Beto Perez, the creator of Zumba is here in Manila to host the first outdoor fitness concert in Circuit Makati this May 10, Sunday at the Live Love Party event.
Check out below the interview of Beto Perez with the media and bloggers from the press con event.
for event details , check out http://www.liveloveparty.ph/
or read my blog about it at http://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/2015/05/beto-perez-creator-of-zumba-is-here-in.html
Whats the physical quality of Zumba that appeals to the international audience ?
Beto Perez - I think for many years the fitness industry create programs for the fitness people and this is only 10% people in the world, when I create the Zumba, but I first don't like to be labeled as the creator, the only creator is God. I did have the opportunity to do something for causality and after the last important thing in the fitness industry was like 20 or 18 years ago, do you remember Taebo with kick boxing with Billy Blanks?? then after that nothing happened. And I think when Zumba was created, we go back to the beginning of the aerobics, do you remember Jane Fonda, it was fun, effective and easy, then we come back with this philosophy again and do the party, because Zumba is a party, so we create fun, effective and easy.
For so many years, the fitness industry created the "no pain, no gain", I think this philosophy doesn't work with me, for me the philosophy is "if you don't smile, you don't gain", because this is my idea, for the people to have a good time, did you see the amazing energy we created here during the Zumba?, all people smile and have fun, and everyone did a great time, this is my idea, people have a good time, you can make an amazing result and do something positive. This is the magic of Zumba, do something for fun and we never created this program as a business, I never think like saying "Okay I want to create something fun and make more money and create an empire in the world and be the best" , No, I'm not like that, you know the movie Forrest Gump, do you remember when Forrest started running and then people followed him, I feel like that I’m Forrest Gump, One day I started to dance and then people followed me, I don't know why, but I think God gave me a tool do something like that.
Where did Zumba name come from ?
Beto Perez - When I come to Miami, I have this class in Colombia, the country where I grew up, I teach this class in Colombia called Rumba, but the word "rumba" is a rhythm, but in Colombia it means "lets party", lets go to rumba or lets go the fiesta, when I come to America, the word is hard for the Americans to pronounce, they say rhumba, they say shrumba, thrumba, and then I change it for another name which is an ugly name, then when I met my business partners and then we sat down in Starbucks to talk about changing the name, we think of a name like - mango, trumba, tonga, conga, minga, hakuna matata, and then my business partner says "Sumba", but for me, I like to put the word with a "z", because when I was a kid, I was a big fan of Zorro, its very simple and easy, and back then the Zumba word means nothing and its just a cocky name.
What can you say about the Philippines Zumba instructors, their talent, hospitality ?
Beto Perez - First of all, its my 1st time here, and for the last two years or three years, I receive a lot of messages in Instagram and Facebook, inviting me to come here in the Philippines and then comes the Pacquiao, I want Pacquiao to win, for me he is the winner, and when I come here in the country, I felt like I'm in Colombia, because we are in the same ecuador line, we have the same plants, air, temp, animals, we are like in the jungle, its very humid, but I love it, you have amazing food, beautiful woman here and amazing energy, and everyone loves to dance and I feel like I'm in Colombia, its beautiful, I love it, thank you very much, because you opened your mind for this program and the only thing I can do here is to come here, teach class and say thank you.
How did you overcome the challenges in not speaking English when you first started in America?
Beto Perez- I come to America for 4 times, then I go home and come back again, looking for opportunities, then finally on my 3rd visit someone gave me a chance. You know that II didn't speak English and I got some problems with these visa, but then the person I met gave me some opportunity.
In my class in America, I don't speak to them because I don’t know how to speak English and I only use my body language for people to understand me, and then I sleep in the street and some park in Miami for 2 nights because I have nothing and I started with nothing. And I want the people know that everything is possible, if you have dreams, its okay, but you have to know to have that dream, its important to have dreams, but you need to know to grab those dreams, you can dream to be the best journalist of the world, that is hard, but you have to think that you can be the best journalist of the world and say yes its possible.
You must think positive plus positive and the result is positive, that's my philosophy, and I learned all these things, because I started to live alone when I was 15 years old, I don't have a father, my mom is a single parent, and I don't have any relatives, and then I learned on how to defend my self, my mom told me if you want to do something, you have to work hard and remember where you come from, that's I think is a perfect sample that everything is impossible, if I can do it, then everyone can do it.
How Zumba is different from other fitness exercises?
Beto Perez - I think the music is important, and others don't pay attention to the music, some exercises have cheap music, its like full of beats, its the only music you can hear, for me our company invested more on music, we now have a music platform for Zumba music, we have famous artist who works with us, because we are like a radio station, First was the music and Second we never created this program to lose weight, but we created this program to have fun and smile, that's a big difference, and some psychologist hates Zumba, because people who are depressed and who have problems, no longer required to pay $100 for a therapy, but they just pay $10 for a Zumba class and they smile after the class.
