Isla de Salsa 2025
Artist Line-up
This year too, performances will unfold across our three main venues: the Beat Stage, Sea House Stage, and Sky Stage — each with its own vibe.
Artist lineup and stage details will be announced as they are confirmed!
Beat Beat Stage
Sea Sea House Stage
Sky Sky Stage
2025 Headliner
TROMBORANGA
Beat
TROMBORANGA shook Japan with their explosive performance in 2016.
Now, after 9 years, they're back on the Isla stage!
This powerhouse multinational band doesn't just play salsa—
they unleash the very soul of salsa, transcending borders and eras.
Spinna B-ILL & HOME GROWN
Beat
One & Only reggae singer Spinna B-ILL joins forces with Japan’s No.1 reggae band HOME GROWN! Get ready for a soul-shaking, body-moving live experience!
Kiiyamashouten
Beat
An entertainment band from Ishigaki Island, formed by brothers and a cousin. Bursting with Okinawan humor and music, their diverse songs and powerful live performances spread energy across Japan!
Soluna
Sky
Okinawan folk meets flamenco!
Soluna’s “Tinsagu nu Hana Sevillanas” stirs up buzz — and captures hearts in Spain!
Nanbu-Shiki
Sky
Unpredictable and unstoppable! A festive ensemble from Southern Kyushu, blending giant puppets and traditional instruments. Wild drums and the joyful cutting of the gotan (box shamisen) fill the air!
Live Painting
Eitoku Sugimori
(Ace Cedarwood)
Special Guest
Professor at the Department of Fashion Studies, Koran Women’s Junior College, and contemporary artist.
Winner of the FUKUOKA WALL ART PROJECT 2023, he will present a solo exhibition at the Fukuoka Art Museum starting Tuesday, September 9. This talented artist will bring the venue to life with a captivating live painting performance.
Elizaveta
Sky
Ethereal and bold — Elizaveta takes the stage adorned with flowers and armed with voice, piano, and loop magic. Experience her one-of-a-kind blend of opera, pop, and live improvisation.
SALSATION®
Sea
Experience SALSATION® at Isla de Salsa! Feel the music, express the rhythm, and move your body functionally through this fun and dynamic dance fitness program!
App Store
Google Play Store
Kecak Fukuoka
Sky
Kecak Fukuoka is an arts group that introduces Indonesian culture, especially Balinese traditions, in Japan. Based in Fukuoka, it performs Balinese dance and gamelan at local events. Members include Balinese residents, Indonesians from various regions, and Japanese enthusiasts, working together to foster cultural exchange and understanding.
Haruka
Sky
A special project de Kobujutsu (ancient martial arts) directed by Master Shige Koseki and music by "Taka & Tott" to celebrate the 26th edition of ISLA DE SALSA.
Dance Storytellers
ISLA DE SALSA is an intercultural festival aimed at sharing joy and cultural diversity through music, dance, and gastronomy, transcending differences in genre, nationality, and generation. Just as each musician expresses their unique proposal through music, dancers, from internationally renowned professionals to dance groups, from children to adults, tell their own stories through the rhythm and movement of dance. For this reason, we consider the dancers "Dance Storytellers."
Franklin Liranzo
Latin Dance
(NYC)
An eight-time world champion in salsa, bachata, and cha-cha-cha, he has consistently placed at the top of international competitions since 2013. As an instructor, he is highly respected—his teams have earned over 650 medals under his guidance. Regularly invited to perform and judge at global festivals such as the World Salsa Summit and World Salsa Solo, he remains a prominent and influential figure in the international Latin dance scene.
Mari Yogo
Latin Dance
(Osaka)
After moving to New York, she became the first and only Asian professional dancer in the prestigious Yamulee Dance Company. She later worked in Europe with Alegría Dance Company and has performed in over 20 countries. With her elegance and sharp spinning technique, she has won several international titles, including third place at the world’s largest salsa competition. Now a mother of two, she continues to perform and teach her original Latin dance method worldwide.
