Loading AI tools
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 |
In 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]
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
