Get ready for a night full of rhythm, flavor and stars, because on April 30, 2025 the SVA Theater becomes the world capital of the salsa with the exclusive premiere of the documentary “La Salsa lives”. Directed by the talented Colombian filmmaker Juan Carvajal, this film is an epic celebration of one of the most powerful and irresistible musical genres in the world.
And yes, the red carpet is loaded: among the special guests will be Rubén Blades, Henry Fiol, the actor and activist John Leguizamo, and the actress and producer Yanila Varela, daughter of the unforgettable Jairo Varela, founder of the Niche group. An unmissable night for fans of good music and Latin culture!
“The Salsa lives” is not any documentary: it is a letter of love to the sauce, narrated through unpublished images, intense anecdotes and exclusive interviews with legends such as Willie Rosario, Johnny ‘Dandy’ Rodríguez, Alfredo Linares, and many more. From the New York neighborhoods where the genre was born to Cali streets of Cali, Colombia, where the sauce is lived with overflowing passion, this film will make you dance … even if you are sitting!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f86uj7bxdkk
After shining at festivals such as SXSW and San Diego Latino Film Festival, “La Salsa lives” returns to New York – his spiritual starting point – for a premiere that promises music, emotion and a lot of Latin pride.
“This documentary is more than a musical story. It is the reflection of an identity that resists, evolves and unites entire generations,” says Carvajal, who lives between Cali and New York and has dedicated years to capture the soul of the genre.
With images never before view of icons such as Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow and Jairo Varela, in addition to the participation of current artists who continue to take the sauce to the future, this production is emerging as a milestone in the Latin musical cinema.
The documentary is a 64A Films & Cinematic production, along with South Shore Films, Telepacific, and EFD Digital, with the support of great allies such as Caracol Televisión, Dago García Producciones and the Government of Valle del Cauca.
After passing through New York, the film will have its premiere in Colombia on May 28 at the Cine Colombia of Chipichape, in Cali – and we are already imagining that rumba!
Event details
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Place: Sva Theater, New York
Star guests: Rubén Blades, Henry Fiol, John Leguizamo, Yanila Varela and more
One night, a city, a legend: the sauce is more alive than ever.
