BRYANT PARK DAY 1: Michael Angel kicks off NY Fashion Week playfully

Michael Angel kicked-off NY Fashion Week with a strong collection and hell of a statement! It was all bold, colorful, bright, glitzy, geometric and very fun. His silhouettes were mainly concentrated on the torso and most of his dresses were short and playful. Aussie Designer Michael Angel made a collection for modern and independent women. He drew inspiration from strong influential women such as Nancy Cunard and Josephine Baker. Bold prints included abstract florals and faceted gems, and several ensembles featured heavy doses of bling on sleeves, collars, and the best of these, "Swarovski" embellished zippers that were subtle and swank. Loved it! His show definitely left our mouth watery begging for more. His fashions are absolutely entertaining to watch although they wouldn't be to everyone's taste.Earrings were also geometric and bold, natural makeup to balance the boldness. Sexy, Sexy even when the economy is low! :) Why not?

By: To-Tam & To-Nya Ton-Nu AKA "The SACHIKA twins"
www.SACHIKA.com

SACHIKA FASHION REPORT: Emerging Designer SPURR: Romantic men are back!

So we had the opportunity to attend a great Fashion Show yesterday.
SPURR BY Simon Spurr launched its Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Having worked for brand names such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, Spurr started his line 3 years ago, here in New York.
With an array of "pretty boyish models" wearing his clothing, Simon Spurr went for a refreshing and clean look for Spring/Summer 2010. The collection had a great sense of unity.
Lots of pink, salmon colors, soft yellow and light blue, navy blue, grey, pale lilac, pastel color palette with cuts reminiscing of the classic look with a touch of Golf...accentuated by his signature the handkerchief flower...I would say romantic men. Silhouettes were slender, clean lines. Fabrics were light such as light weight nylon, wool, cashmere, Lapel Linen, cotton bamboo. Great mix between casual and sophisticated yet functional.The collection is perfect for men that are confident in their masculinity because not all men can pull off pink or yellow, straight legged-pants with flower handkerchiefs...The vintage jeans appeared very comfortable. Our friend Daniel was wearing of their jean and stated :" They are so comfy! ".
The PR company behind the event pulled off a great event sponsored by delicious ACAI VEEV vodka, Fiji water and Parrot frames, good music by a DJ ALEX from Tokyo, great loft, amazing location and very classy and good-looking crowd.
Look out for this emerging designer, he is definitely a rising high-fashion Designer!

By: To-Tam & To-Nya Ton-Nu AKA "The SACHIKA twins" www.SACHIKA.com

SACHIKA NY FASHION REPORT: "SPURR: Romantic men are back :) "

So we had the opportunity to attend a great Fashion Show yesterday.
SPURR BY Simon Spurr launched its Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Having worked for brand names such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, Spurr started his line 3 years ago, here in New York.
With an array of "pretty boyish models" wearing his clothing, Simon Spurr went for a refreshing and clean look for Spring/Summer 2010. The collection had a great sense of unity.
Lots of pink, salmon colors, soft yellow and light blue, navy blue, grey, pale lilac, pastel color palette with cuts reminiscing of the classic look with a touch of Golf...accentuated by his signature the handkerchief flower...I would say romantic men. Silhouettes were slender, clean lines. Fabrics were light such as light weight nylon, wool, cashmere, Lapel Linen, cotton bamboo. Great mix between casual and sophisticated yet functional.The collection is perfect for men that are confident in their masculinity because not all men can pull off pink or yellow, straight legged-pants with flower handkerchiefs...The vintage jeans appeared very comfortable. Our friend Daniel was wearing of their jean and stated :" They are so comfy! ".
The PR company behind the event pulled off a great event sponsored by delicious ACAI VEEV vodka, Fiji water and Parrot frames, good music by a DJ ALEX from Tokyo, great loft, amazing location and very classy and good-looking crowd.
Look out for this emerging designer, he is definitely a rising high-fashion Designer!

