Conga Room

The Conga Room is a Los Angeles, California, nightclub that focuses on salsa and Latin music.

Contents

History

Early on, it broadened its musical repertoire beyond salsa (Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Buena Vista Social Club and Oscar De Leon) to spotlight popular artists in other genres: rock en Español (e.g., Aterciopelados, Julieta Venegas), world beat (e.g., Susana Baca, Lila Downs, Hugh Masekela, Bebel Gilberto), jazz (e.g., Billy Cobham, Poncho Sanchez, Jack DeJohnette), urban (e.g., Common, Wyclef Jean) and pop/rock (e.g., José Feliciano, Nelly Furtado, Los Lobos). With its rebirth at L.A. Live district in downtown Los Angeles, the Conga Room is poised to host an even broader array of concerts and parties, many in the wake of entertainment, social, political and sporting events at the nearby Staples Center, Nokia Theatre, Club Nokia and JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The new club, with 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) and a capacity of about 1,800, is nearly three times the size of the funky, elbow-bumping old club. (Basic cover charge for the new venue ranges from $18 to $25.) Gluckstein said the concept for the Conga Room "outgrew" its old location, which was hampered by poor freeway access and by being on the edge of a primarily residential neighborhood.[1]

Having swept onto the Los Angeles social scene in 1998, the Conga Room earned a following with its hip ambiance and hot performers. It hosted record launches, movie debuts, award shows and parties. It hosted the press conference that announced the 2001 Latin Grammy Award winners. It featured concerts by top Cuban and Latin tropical legends such as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and the Buena Vista Social Club and its stage was graced by the likes of Shakira, Juanes and Carlos Santana.

The Conga Room is co-owned by Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Rodriguez, Sheila E., Amaury Nolasco, Baron Davis, Trevor Ariza, and will.i.am.

Notable events

Notable patrons

Performers

References

External links

Preceded by
Staples Center
Host of the
Latin Grammy Awards

2001
Succeeded by
Kodak Theatre