Zumba is a family, its a big family, I'm surprised that some people create tattoo in their arm and sometimes they do defend the Zumba brand, its like a Coca Cola, people buy it and sometimes collect tshirt and merchandise, and its like Zumba and people defend it because the most important is that people started from nothing and become successful, if people are successful, and then I am successful too. This is the big difference, not about the money, but its being successful too.
What's the fitness formula for obtaining and healthy physique like you?
Beto Perez - You need discipline, not just doing Zumba, you have to eat, do training. I'm doing Zumba because its a perfect cardio for me, it can burn calories, I tried other programs to see if its effective but it takes time for the result, but for Zumba it works quickly, because when I dance and I smile, my endorphins are active more because I'm happy and excited, my heart pumps more blood, it means that I burn a lot of calories, and when I do Zumba, I use slow and fast music, and it can burn more calories than I run. Also you have to eat good, do Zumba and be happy, and the most important thing is that I say to our instructors that they should be careful with their ego, the ego should go down, because ego are poison and its a big mistake for humans. Everybody love to say they are the best and number one, but they have to be careful because the instructor needs to think first is their students.
But what about you body physique? can you tell us more about it?
Beto Perez - I was so skinny before, and I was so small. I teach 22 classes for week, and then teach more class, I was so skinny and my problem is that I need to gain more weight. When I reached 33 years old, I promised myself that when I reach 35 years old, I want to change, I want to give a gift to my body, I will train, work hard and be good and then here's the result.
How many calories can you burn in a Zumba for 30 minutes.
Beto Perez - It depends on the body, if you do the class slow, you can burn maybe 300-400 calories, but if you do an intense Zumba maybe you can burn 800 calories, what's 800 calories?, its like a bar of chocolate and that's equals to 800 calories. If you eat one, then you can Zumba and go back to zero that calories.
Will calorie go less when you eat after Zumba session.
Beto Perez - For me, after the Zumba class, I'm thirsty, I just drink water. I don't feel hungry after the class because I'm excited and I want to continue to dance and do more Zumba.
Can zumba give you abs ?
Beto Perez - yes, because when you dance and move with lots of swaying of the hips, you put a lot of work on the hips and stomach.
What inspired you to create Zumba ?
Beto Perez - First of all, Zumba was created by accident, and before that I'm an aerobic instructor, step and high impact instructor, outside of it I love to dance, and it separates fitness from dancing. And then one day, I forgot to bring my aerobics music to my class and then I decided to use that cassette tape that I have where I recorded music from a radio station, then I played the music and improvised for an hour. I never sit down and think to create a Zumba program but I created this for accident, a simple accident that's it.
Not everyone is aware about the Zumba specialties, can you share more about this?
Beto Perez - I don't even know if Zumba is the father or mother of the program, but then under it I created Zumba toning with maracas, you work your biceps and play the maracas, then I created Zumba Aqua, its Zumba in water, its hard and you thought that its soft under water, then I created Zumba for kids, then I created Zumba for PWD, then I created also Zumba with chairs, but don't think its for sexy, but its for the triceps and you dance around the chair. Then I created the Zumba steps, its like the classic steps and then added with some Zumba flavors, these are the products we have now.
Can you share with us your singing talent?
Beto Perez - Ohh I don't sing, I love music, I'm not a singer, I have producers working for me for the zumba music, and I have this concept of music, I love fusion music, like reggae and samba fusion, but sometimes for the music we created, sometimes I say something stupid like "ohh hey Beto yeahh for the first time ohh yeah" hahahaha. All these things people think its cool, but no I don't sing, I just play, Its a balance of funny, I just create these video clips and its pretty popular now in Youtube, but now...I don't want to sing, are you crazy? no.. maybe play a lip sync hahahah
Any plans of doing acting or doing movies since you are now famous?
Beto Perez - The good news is that this is the first country to know that we're creating now my life story, it’s a tv series, and its coming soon this 2016. I will not act, but they will find a professional actor to play my character.
If you can choose a Hollywood celebrity to play your life, who would it be ?
Beto Perez- ohh pls help me, my assistant knows all the business and the show business around the world.... (assistant: no, you are unique), aahaha yeah I'm the only Beto in the world
What the Filipino Zumba fans can expect this Sunday?
Beto Perez - The people from this country, loves to party and music, its very natural and its in your blood, I can feel it. I have a very cool class this Sunday, its Mothers day and its a privilege to teach with lots of mothers. You love music and I expect this will be a party. I think I will give the best thing for myself to my class and its my first time here and I only can say is to say thank you and I will do my very best for you.
What do you think about the Filipino licensed Zumba instructors compare to other countries ?
Beto Perez - Ohhh you know, I think you have already the talent, the only thing we can do for this concert is to be organized, we need to follow the rules, and respect the rules, because this is a serious company and a career, and you need to think professionally, the most important for the company to give for the instructor to be successful is to have the clothes, the tools, choreography, the music, but you still have to practice, you need to have discipline, if you want to go up and go forward, we can give you anything, the music and the career, but you have to practice, and I think the Filipinos have already the talent, and I have seen our massive trainers here and they represent your country very well.
For tickets, visit the website www.liveloveparty.ph
Visit also Circuit Makati Facebook page for news and also updates
