http://nz.entertainment.yahoo.com//090106/5/a3ye.html
 Tuesday January 6, 02:23 PM
Los Angeles club Conga Room stages a comeback
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Across the United States, only a
handful of small venues are focused on Latin music. The
reopening of the Conga Room in Los Angeles gives the genre's
acts a glitzy stage within the city's new entertainment
complex, L.A. Live.
The original Conga Room, in the Miracle Mile district,
closed in 2006. It reopened in December in downtown Los Angeles
as a 1,150-capacity, 15,000-square-foot performance space and
restaurant.
Owned by Brad Gluckstein along with a host of celebrity
investors (including the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, Jennifer
Lopez, Paul Rodriguez and Sheila E.), the new Conga Room will
showcase Latin and world music performers booked exclusively by
AEG Live. The house band is led by Spanish Harlem Orchestra
founder Oscar Hernandez. Acts that have played there include
salsa diva Olga Tanon and the Gipsy Kings.
The room will provide residencies for emerging performers
in addition to featuring headlining artists. First up is Javier
Garcia, who recently kicked off a three-month, twice-weekly
engagement. Residencies are "a platform for artists who
wouldn't have anywhere to do that otherwise," said Rebeca Leon,
vice president of Latin talent at AEG Live/Goldenvoice. She
added that "if somebody is in town doing a show at the Nokia or
Staples Center, they can go after the show and do a jam
session."
Regional Mexican artists will appear regularly at Sunday
mariachi brunches and dances that will bring in national acts
once or twice per month. The Conga Room is equipped to handle
live broadcasts.
Given the bleak economy, getting a new club off the ground
will be a challenge. But Leon said the new Conga Room will
"give people a bang for their buck."
Reuters/Billboard
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