Misaki
Latin Dance
(Tokyo)
Misaki is a salsa dancer based in Tokyo. She began dancing street styles in her childhood and discovered salsa in 2011, which became her true passion. Her passionate energy on stage captivates audiences. She now performs and teaches not only in Japan but also internationally, appearing in workshops, shows, and music videos.
Marcelo Stella
Latin Dance
(Argentina)
He has performed at the opening of the World Salsa Congress and in many other shows. Since his first arrival in Japan in 2000, he has played a key role in spreading salsa in Fukuoka, especially as a pioneer of Salsa Casino. Now based in Fukuoka, he remains active as a dancer, instructor, choreographer, DJ, and event producer.
Yuka
Latin Dance
(Fukuoka)
In 2015, she studied dance in Cuba for about nine months, training at ISA with local students and learning from former top dancers of the national folklore company. From 2017 to 2019, she performed with the Latin dance company ANACAONA. After further study in Spain in 2019, she now teaches at Tiempo, actively involved in classes and events.
Mike & Sakina
Latin Dance
(Fukuoka)
This dynamic Latin dance duo has performed and taught across Asia. Mike, with 20+ years of experience, brings global influence, while Sakina blends her background in Chinese dance and urban styles. Co-founders of LATIN SOUL studio in China, they moved to Fukuoka in 2025 and continue to share the joy of salsa and bachata.
Cheli Latinesa
Latin Dance
(Taiwan)
Cheli Latinesa, a salsa dancer from Taiwan, blends Latin and contemporary styles with 25+ years of experience. Founder of Latinesa Studio and the LGBTQ+ Andaya Festival, she has performed across Asia and Europe. Asia Dance League winner and Busan finalist.
Raphael & Nayhara
Tango
(Argentina)
Nayhara & Raphael are Argentine Tango dancers and teachers with over 20 years of experience. Based in Milan, they perform with Tango X 2 and “El Porteño Prohibido.” They spent over eight years dancing in top Buenos Aires theaters and shows, and have performed internationally across Argentina, the U.S., and Europe. In Athens, they ran “La Galería del Tango” for seven years, supporting the local tango scene.
Micaela Garcia
Arabian Dance
(Argentina)
Micaela García studied under renowned masters such as Saida, Amir Thaleb, and Rhanda Kamel. A graduate of Aisha Danzas Rosario, she has taught and choreographed at both Aisha and BCM Studio. In 2016, she performed as a resident dancer at Desert Safari Camp in Dubai. She won Best Dancer at the Masabni Competition in 2015 and 2017.
Ícaro Puig
Flamenco
(Uruguay)
Ícaro Puig began studying flamenco in Montevideo in 2000, training under Dayana González and top Spanish artists like Alfonso Losa. In 2016, he toured Europe as Uruguay’s representative at CIOFF festivals and continued his studies in Spain. He debuted his first work in 2017. A co-founder of a dance company and former artistic director of a tablao, he now lives in Buenos Aires, directing his own tablao “Retama” and performing as a soloist.
Allan Harbas
Flamenco
(Brazil)
A professional flamenco guitarist since 1999, he has composed and arranged for numerous stage productions and contributed to the film Meu nome não é Johnny. He has also collaborated widely in Brazil’s pop music scene. In 2023, he received the Best Soundtrack Award for Iberian Dreams. He is currently based in Fukuoka, Japan, working as a musician and special instructor at the NPO Tiempo.
Conrado Gmeiner
Flamenco
(Brazil)
Inspired by Paco de Lucía, he turned to flamenco guitar at 17. Since then, he has become one of Brazil’s leading flamenco guitarists and musical directors. In 2013, he reached the semifinals of the International Flamenco Guitar Competition in Spain. Also versed in bossa nova and samba, he is now based in Fukuoka, performing in Tokyo, Osaka, and abroad, including Hong Kong.