A Hip Hop, a Hippy ….to the Hip Hip Hop & you dont stop…….

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Chilly

So what is the Hip Hop Indaba? Well, this is where the countries best DJs, MCs, Graffiti Artists and Hip Hop Dancers compete for the title of Champions and more importantly the chance to represent South Africa Internationally.

Every year for the last 11 years, The Hip Hop Indaba have held this competition in August, I have been to the last 4 .

So how did I get into it? Well, before I started Salsa (yes, a long long time ago), I was actually into hip hop. So when a friend of mine who was also into Hip Hop invited me for the event, I had to go and needless to say I was BLOWN AWAY!

I mean this competition has breakdancers, Krumpers, New school and old school groups and individuals. There are even 5 Year old kids doing helicopters and the worm (signature hip hop moves for those of you who don’t know)

The skill level and talent was on a level I had no idea even existed in South Africa. More importantly, these kids are choosing to do something positive with their life and take their passion and hobby to the next level rather than getting involved in drugs and crime which are prevalent in the communities most of them come from.

So if you love hip hop and dance and giving back to the community, then you gotta make a plan to see the show. South Africa has some serious talent out there and I guarantee that these kids are just as good if not better than any American or European crew you will ever see.

So I look forward to seeing you at the Good Hope Centre this Saturday or at the next Hip Hop Indaba in August 😉

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Floor Craft – Salsa Etiquette 101

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Chilly

As you hit the salsa scene this weekend, I thought it might be a good idea to discuss Floor craft – which is Salsa Etiquette 101.

So what is Floor craft? Well in a nut-shell, I would describe it as taking care of the lady you are dancing with and ensuring she is safe, especially when you are on a crowded dance floor. “Safe” meaning?? No one must step on her & no one must bump into her and the same applies vice versa – she must not step or bump into anyone.

Irrespective of whether you are dancing cross body style or Cuban, you gotta make sure that wherever you send the lady, there is space for her to go and she wont bump into anyone.

Dancing on a crowded dance floor can be compared to driving a Million Dollar car on an open space with a 100 other cars all around you. Now this open space has no roads, no street signs or speed limits. In this situation, while you will definitely be looking ahead, you will no doubt constantly be looking through the rear view mirror and both side view mirrors on a more than regular basis to ensure no one bumps into your Ferrari, am I right? Well, the same principle applies on the dance floor. Salseros, the woman is your Ferrari ( I am sure the ladies like that), while you will definitely maintain some eye contact with her, be aware of what’s going on around you, especially behind you! Remember when dancing with any Lady, for those 4 minutes, it’s your job as the Leader to protect her.

So the question is how can you learn floor craft?
Well, here are a few simple pointers-

Be aware:
Know what is going on around you. Spot the Wild ones (those people who clearly have no regard for anyone else on the dance-floor and are busy bumping into and hitting everyone.) If a wild one unexpectedly comes into your dance space, make sure you immediately move the lady out of harms way and negotiate your way to another part of the dance floor that is safe.

To The Wild ones – How do you know if you are a Wild one? Well if you notice people are constantly giving you lots of space or are moving away from where you are dancing – Remember the saying: Actions speak louder than words!

Take Small steps
If everyone just took small steps and kept their movements equally small, the crowded dance floor would be a Happy place where no one gets stepped on or bumped into. Ahhh…. Bliss 🙂

K.I.S.S.
No, this does not mean kiss the ladies, rather it is an acronym for – Keep it Simple Stupid. When on a crowded dance floor, this is not the time to be adventurous and try out that fancy new move you saw Oliver Pineada doing on youtube video just before coming to the party. Stick to the moves you know and that you can lead well.

Dance Hold:
Learn to dance in Dance Hold. While your arsenal of moves will take a serious knock as you have much more options in 2 hand hold, the advantage is you will take up much less space on the dance floor and you will be in a much better position to protect the lady should a wild one come into your space.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?
Leave SUPER SIZED DIPS AND TRICKS FOR PERFORMANCES. This is not an audition for So you Think you can dance! A social dance floor calls for social dancing. If you want to perform, join a Dance Troupe, but don’t pull crazy stunts on a crowded social dance floor. That s**t is unacceptable.

So you think you can dance??

The Dance Floor is For Dancing:
Standing in the middle of the dance floor with a drink in your hand is a big No-No especially for Salseros and Salseras. Shame on you, you should know better!

