El Combo Chevere
The eight characters in Everybody Loves Salsa were designed to coexist in perfect visual and emotional harmony. Each design was carefully crafted with an intentional balance of shape, texture, and colour, creating a rhythm on screen that mirrors the music itself. With a vibrant colour palette that took a decade to perfect, rounded forms, and dynamic silhouettes, Everybody Loves Salsa echoes the fluidity of salsa dancing, with every shape and colour working together like instruments in a band.
In the ensemble, there are six iconic Colombian figures that are reimagined through the lens of animation: El Guacamayo, La Palenquera, La Marimonda, El Jaguar, Juan Valdez, and El Pibe Valderrama. Each character is reimagined through the lens of animation and placed within the same vibrant world that encapsulates Everybody Loves Salsa. The pinnacle of it all comes in the form of El Dios de la Salsa. And lastly, The AI Preacher. This character was designed as the direct opposite of the lively seven main characters.
This main character chart serves as a way to see how the characters complement each other thanks to the differences in colour, height, and design.
The AI Preacher
Made to be a direct contrast to the main characters of Everybody Loves Salsa, The AI Preacher symbolizes control and rigidity.
His design was inspired by a high school friend’s painting, which is where he gets his abstract, almost mechanical silhouette. He represents the growing presence and dominance of artificial intelligence in modern times. Conceptually, The AI Preacher combines two ideas: the traditional preacher, usually confined and dogmatic, and the notion of AI being treated as a new form of religion.
La Palenquera
El Dios de la Salsa
El Dios de la Salsa is an original character. His design combines the three regions that shaped salsa’s sound: The Americas, Europe, and Africa.
His design draws influences from pre-Hispanic, Egyptian, and ancient Greek elements, which represent the fusion of worlds that gave rise to salsa in a single, harmonious form. Inspired by the Egyptian god Horus, he presents himself as a fusion of man and bird, carrying both the mysticism of African traditions and the elegance of classical mythology. In Everybody Loves Salsa, El Dios embodies the power of salsa. Going character by character, El Dios turns those who were once bored and gloomy into a vibrant character whose only purpose is to feel and dance salsa.
Juan Valdez
Juan Valdez is the face of Colombia’s world-famous coffee culture. Dressed in the traditional Eje Cafetero attire, including his hat (pelo e' guama) and ruana (poncho), and sometimes accompanied by his mule, Conchita, Juan Valdez represents craftsmanship, patience, and connection to the land.
His geometrical design with elongated limbs and oblong face is in direct contrast to his pelo e’ guama, which later changes to a sombrero vueltiao, the traditional hat from the Caribbean Colombian coast, which has become a global point of recognition for Colombia.
El Pibe Valderrama
El Pibe Valderrama is one of Colombia’s most beloved cultural icons. As a football legend thanks to not only his talent but also his golden curls, effortless style, and joyful spirit, El Pibe is a symbol of national pride and the sport that moves Colombia and Latin America. In Colombia, football is not just a sport; it’s a language of unity, passion, and resilience.
His character design is more geometrical, with the absence of his arms meant to emulate a chess piece. This creative decision posed an exciting challenge, especially when figuring out how he would dance without upper limbs. That’s where the football comes in. With a vintage design, the ball serves as a way for El Pibe to connect with his dance partner. This also exemplifies how football and different parts of the culture can unite people, whether through a soccer ball or a dance.
El Guacamayo
El Guacamayo (Macaw) embodies Colombia’s natural beauty and tropical energy. Famous for its colourful feathers that emulate the country’s flag’s yellow, blue, and red, El Guacamayo becomes a visual aid to the explosion of colour and sound that defines the project.
El Guacamayo’s design is inspired by Disney’s 1942 Saludos Amigos and Disney’s animator-turned-imagineer Marc Davis’ work on Disneyland characters and attractions, with the Tiki Room as direct inspiration.
El Jaguar
El Jaguar channels mystery, power, and rhythm. Revered in pre-Columbian mythology across Latin America, El Jaguar was initially conceived as the godlike figure in Everybody Loves Salsa; however, this plan evolved once the idea of having a feared animal like the jaguar presented as a friendly, charismatic presence that drives the dance.
This reinterpretation turned a fierce predator into an ambassador of joy that represents the ancestral energy that lies beneath Colombia’s modern culture.
La Palenquera was the first character created and the lead of this story. She represents strength, heritage, and joy. Inspired by the women of the first free town of the Americas, San Basilio de Palenque, she embodies Colombia’s Afro-descendant roots and vibrant culture, which are the foundation for Cali’s identity. With her traditional style and fruit headdress, the animation of La Palenquera posed an exciting challenge. She wears the colours of Colombia on her dress: yellow to represent the richness of the soil and the gold of the country, blue to symbolize the seas and lakes that connect Colombia to the world, and red to commemorate the spilled blood of the heroes who fought for Colombia’s independence.
The design of La Palenquera is meant to represent the strength of the Colombian woman.
La Marimonda
La Marimonda is a beloved figure from Colombia’s famous Carnaval de Barranquilla, although it first came about in the 19th century as a form of social critique about the elite society in Barranquilla at the time, mocking the rich and the oppressors with a mask that apparently resembled their features. La Marimonda’s bright colours are in direct contrast to its dance partner’s, Juan Valdez, earthier tones.
Aside from being a staple in Colombian pop culture, La Marimonda was chosen as a character is meant to represent connection and inclusivity, as anyone, regardless of what they look like, could be dancing behind the mask.
Dealing with Generative AI
Contrary to the AI Preacher’s discourse, Everybody Loves Salsa was made in its entirety without the use of generative AI.
The goal of this project was to create something entirely new, enjoying the process no matter the difficulties and outcome. This project, from the video to this website, was made entirely by humans.
“With Everybody Loves Salsa, I wanted to highlight the value and effort that comes with human-made projects, celebrating every aspect and quirk.”
- Daniel Cordero
