at the next Olympics. We’re submitting a proposal to the Olympic committee as you’re reading this. I’d like to see it become an Olympic sport. WOULDN’T THAT BE COOL????

- What makes Salsaweb different than other on-line Salsa oriented web sites?
It’s CONSTANTLY changing and being updated! Because of our massive worldwide volunteer network, the Salsaweb site gets updated on the average, once every five minutes, by any one of our 157 volunteers worldwide.

- What are your own favorite Salsaweb Sections?
Aside from my DanceFreak.com site (am I biased OR WHAT???) I really enjoy reading the Writer’s Forum, because there, I can get a taste of what other people are writing about, and a flavor for how they write. I just love to read.

- Salsaweb has given you a lot of notoriety. Do people stop you and ask if you are Edie of Salsaweb? Can you give us some examples?
Yes, I get asked in grocery stores, malls, movie theatres, and of course, clubs all over the world. They usually say, "uh, excuse me, aren’t you the Salsa FREAK from that Salsa site?" Sometimes I’ll be dancing at a club, and I’ll see/hear people start looking at me, tugging at their friend’s arm, and start whispering to each other. It’s kind of "freaky" (no pun intended .;) ). People will ask me for my autograph… I’m still not used to all this. I don’t think I ever will be. I just feel so honored and happy to meet people from every walk of life! I love putting smiles on people’s faces, and showing THEM off!!!

- How did you get the Name of "Salsa Freak"?
When I started writing about my competition experiences, bad hair days, and garlic partner nightmares, I realized that I was one of those "types" that would die for Salsa if I had to. No one in their right mind would go to a club seven nights in a row, take two dresses, carry shoes, fans, and tons of Salsa music in her car just for her health… only an obsessive, compulsive, crazy "FREAK" would do that. So, to give myself an "excuse" for being nuts about the music and the dance like this, I decided that after I wrote about an experience, I would sign it , The Salsa FREAK. This would be my way of saying, "Yes, I’m crazy about this whole Salsa thing, don’t know why, but am the first to admit it. I guess that makes me a Salsa FREAK." I knew there were other Salsa Freaks out there as well, and they would know EXACTLY where I was coming from. I wanted to comfort them in realizing they hey, they weren’t alone, and that it’s OK to go ballistically insane about a passion we share. "It’s OK guys… this is "Salsa"… it’s OK to be crazy about it. Relax. We’re all in this together…"

- Salsaweb has been featured in several magazines and TV programs. Could you mention some of them?
Yes. We’ve been on shows like "Galavision's Salsa Desde Hollywood, an HBO Partnering Special, The Wild Wild Web", and "Vibe" with Host Sinbad. We get mentioned in the news, in magazines, newspapers, radio stations… I just can’t keep up anymore.

- HBO recently featured you & Salsaweb in a documentary they did on Salsa/Mambo dancing. What was that like? What did they talk about?
They were filming "the people" of Salsa. I think they were fascinated that YOU, Mr. Manny Siverio, led such a fascinating life, "Stunting by Day, Mambo’ing by Night". They feature people in partner dancing. We filmed at Manny’s apartment in New York. It was fun being right next to my "right-hand-Man…ny" talking and typing about Salsaweb with our laptops side-by-side, in front of television cameras, producer, makeup artists, lights, and sound people. Wow… thinking about it, I felt like a movie star!

- What is the number ONE thing that you feel that Salsaweb has done for you?
Besides given me gray hair, and a severe case of SLEEPLESSNESS????

Well, let’s see. Hhhhhmmm….

I can type A LOT faster now.       .;)

<<big smile>> No, really…. It has given me a chance to travel and see the world. This used to be only a dream, now it has become a very beautiful reality and memory. I have very dear friends around the world now, who can come over to my apartment, hang out if they want, go to clubs, and I know they would reciprocate for me at the drop of a dime if I were in their town.

Friendships are worth so much to me… like solid gold. Relationships are the lifeblood of life. Remember, I know what it’s like to NOT HAVE ANYONE to call, or just say "Hey, let’s go out tonight" at the drop of a dime. What a misery that is. Friendships are so important. Friends are forever.

I live by my most favorite quote, "Information is Power, But Relationships are Life Itself". I made that up a while ago. Sadly, I’ve since come to realize that only a few people truly understand what it means.

- Is it tough being a women in the Salsa community?
Well, if you have to teach a workshop, yes, especially if you have to be the leader. Sometimes the guys get most of the recognition. It’s a lot tougher for a woman to be recognized as professional partner dancers, especially when you have to follow your "leader", no matter what. Usually the "leader" gets all the recognition. As a woman, you must take the back seat, and let him have all the glory. Kind of sucks at times, but then again, to look on the bright side, the pressure is off YOU. .J

- Is it tough being a woman in the Salsa Internet community?
No, not really. In fact, I think it’s a little easier, because guys sometimes are blown away with how much I know about the industry, and how incredibly fast and efficient I can be. I found many people to hold the highest respect for both men and women who have excelled in their fields. I just so happen to have excelled at Internet publishing.

If you see how much I work, and how many hours I put into this, it would blow your mind. Keeping information current, up-to-date, accurate, interesting, and constantly changing is a MONUMENTAL TASK. I am "convinced" there are very few people in the world that can do what we do here at Salsaweb. Our volunteer staff puts in countless hours and hours of dedicated "free" time into making Salsaweb the best on the net. When the staff sees the accomplishments that I put in over the past days, weeks, and months, it inspires them to push on further as well. A choo choo train can only go as fast as the engine pulling it. My engine is red hot.