On a totally different side note – Remember to dance with beginners people. Salsa is about including everyone, so make it your mission to at least take 3 beginners onto the dance floor. This applies to both Salseros and Salseras.

Now – Have fun this weekend and above all else – Live, Love & Salsa!

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The Airport Diaries

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Chilly

I recently went to Europe and visited a number of different countries and cities. On my journey – I used Ships, Trains and Planes.  So  on 1 of the stops I decided to write about some of the airports that I visited, Namely  – Dubai International Airport, London Stanstead, Venice Marco Polo, Paris Orly, London Gatwick  and Berlin Schoenefeld.

Dubai

DUBAI – Here I sit in Dubai International Airport at a coffee shop called Costa where I have just paid 40 dharams (R80 equivalent) for a caffe latte and a croissant. (No comment)

First I gotta say, Big Up to Emirates. Flying with them was quite impressive especially considering I  am a direct flight kind of guy and I hate stop-overs. That being said, I am not minding this particular stop over. In my opinion, Emirates has got to be the BEST VALUE FOR MONEY – HANDS DOWN of any airline I have ever been on. There are some better airlines, but Rand for Value – no other airline even  comes close.  I mean, they were offering on-board service in over 10 different languages; Japanese, Mandarin, Swahili and Hindi included. The service was really good and the cutlery is Metal, none of that plastic nonsense.

Anyway, this post is about Dubai and the airport and not really the flight, so here we go:

Flying over Dubai is impressive, the mixture of old and new designs is quite breath-taking. Then you land at Dubai International Airport and the layout is so chic, you can’t help but wish your country was also blessed with rich oil reserves so they could trick out their airport like this.

Once you are in the airport, the design while beautiful and modern is extremely straightforward and minimal. It’s almost impossible to get lost. The signs and clarity of where you have to go is impressive to say the least. You can see a lot of work went into the design of this airport especially considering in 2010 they handled a record 47.2 million in passenger traffic and Emirates alone fly to 111 destinations have over 2400 connecting flights a week .

I have taken a walk down the halls and looked in on the Duty Free Shops most of which are brand name stalls like Armani. Side Note: Have you ever wondered why they call it Duty Free when the prices are more expensive than normal shops that pay duty? Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

I then wander into 1 of the bathrooms and this is the 1 thing that looks like it came out of a 3rd world country. If you enter the stalls you will notice a shower head next to the toilet (no comment) then guess what? The toilet seat is heated (that is pretty cool) and that is the beginning of the technology spurt and the end of the 3rd world, the Flush is sensor activated and so are the taps which only run hot water (fyi: this makes for an interesting attempt to brush your teeth) and then lastly they go back to the 3rd world as they have rolls of paper which you use to dry your hands.

Leave the bathrooms and walk down the hallways and you will come across showers? (I gotta ask, who showers at an airport?? Like Really?)

LONDON….

2 words to sum up London Gatwick…. Not impressed. The airport is Bland, Clinical and Boring. Its nothing more than an airport – No touch up and no frills.

That being said, there are 2 things worth mentioning in this Airport

1. An Iris System. It seems certain people (not sure who) are set up on an Iris System. So they can walk straight through, scan their retina and walk out the airport without ever having to speak to a border agent or even getting their passport stamped. It must still be in testing phase because very few are using it. I would probably say 1 out of every 100 people in the UK/ EU line were using this new system. Really curious to do some research on this and see how this works. I mean this is Futuristic Fantasy stuff happening in real life!! How will this affect the need for passports and visas? Very interesting stuff!

2. More random than anything else, not only do they have a condom dispensing machine in the airport, but they also have performance enhancing drugs to increase male stamina and performance. You gotta love it when drugs can be sold through a vending machine. Makes you wonder….. (FYI: The Female bathroom in Venice apparently has a Dildo dispensing machine… no comment!)

LONDON STANSTEAD – Lots of Young HOTTTTT European women….. Guys this is definitely worth checking out 😉

PARIS ORLY –  2 things stand out. First is the amount of security. There are police moving around with AK47’s everywhere, its quite intimidating actually. Second is on a much more positive note, they have the most helpful information desk at any airport in the world I have ever been to. These guys will make you feel at home and explain how everything works down to the smallest detail. Its quite impressive truth be told.

VENICE  MARCO POLO – Apart from the bathrooms (which I mentioned earlier), the airport itself is quite average. However, as you fly into Venice and you look out the window -all you see is water beneath you as you approach the runway. It’s probably the coolest, yet most freaky thing you may ever experience while landing with a plane. Definitely worth the Thrill.

