Edie Lewis "interviews" You’re in from out of town and you’re not sure which is the hottest Latin club on a Tuesday night. Word has it that there’s a new mambo instructor in your neck of the woods, but you can’t quite remember her/his name. The World Salsa Congress is being held soon and you just have to be there. Okay, be patient, ‘cause the indefatigable Edie Lewis is about to sashay her way behind the nearest computer where - faster than you can say Tito Puente - s he’ll be transformed into "The Salsa Freak". And at the request of CURIO, both side of her personality will sit still just long enough to have a friendly chat. Edie Lewis: So, when did you first show up? Salsa Freak: November 1994, you remember? You got sick of home life that night. EL: Yeah, that’s right. I decided to check out that disco/techno/hip-hop club in Long Beach, but it wasn’t there anymore. SF: Uh-huh, it was a salsa club called Cantina Tiburone and, to our surprise, the people there were dancing together. EL: What a concept. SF: You can say that again. That’s where I made my first appearance, right after those two gorgeous women strutted in with that incredible guy – EL: –he was right out of the Mambo Kings movie. And when he asked one of his female companions to dance, my heart began to race. I could not believe what I was seeing. These two were transforming this beautiful music into human movement, rhythm, flair, style, grace and absolute passion. SF: You were afraid to blink. EL: I didn’t want to miss anything! SF: It was a cross between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and a fast breakdance. EL: What about when he danced with his other partner? SF: Girlfriend, that woman was dancing what you were needing. She was living what you were missing. EL: He led her into a spin, then another, then she just kept spinning! SF: Eight times, if I recall. EL: Then the guy disappeared for about five seconds while she was spinning and returned with the other girl! He danced with both girls at the same time. SF: It was as if he was dancing with only one girl, but both of his hands had a girl and was dancing and doing entirely different moves with each one at the same time. Talk about confusing. EL: I can’t even listen to you talk about it without getting dizzy. But, anyway, that night changed my life forever and that’s when you arrived. SF: That night, you realized what you were missing. EL: I needed the rhythm, the passion; I needed to finally start living my life. SF: We went to that club every week after that. EL: (dreamy) And look at us now. We hooked up with Benjamin Rapoport and started Salsaweb, linking salsa/mambo enthusiasts form all over the world. SF: Edie--- EL: (eyes misting) But no internet site is an island. SF: Uh, Edie--- EL: (on a roll row) Salsaweb shares other people’s wonderful sites by advertising their links on the cityguides and world Hot-Links section and we--- SF: Oh, EEEE-Deeeeee--- EL: (louder) We’ve been in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, on the radio, and--- SF: EDIE!!!!!!!! EL: What? SF: Enough talking already... EL: (sneaky smile) Yeah, let’s dance. Salsaweb (www.salsaweb.com) was started in April 1997 and has fast become the largest salsa dance website in the world - over 800 printed pages of advice, humor and information to educate and entertain. Edie Lewis (and The Salsa FREAK) can be reached at 310/512-0116 or by e-mail at edie@salsaweb.com.
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