• First Visit with Rogelio 1997

• 2nd Visit with Joel 2000

Salsa in Japan!  Josie & Rogelio invited as Salsa Instructors Dec. 1997

My unique experience..

JAPAN -- DEC, 1997

It was an honor to be invited as an instructor & performer to this first international
salsa event in Japan. It was organized by George Watabe who was a gracious host and
superb planner.

Rogelio Moreno & I were the representatives of L.A. style salsa. We performed & taught
several workshops everyday of our 6-day visit.

In Japan, there are 3 schools of salsa styles: Cuban, New York, and Los Angeles style.

Besides the remarkable cultural differences, and the high-tech. electronic devices, the most
lasting impression of this trip is the feeling we have for the wonderful students.

We found them to have an incredible ability to stay focused through many hours of instruction
and absorb a great quantity of material. They were also extremely respectful and warm hearted people.

We look forward to our return.

-- Josie Neglia



Josie & Rogelio - Tokyo Show       Josie & Rogelio - Farewell Party

JOSIE NEGLIA & JOEL DE GUZMAN SPICE UP THE ORIENT WITH SALSA!!!

JAPAN -- MARCH 1-8, 2000


Joel and I arrived in Tokyo March 1st.  George Watabe, the Salsa Promoter of Japan, greeted us at the airport and whisked us off to our hotel in the heart of downtown.  After settling in, George took us to a Barbeque house where we tried Beef tongue (yum!) and interesting choices of meat and vegetables.

The city is very quiet.  From the taxi drivers, to the restaurants, we hardly heard a word or sounds of music in the city.

We took a short walk in a shopping district where we saw the first sight of "Yamamba Girls."  These are the trendy rebel girls who dye their hair white blond, paint their face with bright neon colors and white lipstick, and wear mini skirts with huge platform soles.  
It was so cold, that we decided to call it an early night and hopefully the extra sleep would help us adjust to the time difference.

The next day was the huge Salsa event that George Watabe had been preparing months for. It took place in a huge auditorium where Joel and I performed with the famous Japanese Salsa band called "Salsa Swingoza."  Over 600 Japanese salsa fans filled the dance floor and cheered wildly for the sounds and movements of the performances.

The next few days we taught workshops and danced for hours in local salsa clubs (Salsa Caribe) that were no bigger than the average North American living room.  We lost a few pounds in sweat along the way which was an extra bonus for me!.  George also showed us around Tokyo and Joel took photos of all the special places like the cemetery (a happy place for Japanese people to stroll through), the tea houses, the electronic shopping district and the Museum.

George had arranged for Joel and I to appear in a music video for the Japanese singing star "Goro" who has a remix of Santana's "Smooth" single.  Joel and I had a great time dancing Cha Cha and doing some improvisational sensuous dancing for the promo film.

One of the warmest memories was the incredible loving and respectful response we received every time we arrived or entered a room.  The Japanese "salseros" are so welcoming and are very modest people. 

George and his assistants were extraordinary in attending to our every need and making sure we were always comfortable and taken care of.

The students absorbed the salsa material like sponges and were so extremely focused and attentive during every hour of the our workshops.

George Watabe is an phenomenal promoter who's professionalism is only matched with his incredible charm.  He made us laugh and he was always very perceptive to our feelings and desires.  I cried as I left Japan because George is like a father to me and he has always believed in me.  So much so, that he has made me the salsa princess of Japan.  

It has been tough to promote salsa in a society that is amidst a recession but George has continued to succeed because of his perseverance, determination and mostly because of his passion for salsa.  The Japanese salsa fans have a great respect for him and especially after this extremely successful event, the greatest yet, he will be a major force in the expansion of salsa in the Asian countries. 
We look forward to our return.
"YABIMBA!!!"