BERLIN – Airport is really average. Though they have the most hectic passport border control I have ever gone through. I mean, these guys are suspect of everyone who is not European or American and it does not matter whether you are entering or leaving the country…

Anyway, enough of my ranting…. Till my next random post… PEACE!

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On1 Vs. On2 …. FIGHT!

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Chilly

Hi Salsa Lovers, as most of you may know I  recently went on a Salsa Cruise going down the Mediterranean and it was Mind Blowingly AWESOME!

One of the events on the ship was an On1 Vs. On2 Competition. Now, while this competition actually had nothing to do with Salsa, when teams were being formed you could clearly see a line being drawn – there were the On2 advocates and there were the On1 advocates and each team wanted to represent for their preferred style. This despite the fact that as I said, the actual events in the competition had nothing to do with Salsa. (Side Note – The On1 team (which I was part of) WON.)

Team On1 after beating Team On2

In the land of Salsa, you will definitely (if you have not already) come across the discussion (usually heated arguments) of On1 Vs. On2.

Now before we get into it, what is the difference between the two?

Well, depending on how much you know about salsa – you may know that there are many different styles of Salsa. The most popular of which is Cross Body style that has 2 predominant branches:

A. On1 is where the leader breaks (i.e. steps) forward with his left foot on the 1 beat of the music and is also commonly referred to as LA (Los Angeles) style.

B. On 2 Is where the leader breaks backward with his Right foot on the 2 beat of the music and is also referred to as NY (New York) style.

Now pattern wise, the styles are basically the same, there is however a slight change in timing and movement to the music.

So how did the battle of on 1 Vs. On2 come about?

Well it can be said that dancing On2 requires a much more attuned ear and ability to really listen to the music and find all 8 beats & as a result of the change of timing, it gives a slightly longer pause in certain sections which generally allows an extra beat to complete a move or for ladies styling. Additionally, as 1 is the easiest beat to find, some On2 dancers have gone on to classify anyone who is not dancing to the music as being in the on1 category. I think these are just some of the reasons why a number of On2 dancers have gone after the On1’ers’.

However, can someone who is not dancing to the beat really be called an On1 Dancer? A real On1 dancer, just like a real On2 dancer can hear all 8 beats of the music and will dance to the right beat at the right time.

NOW – Lets answer the question – Is anyone style better than the other? The Answer is – NO!

Why? Because it does not matter how Great a dancer is On1 or On2, somewhere out there is a Dancer who can dance them into oblivion with Patterns, Footwork, Timing & Musicality using the other beat! What actually makes a Great Dancer is being able to Dance both On1 and On2.

I think if you wanna argue about On1 Vs. On2, it should be about whether dancing On2 should be on music with a 2-3 Clave while dancing On1 should be with music on a 3-2 Clave… (If you have no idea what I am talking about here, go read my other post- musicality) But we will save that argument for another time.

Now this post definitely won’t end the debate about On1 Vs. On2! In-fact, it will probably fuel it. Why you may ask? Well everyone has a PREFERENCE. Its what makes us human – Our Diversity.
That being said, Salsa People have 1 thing in common above all else – PASSION.
They LOVE SALSA and are PASSIONATE about it.
Now where there is Passion -Preference becomes Belief!
As we all know – Differing Beliefs create Conflict.
So the battle of On1 Vs. On2 will continue as long there is Salsa in the World.

What I will say though is that we should all learn to respect both styles. If you are an up and coming or even established Salsero or Salsera -Why limit yourself? Learn to dance both On1 and On2. Have no illusion, it will be a challenge to learn to dance on a different beat and it will require patience. But not only will it make you a  better dancer and broaden your dancing experience , it will allow you to dance anywhere, anytime with absolutely anyone!

Ultimately, that’s what its all about! 😉

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INSPIRATION….

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Chilly

As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more.

I was recently reminded me that as Human Beings we all have LIMITLESS POTENTIAL.

So this blog is going out to those people who have RECENTLY inspired me to get back to being as hard-core, focused and unrelenting a human being as is humanly possible.

The Ex – Everyone has one. That 1 person you dated that made an undeniable impact on you, they will always be part of your life in some way. Well, to say she has been going through a tough patch would be an understatement of note. However, just seeing how she has remained positive and kept a smile on her face and has not let her situation bring her down, Well that just shows me that Humans have the GREATEST RESOLVE of all living creatures! We must continue to harness that Resolve and use it to push us forward to unimaginable heights.