Salsa Congress 2009 at the Hilton Hotel NYC

My experience at the 2009 NYC Salsa Congress

It is with great enthusiasm that I share with you all my experience at NYC’s 2009 Salsa Congress held at the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan! The entire event was rich with music, fun people, wonderful instructors, fantastic dancers and plenty of vendors to choose from. Each one of my senses was delightfully tickled as I made my way through all the salsa-oriented activities that made you shake your hips in participation! I really got into it!
John “Choco” Knight did a splendid job coordinating this year’s event and addressing the needs of the salsa community. He managed to bring the congress to another level this year by making sure to provide educational opportunities to the youth and also by booking the biggest musical act to hit the congress stage in all its years, legendary Eddie Palmieri!
I had to make sure I was prepared for the 3 days of activities so I headed to the vendors to gear up. I found myself at the Salsa Footsies table where I purchased a $70 pair of dancing shoes. I felt official! From there, I joined a workshop with Melissa Rosado who taught me some sexy dance moves that were sure to attract a serious papi chulo! Thanks Melissa! I also partnered with dance instructor, Rene Gueits who taught the Casino Rueda workshop which concentrated on some serious turn patterns. I broke a sweat and got seriously dizzy so I decided to ask the real professionals how they managed to maintain their cool on the dance floor. I was fortunate enough to come across head judge Jamie Josephson, who explained to me the rules of competition for this year’s salsa congress competitors. I found out the winners took home a mega trophy, a title and 5,000 big ones to share. I was so curious what it would take to prepare for competition or performance so I headed backstage where I ran into a couple of crews preparing to take the stage. The crews included the Diamond Dancers from Caguas, PR directed by Sonia Rivera, Christine and Andrew from Lorenz Dance Studio in Queens, NY, Katherine, Victor, Franklin, and Johanna from Mambo Bravo located in Queens, NY, and the Rekreation Dance Company, a 27 person dance crew out of Houston, TX. Each of them assured me that preparation was rigorous but that the love for the dance superseded any challenges they might face along the way. They all left me in awe with their performances!
Through this wonderful experience I learned that salsa has no limits or discrimination. Anyone can participate no matter how young or old, no matter where you reside on the map, no matter what nationality or origin you come from, or what level of experience you have. And! With a little hard work, dedication and commitment to having fun, you can be on your way to becoming the salsera or salsero of your dreams! I know I’m on my way! Please be sure to look out for more shows featuring latin dance and booty shaking rhythms. My name is Leticia Reyes and I’m special reporting for En La Escena!

Calle 13 rocked SummerStage!

Once again En la escena brings you on the scene!

The group Calle 13 was part of the 10th Anniversary of LAMC (Latin Alternative Music Conference) Calle 13 was the headliner of the event & one of the most anticipated bands on the 24th season of Central Park's SummerStage!

SummerStage free concert reached it’s maximum capacity of 5,000 people!



It was amazing to see the line from 72nd street all the way to 65th street! The Latino presence was strong & the fans were eager to see Calle 13 perform. It couldn't be a more perfect day. The weather was great & so was the energy!

Eric BOBO & Bomba Estereo where the ones that warmed up the crowd before Calle 13 came out.


Before Calle 13 went up on stage, En La escena interviewed René Pérez Joglar – El Residente CALLE 13. An interview entirely in Spanish by Host Paola Cancellieri. El vistiante Eduardo José Cabra Martínez was not part of the interview since he was doing the sound check at that moment.



Host Paola Cancellieri in action!



En la escena crew Anthony Austin & Paola Cancellieri next to El Residente Calle 13 before the concert



Calle 13 opened up with “ No hay nadie como tu” and the crowd went wild! The whole concert was energetic & fans loved every second of it.






El Residente also invited some female fans up on stage & they danced like never before to the beat of Calle 13.



But I must say that the fans went crazy when “Atrevete” came on!
After all is the song that made them who they are today Latin Grammy winner's!

During the performance El Residente managed to give a shout out to all the Immigrants! And said “we ain't going nowhere” He is definitely one of the few Artists who uses his platform to speak up about topics in our Latin community.

At the end Calle 13 gave tribute to Michael Jackson. By doing the famous dance of the ghouls in the video Thriller. El Residente then pointed up to the heavens & gave tribute to Michael. A great moment that Fans absolutely loved.



Make sure to get Calle 13’s Album “ Los de atras bienen conmigo”
Also visit www.summerstage.org and learn about future free events.
Stay tuned to see En la escena’s interview with Calle 13!

Photos taken by: Robert Jennings

To-Tam reporting for En la escena TV, Tribute to MJ at the APOLLO THEATRE

We are huge fans of MJ...What an honor for SACHIKA to come and report this event... Michael has brought so much to the world and leaving so abruptly was a shock to everyone...He was the BIGGEST superstar of all time and now, millions are in mourning...Michael has had a very unique and most would say difficult life...but somehow he might be at better place now. I hope so, because, Michael will be so ever dearly missed...






Apollo Theatre 125th between Adam Clayton and Frederick Douglass, NY.



