La Conga, also known as La Conga nightclub or La Conga club, was a Cuban nightclub located in midtown Manhattan in New York City.[2]
| Address | 57 W. 57th Street 209 W. 51st Street at Broadway |
|---|---|
| Location | Manhattan, New York |
| Owner | Jack Harris[1] |
| Type | Nightclub |
| Genre(s) | Rumba Conga |
| Opened | 1937 |
Early history
editIn September 1937, the La Conga Club was established in New York at 57 W. 57th Street.[3] It was operated by Cubans Bobby Martyn, Miguel Roldan and Oscar Roche.[4]
The club's diners and dancers enjoyed Rumba bands and Cuban music. Each night included a nightly Conga line, popularized by Cuban conga player Desi Arnaz in Miami and New York.[5][6]
At the end of 1937, band leader George Olsen, began a two-month engagement. In February 1938, Enric Madriguera returned to La Conga with his orchestra.[7]
The name La Conga was purchased for $50 in 1938 by Arthur Ganger, who frequently purchased nightclub names from the courts when they failed. Ganger was sued by the original tenants after selling the name to new owners for $50.[8] The club was re-established by Jack Harris.[9] With the new proprietors, the cabaret was located in the New York theatre district on 51st Street and Broadway.[10] It was near the famed Birdland jazz club.[11]
By 1939, the venue played a significant role in the early rise of Latin performers such as Desi Arnaz and Diosa Costello, who featured as headlining acts.[12][13] In 1940, Machito and his Afro-Cubans Band debuted at La Conga.[14]
References
edit- ^ Calta, L. & The New York Times. (1943). NIGHT CLUB NEWS. In nytimes.com. Retrieved May 22, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/1943/11/14/archives/night-club-news.html?smid=url-share
- ^ Mambo Kingdon: Latin Music in New York. (2010). (n.p.): Schirmer Trade Books.
- ^ "Broadway: Incidental Intelligence About the Dance | By Danton Walker - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Man About Manhattan | By George Tucker - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ Turback, M. (2018). What a Swell Party It Was! Rediscovering Food & Drink from the Golden Age of the American Nightclub. United States: Skyhorse Publishing.
- ^ ABREU, CHRISTINA D. Rhythms of Race: Cuban Musicians and the Making of Latino New York City and Miami, 1940-1960. University of North Carolina Press, 2015. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5149/9781469620855_abreu. Accessed 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Madriguera Music at La Conga on Friday - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Mainly About Manhattan | Daily News, New York, New York, Sept 17 1939, Page 303 - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Jack Harris' La Conga | Daily News, New York, New York, Oct 17 1942, Page 241 - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ Oja, C. J. (2014). Bernstein Meets Broadway: Collaborative Art in a Time of War. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
- ^ Waxer, L. (1994). Of Mambo Kings and Songs of Love: Dance Music in Havana and New York from the 1930s to the 1950s. Latin American Music Review / Revista de Música Latinoamericana, 15(2), 139–176. https://doi.org/10.2307/780230
- ^ "Walter Winchell Says | Daily News, New York, New York, Oct 25 1939, Page 496 - Newspapers.com™". newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ Blocker Bowers, D. (2013, June 21). Remembering Diosa Costello, “the Latin bombshell.” National Museum of American History. https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/remembering-diosa-costello-latin-bombshell
- ^ Conzo, J. (2010, December 17). Machito: Father of Afro-Cuban jazz. Record. https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2004/11/20/machito-father-afro-cuban-jazz/51133823007/