Friends – There are a bunch of my friends who I had not seen in ages, whom I recently got to hang out with when I went home recently. Two in particular never cease to amaze me. I swear if you put the 3 of us on a talk-show together, we could take on some of the greats – No doubt. The 3 of us are so different yet so alike. We play off each other so well and irrespective of how long we are apart, as soon as we are back in the same place we are 3 peas in a POD! Shows me that TRUE FRIENDHSIP LASTS FOREVER!

The 18 Year Old – People can suprise you and  you can learn something from anyone, even people younger than you! You just have to keep an OPEN MIND.

Naruto – NEVER GIVE UP! Whatever life throws at you, just keep on getting up.

My Mum – LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL!

There were definitely a lot more people in my life that have and will continue to inspire me! I just took the time out to mention a few…..

So as long as we breathe, remember Life is like a game of cards. There is nothing you can do about the hand that is dealt; the way you play though – That is entirely up to you!

So even though you may loose some of the battles, you have not lost the war in this game called LIFE!

LIVE ….. LOVE>>>> SALSA!

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He Said … She Said

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Chilly

He says, “Jump”, I say, “ How high?”. I say, “I need something” – he says,”What brand?”. Then he said, “I’ve always wanted to do Salsa, there is a studio on Bree Street. Let’s go check it out.” And I said, “What night?”.

The next night I found myself traipsing down some stairs and into a very dodgy looking basement. There we found a group of people following someone’s instructions. The music was blaring the bar man was smoking hot. 15 minutes later he said, “We’ll be back on Thursday to try it out”.

A one off Thursday became every Tuesday and every Thursday. Determined to be the best I could be, I then started private lessons then  he joined me. We did this for two years. Dance, dance, dance but no clubs yet. Dance, dance, dance some more. We did group classes, private classes, workshops and attended every party we cared to. We dreamed of going on salsa adventures around the world. [We may not be doing it together but 2011 is the year of I(heart)salsa. He’s going on the All Star Salsa Cruise. I am going to the LA Salsa Congress. And I know when he comes back, he’ll say,”I saw this new move, let’s try it out”. I’ll have no choice but to get up and try.

The other night at Buena Vista Green-point I introduced him to a well known South African Choreographer as …….. This is my best friend (………..) he is a Phenomenal Salsa Dancer. 40 minutes later I demanded a dance. He then took me onto the dance floor, in my mind reserved for performers, none the less our friendship dictates a No No policy. So there we were dancing to a great salsa song. We finished the dance I walked to Nat and she said, “ I could watch you dance all night.” Confirmation he is a phenomenal dancer.

(…….)or better known in the Salsa circles as Chilly is a Salsa Instructor and DJ for Que Pasa Latin Lounge. If you want to learn salsa, email him and he’ll do you justice. If you want a date – he’s your guy but maybe I’m the only one who gets to demand that!

He said,” I see you have started to blog. Will you write me an article” – And  there you have it.

Xreen

Best friend of Chilly & M-fusion Dancer

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The Secret Society of Salsa (Part 1)

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Chilly

On a cool, calm late summer Sunday evening, I carefully navigate the cobblestone courtyard in high heels, pass tables decorated with tea lights and wine glasses, and through the relaxed murmur of early evening conversation.  As I enter the renovated Victorian house, I notice the DJ is still setting up his equipment and the restaurant’s music is faint, almost background noise; a subtle hint of the party to come. Smartly dressed patrons are milling about in small groups—chatting and trying not to get caught checking each other out.  I stroll up to the bar and order a Cuban mojito in celebration of my salsa night out.  The DJ finally begins to spin, and the vibrations of the base and the rhythm of the congas reverberate up from the wooden dance floor, enter my body through my heels, and travel up my legs to settle in my gut.

I notice the woman strolling gracefully through the front doors wearing a spicy red dress that might be overdramatic on any other night but seems perfectly appropriate for this setting.  She is carrying with her a lovely satin shoe bag with a draw string tied in a bow that she tugs at with her fingers.  From this bag, she pulls a pair of sparkly gold shoes and straps them on her feet. With a sprinkle of baby powder, like magical fairy dust, she appears ready to dance.

