Andres Meneses

Latin Dancing & Music Event Producer, Event Promoter, Choreographer, DJ & Dance instructor.

Since he can remember, Andrés has been dancing and listening to music. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in both San Juan & Viña del Mar, Chile, he recalls a Salsa party when he was 15 years old where the ladies raced only to the guys that could dance.  At that point he vowed to himself, “Whatever this is, I have to learn it!”

He has been involved and/or organized over 4,500 events in the past nine years. His expertise has also led him to be the executive producer of events with the Cardenas Marketing Network, the nation’s largest Hispanic event production and marketing firm (Miller Banda Mas Chida Battle of the Bands 2006).  He has also worked in conjunction with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs in many Latin music and dance projects since 1998 including Chicago Summer Dance Program, Winter Delights, Millennium Park opening ceremonies, Dancing for the New Millennium, Spanish Harlem Orchestra & Maraca & Otra Vision at The Park West & The Chicago World Music Festival just to name a few.

His work producing Angel Melendez and the 911 Mambo Orchestra under his own record label Latin Street Music earned him a Grammy nomination in 2004 and the privilege of being an official Grammy voter.  He has also produced concerts for Maraca & Otra Vision, Fania All-Stars Adalberto Santiago and Ismael Miranda, and The Singers of The Apollo Sound: Sammy Gonzalez, Tito Cruz & Papo Sanchez, Luigi Texidor, Hector Tricoche, Ha*Ash, Grupo Tranzas, SuperLitio, Cartel de Santa, Lira ‘n Roll, Fanny Lu, Leprosy, Domenic Marte & La Sonora Dinamita de Vilma Diaz.

Producer of the Chicago Salsa Festival every year in June, The Chicago Qualifier for The World Salsa Championships in Disneys Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando televised by ESPN & producer of the largest and longest running Tropical/Salsa Nightclub events and concerts at Excalibur Nightclub. As a show producer, Andrés organized theatre dance performance productions (Latin Dance Revues for charity) at the Chicago Theatre, the Dance Center of Columbia College and Athenaeum Theatre, amongst many others.

Andres is the business manager and runs all the aspects of Artists management for Grammy nominee Angel Melendez, Damian Rivero, Jimmy Bosch in the Midwest USA, and booking agent for over 30 Latin music artists & Djs in Chicago including Nelson Sosa, Willie Gomez Con Cache, Carpacho & Su Super Combo, Mariachi Zapopan, Crather, Jose Valdes, & many more.

As an instructor, Andrés has been teaching for the last 20 years and full time for the last nine. Both he and Lisa “La Boriqua” were featured in two Salsa Instructional Videos now sold nationwide, and they have been invited to perform numerous times on TV with local affiliates such as ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN, FOX and many cable TV station programs. Personally he has performed with The Chicago Latin Street Dance Company at The Chicago Theatre, The Athenaeum Theatre, The Dance Center of Columbia College, Chicago International SALSA Congresses 2003, 04, 05, 06 & 07, Montreal Salsa Convention 05 & 06, Chicago Salsa Festival 2007, The Miami Salsa Congress 2007, The Puerto Rico Hustle & Salsa Festival 2007 & Dance Chicago 2007 just to name a few.

Co-owner of Latin Street Dancing Studios with Lisa "La Boriqua" and director of The Chicago Latin Street Dance Company. Member of The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences; The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences; the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau; the Chicago Jazz Institute, The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and Board Member of the Chicago Music Commission.