Tuesday, April 19, 12:50 a.m. "Relass an juss mooove weet thah mooo-sick."
Easy for him to say. Along with his incredible smile and a broken finger ("Is from my work."), my salsa tutor Honorio has hips that seem to move independently of the rest of his body. They orbit his center of gravity like the moon.
As I've said before, I maintain a two-drink minimum for dancing, so guzzling the proffered cheap, sweet champagne was an absolute necessity before I allowed Honorio to half-lead, half-drag me to the dance floor. Though he tells me to relax, I am stiff as a plank, uncharacteristically giggly, and desperately trying to recall past trips to Cancun when I danced with wild abandon to local music, without any fear of looking like a sad-ass gringa. Now, in a room where more than 15 Spanish-speaking nations are represented, I should be feeling a bit out of place. Except I don't—thanks to a welcoming, inclusive crowd. Dancing around me is every conceivable combination of men and women. That this party is at Krave means that anything, and everything, goes.
This week, we decided to slap the Same Old, Same Old like a piñata. What followed was a three-night foray into the world of salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, rock en espanol, punta and samba. Our itinerary: Tuesday's Copacavana at Krave, O-PM's new Caliente Latin Night on Wednesday, and Club Rio's long-standing Latin Libido Night on Thursday.
Copacavana is an intimate affair where I meet people from all over: Vegas, California, Mexico, Uruguay and Brazil. My host, promoter Mario Guardado, tells me that in May we can expect the opening of a more authentic Latin night. I would not think it gets more Latin than this, but he tells me the rock, house remixes, hip-hop and reggae would stay on Tuesday, while Friday would be for serious Latin-music lovers only. I shudder at the thought of never hearing "Culo!" again, and then quickly get over it.
O-PM's Caliente Latin Night is small, too; the party is in its infancy at only four weeks of age and is waiting for the marketing budget to kick in. In the meantime, DJ Dave Dog has been imported from Club Rio to join Chris de Jesus and guest DJ LA Leo. We watch fantastic displays from dancers, the men hot-dog and show off for their friends, but the sound system is turned way up to carry through the Forum Shops and we must flee, ear drums bleeding just a tad.
Perhaps one reason many of Vegas' Latin nights are small and often short-lived is because they tend to focus on the locals market and rarely take aim at tourists. Another may be that Club Rio's Latin Libido has dominated the scene for six years. The massive space has served as the official Thursday meeting spot for young Latino and Latina party-goers since its inception. An additional advantage is that cover for industry workers is free and for military is half off. The departure of 98.5 KLUC-FM has meant a reduction in the hip-hop quotient and the impending promotion with AMOR 99.3-FM marks a welcome return to Latin roots. Six-year resident DJ Dave Dog joins with DJs Leo and Urbin for a healthy mix that is 15 percent hip-hop, 15 percent reggaeton and 70 percent salsa. With all the wear the club has had over the years, it looks a little tired. Still, every Thursday, the dance floor is overflowing and could not possibly accommodate one more shakin' ass.
Affectionately referred to as Latin La-beat-down by employees, (Pop-Up Video Moment: Xania was Club Rio's assistant manager early in her career), Latin Libido has a rough 'n' tumble past and when no less than three skirmishes erupt around us, a wave of nostalgia laps over me. The perpetrators are taunted by the crowd in sing-song Spanish as they are escorted out, then quickly forgotten. It's only 3 a.m. and they still have a lot of dancing to do.
If you are in need of seven full nights of Latin flavor, additional parties can be found Sunday at Bikinis' Noche Latina; Monday at Gipsy; Friday and Saturday at the Gold Coast for live band, Latin Breeze; and the latest addition with Elevation, "a chic Latin experience," at the Voodoo Lounge, Monday nights.
Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
[email protected].
Thursday, April 28
Latin Libido Night at Club Rio
Rehab kickoff party at Body English, with Rehab gear giveaways
Saturday, April 30
The Palms, and Ocean Drive and Vegas magazines present VolleyPalooza, a volleyball tournament for models, with "sand, sweat, bikinis, music, celebrities, and top fashion models." For more info, call 938-9999
Sunday, May 1
Rehab opening day, with international superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold at the Hard Rock Pool
Beacher's Madhouse, the Hard Rock 10-Year Anniversary Edition
Tuesday, May 3
Copacavana at Krave
Wednesday, May 4
Caliente Latin Night at OPM
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