Then the guy, smooth and confident, enters the venue.  His eyes casually scan the room, and even though he glances in my direction, even though he has greeted me at the dance studio where we both take dance lessons, his eyes look right through me in search of a more tantalizing salsa experience.

His eyes find the girl with the magical shoes and his winks at her, approaches her, and extends his hand.  They move through the gauntlet of warm smiles, damp hugs, semi-superficial pecks on the cheek, and begin to navigate the precarious dance space of high-heeled shoes and flailing elbows in search of enough room to beginning their first dance of the evening.   My triumph of a mastering a single right spot turn in yesterday’s lesson vanishes instantaneously as she effortlessly executes a triple spin into a hammerlock, kick check, traveling turn and into a titanic…and body roll all with confidence, style, and a slight smile.  I watch them briefly, engaged in a flawless performance that seems sensual and intimate, yet tinged with a hint of self-importance.

In time, more such couples populate the dance floor—gliding, twirling, and shimmying their way around the rest of us.  This is this vibe that most often attracts people to salsa dancing in Cape Town.  From a cozy chair in one corner of the restaurant, I can sip my drink and watch sweaty bodies twist and twirl to a Spanish Caribbean beat.   The intensity of this zone of contact holds all of the promise of uninhibited social interaction and movement on the dance floor, and yet I did not manage to move from my chair once.  Despite my best efforts to smile warmly and appear eager to dance, I could not persuade any members of the salsa elite to suffer through my enthusiastically basic step. Almost two hours and 3 mojitos later, I slink back out into the night.  Hmm. Perhaps next week I’ll take up kick-boxing…or join a book club…

****Part 1 written & contributed by Salsera – Tamara Johnson!
Part 2 coming soon….****

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You gotta love old movies

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Chilly

Recently, I have been re-watching some old Movies. (Note: When I say Old, I mean anything older than 10 years.) I gotta admit, I am loving them. The dialogue is so rich and acting so believable, they just dont write scripts like these now days.

So I took some time out to share quotes with you from 3 movies I watched again this month. These quotes can only be summed up in 1 word –  BRILLIANT! (By the way, if you have not seen these 3 movies, you should be ashamed!!!!)

ERIN BROKOVICH
Erin Brockovich is a 2000 drama film starring Julia Roberts who won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors’ Guild Award and BAFTA for Best Actress. It is based on a true story about the corporate greed and unethical behaviour.

CLASSIC LINES:
Lawyer: “I think we got off on the wrong foot here.”
Erin: “Thats all you got, 2 wrong feet and f**cking Ugly shoes!” (My personal favourite)

Kurt Potter:  how did you do this?
Erin Brockovich: Well, um, seeing as how I have no brains or legal expertise, and Ed here was losing all faith in the system, am I right?
Ed Masry: Oh, yeah, completely. No faith, no faith…
Erin Brockovich: I just went out there and performed sexual favors. Six hundred and thirty-four blow jobs in five days… I’m really quite tired.

SCARFACE
Scarface is a 1983 movie starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana. The movie chronicles his rise to the top of Miami’s cocaine empire.

CLASSIC LINES:
– I kill a communist for fun, but for a green card, I gonna carve him up real nice.

– Orders? You giving me orders? Amigo, the only thing in this world that gives orders is balls. You got that? Balls.

– In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.

– Don’t toot your horn honey, you’re not that good.

– I’m Tony Montana……. (Disclaimer: You have to watch the movie to get the context of why this particular line is so brilliant.)

G.I. JANE
G.I. Jane is a 1997 action film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Demi Moore and Viggo Mortensen. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo training in U.S. Navy Special SEALS.

CLASSIC LINES:
– I’ve never seen a wild thing feel sorry for itself. A bird will have fallen frozen dead from a bough, without ever having felt sorry for itself. The ebb and flow of the Atlantic tides, the movement of the sun across the ecliptic; these are just a few of the things I control in my world.

– 60% of you will not pass this course! How do I know? Because that is a historical fact! Now for the bad news, I always like to get one quitter on the first day, and until I do, that first day does not end!

– And you know the best thing about pain? It lets you know you’re not dead yet.

– Remember, there are no bad crews, only bad leaders.

– Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mr. Hayes. If a cannibal used a knife and fork, would you call that progress too?

– Suck my Dic* (Disclaimer: You have to watch the movie to get the context of why this line is so brilliant.)

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Salsa Sluts, Purists and Snobs! What’s the difference?

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Chilly

Salsa Sluts, Purists and Snobs. You may have heard about these people, but do you really know the difference between them?