I can be very intense and intimidating at times. In fact, a lot of the time. When it comes to men, I intimidate them, unfortunately. When they see how I work during the day, and then see me dance, it can be a pretty scary combination – pretty tough for any man’s ego to keep up with.

- Salsaweb has helped connect the Salsa community world wide. Do you ever feel that people have changed towards you because of what you may be able to do for them? In other words, do you ever feel that some people want to be your friend because of Salsaweb and not because of you?
Yes, very much so. I’ve noticed some people who wouldn’t even give me a second look before, become suddenly "my best friend". It’s amazing the number of people out there who want a piece of the action, but don’t realize the tremendous amount of work, time, and energy it takes to get to the top in your field. Success is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration. Trust me, I’ve lived it, and now know it to be true.

- What do you feel has been Salsaweb's biggest achievements?
The fact that we are now recognized worldwide as a respected leader in the Latin Entertainment Industry. This is an incredible accomplishment.

- You recently took almost a 2 month leave of absence to travel and teach throughout Europe? Did you feel like you needed a rest from all the cyber-action and cyber-work?
Not at all. This trip was to promote Salsaweb all over Europe, to those who had not heard of us yet. We promoted on radio, television, newspapers, taught, and performed, to thousands and thousands of people. On the road, I still put in countless hours of cyber-"stuff" while traveling. In fact, it wasn’t a "vacation" at all. This was work. Don’t get me wrong, the trip was a blast, but I challenge ANYONE to attempt and succeed doing what we did on the shoestring budget we had (next to zero). I had to haul my computer and camera equipment with me everywhere, keep an intense diary, answer 200 emails a day, try to find plug adapters, and foreign phone connections to "plug in" at a cheap telephone rates, and hop from train to train, from bus to bus, from taxi to taxi, and town to town…. There were times when I didn’t know where my next drop of writing creativity was going to come from, because of the exhaustion of traveling non-stop, not knowing where your next bed or shower, or laundry facility will be. Working on the site during this trip was at times very, very mentally draining and frustrating. I had to really be disciplined, and cipher up as much energy as I could at times to put out quality work. There were times when I couldn’t teach because of the enormous task of writing and coordinating pictures, places and things about the trip.

- What was it like to travel, teach and perform in Europe?? Did Salsaweb help pave the way for your tour? Do people rely a lot on the internet in Europe as they do in the US?

For Team Salsaweb, this was an experience of a lifetime. None of us truly knew what to expect. Thank God we all got along so well. We had our moments, but there was nothing that we couldn’t just "stop, and talk about". I am so proud of Team Salsaweb. Elias, Nicole, Anya, and Joel were the best travel buddies a gal could ask for. We fed off each other’s energies. When one of us was down, the energy from the rest of the group would uplift them. When one would laugh, we all would laugh. When one would cry, we all would cry. I plan on writing about the intimate and challenging parts of just "the team" very soon. I have notes… just need to put it all together…. This will be the most FASCINATING part about the entire journey. We all paid our own ways on this trip. Salsaweb did not put up any money, other than promotional material. People in Europe are not as "into" the Internet as we are in the United States. They have it, but it’s not the norm.

- Which European country did you have the most fun in and why?
VENICE, ITALY. Bar none. Oh my God. BEFORE YOU DIE, before ANYONE dies… they have to visit that beautiful city. It is the world’s most unusual, and most incredible city. I had the most amazing time there, personally. I can’t WAIT to go back.

- What big projects is Salsaweb involved with now? I understand for example that you are planning on launching a cyber-mall of products. Is that true?
Yes, very true. Our mall will consist of vendors from all over the world looking to target our captive audience of over a million people now….

- What dreams do you have for you, Salsaweb, Salsa dancing and the internet for the year 2000?
We plan on going public by this time next year.  Our success has been absolutely incredible.  We're growing so fast, and hopefully, should have a full-time staff by the year 2000.  We want a mature database for all events, partner search, and articles... something Ben and I have been dreaming about for quite some time.  I also want to open up the Mambo Mall. 

We also plan on hosting the Salsaweb International Convention http://www.salsaweb.com/convention  in New York to celebrate the year 2000 – appropriately enough.

New York is the heartland of Salsa. I found that the most seasoned and experienced dancers and instructors in the world are right here in New York. I just love this city, and its people. This is why I personally decided on New York for next year’s convention. It should be an enormous success.

- What parting words of advice can you give to those reading this interview? In other words, if Salsaweb has taught you anything that you feel you'd like to share with our readership?
Certainly. Usually, I put up a "Quote of the Day" on my FREAK site. Some of the quotes, I made up myself. These are just a few things that Salsaweb has taught me these last couple of years… (quotes by Edie Lewis)

• Trust and Respect go Hand in Hand.
• People Just Want to Laugh.
• People Want to Hear the Truth, not Gossip.
• You Can Only Change the World, One Person at a Time.
• You Can’t Succeed alone.
• Don’t Let the Bastards Get you Down.
• Don’t just "Try"….. "DO!!"
• To Make Friends, You Have to Be a Friend.
• You Can’t Please Everyone.
• If You Take Care of Your People, They Will Take Care of You…
• Solid Leadership is EVERYTHING Because Shit Rolls Downhill, no Matter What Color it is...

• "Information is Power, but Relationships are Life Itself."  - Edie, The Salsa FREAK