On July 1st 2009, thousands came to celebrate the life of a legend and engrave his music into our hearts and soul forever. The Jackson 5 performed over 40 years ago at the Apollo at the very beginning of Michael's career and the Apollo is paying tribute to Michael by offering a complimentary viewing of the most poignant moments of his life as well as the last footage of his rehearsal a few days before he passed away...Words can't express how sad I was when I found out he passed away. So young, so talented...ouch.... Michael Jackson dead almost means the death of an era...How could it even be? It's so hard to believe for many people.


At the Apollo Theatre,in Harlem, where the biggest superstars have graced the stage before and during stardom, people were celebrating and embracing all that Michael has given to us. For so many people, he was and still is their true musical and life inspiration. Thousands have waited hours and hundreds waited over 12 hours to pay tribute to their idol. Some have stayed overnight sleeping outside of the Theatre...."This is once of lifetime experience, I wouldn't have missed it for this world!!!" said a 22 year old female singer/songwriter inspired by Michael Jackson.



It was all love. And I couldn't helped but to feel sad yet hopeful. "Michael is here, his spirit is here and will remain with us forever! He will never die!!!" Those are the words that came out of 44 year-old male resident of Harlem. And truly, his presence was here...It was magical. I never felt so much love in one single place...It was exciting yet peaceful.




To-Tam & Tony Austin from En la Escena


Tony Austin, the executive producer of En La Escena and I arrived at approximately noon and stood in line at the backdoor of the Apollo with 30ish other press and media. We were all anxious to see what the Apollo has prepared to pay homage to the legendary Michael Jackson.We finally got to interview people at 1pm and, it was chaotic. People were exhausted and have been waiting for so long, but the energy, was still there.. People were singing, dancing, smiling, celebrating Michael's legacy. It's beautiful to see how dedicated fans can be.





Tony and I found ourselves a spot sandwiched in between so many other paparazzi, ready to report the event of the century. I was able to interview 15 fans ranging from 8 to 6o years old, men, women, black, white, Latino, it didn't matter. Everyone was here for the same reason to, pay tribute to their all time favorite artist: Michael Jackson. Each has their favorite MJ's song and a few even sang a little piece for me...Loved it! Loved seeing peoples' face and body coming to life when singing one of his songs...It really came from the heart...It is so unfair to see that sometimes people never see what they got until it's gone. While alive, Michael for the last decade, Michael has been ridiculed and misjudged and wrongly accused by the media and the public and now he is deceased, people are starting to realize that he was only a troubled being... Michael is surely very appreciated right now, more than ever and will be remembered forever...I just wished he was here to witness what I saw...The world loved and loves Michael...


I could have stayed there forever, watching people smiling, dancing and singing with so much love and warmth..Michael, with his music and great charitable achievements has clearly touched the lives of millions and will continue to do so for years to come...Inside the Theatre, as people we let in slowly but surely, the crowd was applauding Michael's life, legacy and achievements. A few superstar kids event jumped on stage and danced the moonwalk and sang to the best of MJ's songs...Somehow,in this time of recession and hard times, Michael has brought back peace and love into the lives of so many people reminding all of us that family, friends children and health are the most important things in life...We also saw Al Chapman who was supportive and came to the Apollo to show respect and support Michael's family...The world is mourning the loss of a superstar and an amazing icon, but truly, the ones that are crying the most and hurting the most are his family and children. My thoughts and prayers are with them...AMEN.




Thousands have been waiting for hours to get in the theatre and pay tribute to their idol.




Maximum security to ensure a smooth entrance to all those tired fans




A very happy fan, ready to get inside the Theatre




Thousands of people celebrating the life of Michael Jackson...

Brooklyn Fashion Weekend

En La Escena covered the Brooklyn Fashion Weekend where we met up with the fabulous designers of “SACHIKA” To-Tam & To-Nya . En La Escena had full backstage access before the show & front row seats to a pre-view of their Fall 2009 collection, that left the crowd in awe and craving their line by the end of the show.



The collection featured a beautiful array of dresses in different styles which included wrap dresses, shouldered tiered dresses and wide leg jump suit's with halter neck lines in an assortment of hues such as teals, creams, burgundy's, navy, and dark royal purples. The line had a very 20's inspired flapper look, with floating hemlines and artistic drapery.

It was unanimous they stole the show!! A line that empowers woman & makes them feel sexy, elegant, yet very comfortable.

Make sure to visit SACHIKA’s website at www.sachika.com