How Mike Bello Became the Mambo Fello

Mike Bello is a multidisciplinary artist.

A native New Yorker, Mike’s background includes Puerto Rican and Russian-Jewish heritage. 

Salsa music has been in his life since childhood and in the mid 1970s he became proficient in dancing, what was then called, Latin while attending Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in New York.

A 12 year stint in the U.S. Air Force taught him the necessary discipline to create a career in his field. Mike earned a certification in multi-track recording technology at the Institute of Audio Research which facilitated his work at Quad recording studios Manhattan, working as a DJ in local clubs & events, and co-producing dance tracks for S.U.R.E. record pool’s in-house studio. Mike also produced for the hip-hop group, Lords of Flava and was a digital editor on several books on tape such as: Batman Returns, Black Beauty, The Babysitters Club, etc.


Having always danced, as his mother did, in a side to side and circular fashion yet during those college days, many students were dancing in a new, front to back "slot" way. At the college dance socials he quickly emulated this new way of dancing which reminded him of the Latin Hustle, which he did very well, and very much wanted to learn to dance to Salsa this new way. When he tried it, though, he found that something was missing in his execution of this dance. 

During the weekly Friday afternoon socials at BMCC, Mike befriended one of the better dancers who eventually showed him this new style. Mike subsequently became one of the more sought-after dancers among his peers.

A couple of years later Mike enlisted into the Air Force, traveled the world and continued dancing both the Latin Hustle and Mambo as much as possible.

For the duration of his military service Mike also worked as a Disc Jockey with the name MAGIC MIKE and continued until circa 1999 playing many types of dance music (Hip-Hop, Club, Techno, House, R&B, Freestyle, Latin Hip-Hop, Disco AND Salsa).

His last assignment before returning to New York was Hickam Air Force Base on Oahu,Hawaii. While there, Mike was a founding partner in a DJ service company, S&M Productions, and were contracted to play at various popular clubs and venues across the Island. One of the better-known nightclubs in which they launched Salsa was Reni's (in Pearl City), owned by "Magnum PI" co-star Roger Mosely.

Shortly after Mike’s return to New York in 1988, at the beginning of the summer season in Orchard Beach, Mike viewed an impromptu Mambo dance performance to Salsa music, while a crowd of about 200 people surrounded a pair of dancers.

One was approximately in his late twenties-early thirties, and the other was about 9 years old! This apparent father and son team were doing some really intricate footwork, called shines.

Mike was so taken with how effortlessly they seemed to be executing those intricate steps that he said to the person nearest him, "When I grow up I want to be just like that kid!"

Unbeknownst to Mike, this was the beginning of his true MAMBO LIFE!

He discovered a venue in New York's East Village, the Manhattan Plaza, where "mambo heads" got together and instructed those who wanted enlightenment in the ways of dancing "en clave".

This converted former ABC television studio became, literally, a hotbed of Mambo activity! Promoted by Tony Ortiz and directed by Paula Cournier, this became the home of the Mambo Society. Every Wednesday, from 6PM to 10PM, the dancing was non-stop! Every level of Modern Mambo was delivered to the dance-hungry, soon-to-be mambo fanatics!

At the entrance (led by Angel Rodriguez and his wife, Addie), one could see about 50 mambo initiates "hammering in" the basic fundamental steps of the dance. Most of these people had never danced anything in their lives and for four hours straight, the basic step was the only concept covered.

The cool thing was hearing one concerted stomp when the left foot came down on the front "break."

About twenty feet away from the crowd of the BASIC mambo dancers you would find Mike instructing approximately two dozen dancers!

Mike worked with them on the first five shines of a 25-step shine routine, created just for the Mambo Society by two ladies, Mimi Medina and Evelyn Negron, a copy of which he still keeps with him to this day.

Although Mike was just learning the routine as well, he took it upon himself to break down and drill the steps for a few people at first and then attendance by others quickly grew over the ensuing weeks. His efforts in instructing others helped him to "own" those steps as he progressed to the other shines with the same fervor as he had at the beginning of the routine.

This would go on for an hour, and then for another hour he'd join another three dozen, dancing the entire routine repeatedly.

They would all take a break and refresh themselves with water and sliced fruit provided by Tony Ortiz and Paula Cournier.

Without fail, everyone was drenched and happily looked forward not only to enjoying the break, but to continuing dancing as well!

Paula would then select a small group, and go out into the hallway (away from the music) to break down the mambo basic time step pattern and explain how it applied to the clave.

This was his first exposure to "la clave", the principle rhythm that guides Salsa music.

Almost from the moment he was first made really aware of its existence, something rang true and he felt the truth of the clave as the life force that drives the music and dance. Eventually, with research, he would get that proof, growing constantly. The proof was otherwise in the dancing…

Mike eventually moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1997 where he blazed a trail for contemporary (including classic approaches) of the New York Salsa/Mambo dance. He then became the Director of Music & Promotions as well as hosting/moderating the many Salsa/Mambo dance, music, and rhythm chat board topics for SalsaWeb’s internet webzine. Mike channeled his teaching to Salsa/Mambo rhythms, phrasing, and timing and became a prominent educator of salsa rhythms for dancers teaching workshops and seminars at Salsa Congresses around the world. His instructional music CDs on salsa rhythms revolutionises dance instruction across the globe and serves as the must have resource tool for teachers of these dance styles.

Mike continues to support Salsa/Mambo instructors through music production, dance resources and consults for various artistic projects. In 2020 Mike released his first album “The Lockdown trax” as a response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Always on the Clave!