In an effort to keep you informed, here are the definitions:

Salsa Purist
This is the person who believes that Salsa should only be danced to Salsa Music. They appreciate and dance to other kinds of Latin Music like Bachata, Reggeaton and Chacha, but they don’t think that you should ‘Salsa‘ to these other kinds of music. Their ethos – Salsa should Only be danced to Salsa music.

Salsa Snob
This person only dances Salsa. The moment you play any other kind of music, even Latin music like Reggeaton or Merengue, they will leave the dance floor and maybe even the venue. They believe – Its the Salsa way or the highway.

Salsa Slut
As the name implies (I laughed myself silly when I picked out these pictures by the way), this person will salsa to anything with a beat. They will salsa to  Reggeton, chacha, RnB you name it. They will even go so far as to ‘create‘ a salsa beat where one does not exist. When they are in a normal club playing commerical or any other type of music, you can be sure if they can’t put a 1-8 in there, they will still find a way to throw in some salsa – someway, somehow. All they do is – Salsa, Salsa, Salsa!

I hope this clears up any confusion on the definitions.

However, don’t forget they all have one thing in common:
They all LOVE Salsa and choose to show their love for it in different ways.
Now, you gotta respect that even if you don’t agree with it!

Live Love, Salsa!

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The Songs that made 2010

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Chilly

In last year I discovered DJ’ing. It’s an awesome thing to get behind the Decks and play the music that makes you feel good and also gets people on the dance floor.

DJ Chilli – Hot on the Decks & Cool on the Dance Floor!

So I am going to write about the songs that made 2010 rock for me and that were guaranteed to get people on the dance floor.

Here we go ……

The most Unexpected song to get people on the dance floor?
Baby by Justin Beiber. I personally think this kid has got talent, but so many people hate on him its kind of sad. Therefore everytime I played one of his songs, I expected a stare of disapproval and possibly even a riot! But on the contrary, when I played the Beiber people just continued jamming. The most shocking part was that the guys who would normally hate on Justin were not only enjoying the song, they were singing along also (I am sure if you asked them now they would deny it. Just keep an eye on them next time you are in the club).

The Song guaranteed to get a party started?
Like a G6 by Far east movement. Nuff said.

The best featured artist of 2010?
While Drake made some waves, this award has to go to Nicki Minaj who was Featured in about 15 songs and almost all of them ended up on the top 100. Letting Go (dutty Love) by Sean Kingston, My chick bad by Ludacris and Check it Out by Will.I.Am being some of the most popular.

By now I am sure you know, I Love Salsa and I also play a lot of Latin Music and DJ at Salsa socials.
So what was the best Latin song that made its debut in 2010?
It was very close between :
Prince Royce – Stand By Me &
Shakira – Loca
But I will have to give it to Prince Royce. This boy has got mad skillz!

The best love song of 2010 without a doubt has to go to Bruno Mars with Amazing. This song is just Amazing. (Grenade on the other hand, also by Bruno Mars should be the Nice Guys National Anthem)

Whip my Hair – By Willow Smith is the best track by a young arist. She may be Will Smiths daugther, but without a doubt she made a bonafide hit in her own right.

As far as the best commercial Hip Hop & RnB song is concerned, a few artists rocked this year: Flo Rida, Tinie Tempah, Jason Derulo, Usher, but The return of Eminem with Not Afraid and the emergence of Taio Cruz with Dynamite wins in this category.

The Best house track?
Yolanda Be Cool – We No speak Americano.

The best female artist of 2010 goes to Rihanna. This chick had hit after hit this year in her Albulm Loud – Tracks like – Love the way you lie, Whats My name & Only Girl in the World! She without a doubt killed it in 2010.

The Best South African Song?
There were a few options here, Arrows with Love Sick or Love you better by Crazy White boy to name a few, however I will have to give it as a tie between Liquid Deep and Locnville for just having the most hits in 2010.

Best producer of 2010?
David Guetta the French House Music Producer who dresses like he is homeless is without a doubt a musical Genius.

And now for the ULTIMATE PRIZE
THE BEST SONG IN 2010?
The song that RULED the dance floor and and which could get any party going irrespective of Genre:
Waka Waka by Shakira! (A remake of the 1986 Cameroonian song by Golden Sounds called Zangalewa.)This song ALWAYS got the dance floor buzing. RESPECT!

Now Lets see what Songs 2011 brings!

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