Palladium Ballroom
The Palladium was a legendary dance hall in the 1950s in New York City. He gained his fame by his Afro-Cuban rhythms, in particular the Mambo and the Cha -Cha -Cha.
History
The Palladium was located at 53rd Street West, corner of Broadway in the musical and theatrical zone. On his dance floor, it offered more than 1,000 pairs of space. White Anglo-Americans danced here foxtrot, tango and the old swing. Originating it is from the " Alma Dance Studios ", which came the end of the 1940s into a crisis and were sold in 1949. The then manager Federico Pagani taught in 1947 Sundays a separate event a, a matinee for the Hispanic audience: the " Blen Blen Club". The group " Machito y sus Afro - Cubans " played here a mixture of Cuban rhythms and bebop. Behind the group put as music director of the Cuban Mario Bauza, bandleader Frank Grillo was " Machito ", which brought to his sister Graciela, and composer Chano Pozo was the percussionist, who has previously played with Dizzy Gillespie. The success of this type Latin jazz was enormous, the salon was busy on Sundays in all its capacities. Under the new owner Max Hyman is reserved in 1949 for a second day in the week for Latin American rhythms, Wednesday, and contracted two other groups: Tito Puente and the " Picadilly Boys". Puente, who had previously participated in the Sunday matinee, was a percussionist only with time for band leader of the group. Because of his virtuosity and creativity, he got the nickname " El Rey del Timbal ". The third band was the septet of the other "Tito": the singer Tito Rodriguez.
From 1950 Damaso Perez Prado's "Mambo No.5" reached an enormous popularity. From now devoted to "The Big Three", as the three orchestras were now called, the Mambo and brought a mambo hit after another out, the most famous: " Picadillo ," " Ran Kan Kan " ( Puente ), "Mambo Mona ( Mama Guela ) "," Joe Lustig Mambo " ( Rodriguez) and " Asia Minor ", " Babarabatiri " ( Machito ). At the end of the 50s and the Cha -Cha -Cha was added.
In November 1958, the Cuban José Fajardo was traveling with his orchestra in New York to assist in the Waldorf-Astoria to Senator John F. Kennedy at a musical event of the Democratic Party. He then played at the Palladium - and stayed right there, because on 1 January 1959 took Fidel Castro with his guerrillas of the 26th of July Movement in Havana. This seemed the palladium initially can not harm: many Cubans fled to the United States, Cuban music was popular as ever. Fajardo played Cha -Cha -Cha and Bolero, he brought the " Bilongo " with his flute and made with even the Danzon popular again. After the disaster in the Bay of Pigs on April 17, 1961, the U.S. government tried to suppress the cultural influences of Cuba in the United States. The Palladium was no longer serving license for hard alcohol. It could then still hold for some time and had to close in 1966 final.
Importance and developments
You may elect to use the meaning of the " Blen Blen Club " at the end of the 40s not too low: A group of black Latin Americans played for the first time in a dance hall for Anglo- American audience (!). As a result, Latin American music groups advanced not only for gimmicks, but the main attraction of the program. With the musicians but also the colored people came to dance, " canallas " (Eng. scoundrel, villain ), with its " smell " and their " bad manners ". This provided for the palladium represent a not inconsiderable financial risk and was getting used to the fine white society.
" Machito y sus Afro - Cubans " became the model for many groups who have tried to copy the Latin Jazz. New York became the stronghold of Latin jazz and Afro- Cuban music dominated the dance rhythms.
A Latin big band dedicated to Latin American rhythms. It was besides the piano and the bass from the classical trumpet, trombone and saxophone section. As a rhythm instruments, bongos, timbales and Tumbadoras ( congas ) established; for the exposed position of the latter in particular caused Chano Pozo, Machito percussionist. The timbales increasingly displaced the drums. But while elsewhere began to play the timbales like a drum, Tito Puente retained the Cuban pattern of Danzóns and Sons and thus became one of the most influential Timbalisten Latin American music. Pérez Prado used for its Mambo, however, a percussion, with its emphasis throughout on the Tumbadora.
Many well-known Latin American musicians played at the Palladium: José Fajardo, Orchestra Aragon, Beny Moré and from Puerto Rico Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera, Cesar Concepcion, and many others. Famous dancers, like Freddie Rios, Mike Ramos, the couple Pete and Millie Donay, Augie and Margo Rodriguez, danced at the Palladium with his dance competitions. " Killer Joe Piro " taught the people the steps and turns of the Mambo and Cha -Cha -Cha. The Palladium was the mecca of Latin American dance.
But the palladium was not only reserved for Latin music, many Jazz greats made here music and many famous celebrities among his guests, including Dizzy Gillespie, Marlon Brando, Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Lena Horne, Shirley Booth, Henry Fonda, Abbe Lane, boxing heavyweight champion Ezzard Charles, among others
Presence
At the Palladium today only remembers a restaurant on 53rd street with the same name. Different dance schools have tried to build on the Palladium era by teaching salsa as a New York style, which begins just as Mambo and Cha -Cha -Cha on the second beat. A dance studio opened a dance hall called palladium in the East Village on 14th Street, but the bought in 2003 by the New York University and was converted into a " New York Palladium Residence Hall ".
40.763333333333 - 73.982777777778Koordinaten: 40 ° 45 '48 " N, 73 ° 58' 58 " W
- Nightclub (New York City )
- Founded in 1948
- Dissolved in 1966
- Former Company (New York City )