Salsa, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo and Merengue Dance on New U.S. Postage Stamps

Salsa, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo and Merengue Dance on New U.S. Postage Stamps

NEW YORK, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Kicking off National Hispanic Heritage month, Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, the U.S. Postal Service will dedicate Let's Dance/Bailemos stamps at the Copacabana nightclub tonight. The stamps bring to life four sassy Latin Dances: Salsa, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo and Merengue.

The ceremony will include performances by Willie Colon, acclaimed composer/trombonist; Vonzell Solomon, "American Idol" finalist and former postal carrier; and The Copacabana Dancers. The stamp dedication is being presented during the Puerto Rican Family Foundation's annual Excellence Awards, Noche de Fiesta.

Stamp artists Edel Rodriquez, who created the Cha-cha-cha stamp, and Jose Ortega, who created the Salsa stamp will be available to sign autographs.

Showcasing one of four popular dances on each stamp, four different Hispanic American artists created designs that expressed their personal interpretations of Latin Dance. Although the four stamp images are similar in style, the artists who produced the stamp images never saw the other's work.

The Mambo stamp was created by Sergio Baradat who, as a young child, left Cuba with his parents and immigrated to the United States. Known for its up-tempo beat, fast footwork and sensuous body language, Mambo laid the groundwork for its offshoots: Cha-cha-cha and Salsa.

Salsa stamp creator-artist Jose Ortega, of New York City and Toronto -- was born in Ecuador, grew up in New York City and currently owns a Salsa club in Toronto. Popularized in the 1960s by New York Puerto Rican musicians, salsa integrates rhythm and blues, and jazz into Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Capturing the famous Cha-cha-cha in a vivid stamp is a native of El Gabriel, Cuba, artist Edel Rodriguez, who resides in Mt. Tabor, New Jersey. Derived from Cuba's danzon, and taking its name from the last three beats in its 1-2, 1-2-3 rhythm, the cha-cha-cha is slower and more constrained that the up-tempo moves of its sister, the Mambo.

To complete the Latin dance stamp series, the Merengue was captured by freelance illustrator Rafael Lopez, native of Mexico City and currently residing in San Diego. The Merengue is a mix of European and African derived styles and in the first half of the 20th century became the national dance of the Dominican Republic.

The Postal Service is dedicated to honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month and plans to have a month long celebration full of festivities. In conjunction with this dedication, there will be numerous community events throughout the country. Each of these events will provide an opportunity for the Postal Service to support community outreach, celebrate Hispanic Heritage and showcase its products and services.

To see the commemorative stamps and other images from the 2005 Commemorative Stamp Program, visit the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop and click on Release Schedule in the Collectors Corner.

Current U.S. stamps, as well as a free comprehensive catalog, are available by toll-free phone order at 1-800-STAMP-24. A wide selection of stamps, other philatelic items, and licensed products are available at the Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop. Beautifully framed prints of original stamp art for delivery straight to the home or office are available at http://www.postalartgallery.com/.

Since 1775, the Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 142 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $69 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 206 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.

Source: U.S. Postal Service

CONTACT: Media, Monica Hand, +1-212-330-3118, Cell +1-202-746-1629, monica.a.hand@usps.gov, or Melissa Dodge, +1-202-360-1552, both of USPS; Spanish speaking representatives are available

Web site: http://www.usps.com/ http://www.usps.com/shop http://www.postalartgallery.com/

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