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Salsa in Israel

Europe / Israel / Tel Aviv

Salsa in Israel. This ancient land is as exciting as the many stories it tells. It is the land of Abraham father to Isaac and his half brother Ishmael the patriarchs of the Arabs and the Jewish people. Patriarchs born of Sarah and Hagar. It is the land of Jesus and his many stories. It is the land where all three groups claim Jerusalem as holy.

For the Jewish it is because of King David, King Salomon, the two temples, the tomb of King David and the Western Wall. The Muslims regard it as the place from where the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven in the birthplace of Christ, the via dolorosa and the cruciction. Each group has a “gate”. Why even the hamburger chain McDonalds seems to have gotten their “golden arcs” from one of the gates.

At 71 years of age, Israel is one of the youngest countries in the world. Needless to say the country is deeply divided, with serious challenges facing its leaders. A majority is required to govern effectively. While 80 % is said to be secular (non-religious ethnic) and 16% ultra-orthodox, the ultra-orthodox control the swing vote. To be Jewish you must be born of a Jewish mother, or converting. Around 500,000 Latinos are Jewish citizens.

This is around 5% in a country of 8.5 million people. The population is very diverse. Listening to people talk, at times I felt that I was in Russia. The migration from the former USSR comprised for over a million immigrants. The Roman Empire could not afford rebellion in Judea as it was the crossroads between Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Massada is the conformation of the determination to be a free people.

Ultra orthodox 16%

As a new nation the argument that tradition, culture and religion had to be nurtured and recaptured was presented by the ultra-orthodox. As its first Prime Minister it is said that David Ben-Gurion gave some 50 persons a waiver from obligatory military service. Much to the displeasure of many seculars, the ultra-orthodox have since grown in numbers and receive government assistance so that they are free to do nothing else than to study. However with the control of their swing vote, the ultra-orthodox continue to be exempt from obligations. After finishing mandatory school, all citizens must render military service, two years for the women and three years for the men.

ISRAEL ARCHITECT

Although the official capital is Jerusalem, the modern city is TelAviv, followed by its Port City of Haifa. The Tel Aviv nightlife goes way beyond 2 a.m. The city is very modern, and everything seems to work right on schedule.

The architecture speaks of free growing ideas

ISRAEL FOOD

Diverse migration is accompanied with the cuisine of the immigrants. As a result, Tel Aviv boasts of a wonderful variety of cuisine.

The women walk the streets in the wee hours of the night without a care, which speaks of the public safety. Tel Aviv was voted “friendliest gay city in the world.” It is said that the annual gay pride parade was attended by more than 250,000.

250,000 people attend the LGBT community friendly parade

When visiting Bethlehem, the church of the Nativity, West Wall, and tomb of King David, you have to enter into Palestinian controlled territory. Our Israeli tour guide explained that they had entered into an agreement of cooperation with the Palestinian tour guides

Palestinian tour guides

An Israeli bus took us to the border and we then transferred to a Palestinian tour bus. The Palestinian tour guide took over and gave us our tour, a visit to their gift shop and then returned us to the border where the Israeli bus and guide were awaiting for us.

Man dressed in black dancing with woman in white top

For those of you who are always looking for a place to go dance Salsa, our recommendations are two places only, Salsa Carlos and Havana Club.

Havana Club caters to those new salsa dancers with a large main floor and three or four side rooms for specialties like Bachata, Cumbia, etc. For those of you looking to find a more Latino place, then “El Propio” is Salsa Carlos.

What got you going in Salsa? Carlos says that he grew up hearing Salsa in Cali. It runs in his blood and his heroes were El Gran Combo, Los Hermanos Lebron and Beny More. Even the bell in grammar school to signal recess, played in Salsa. In Israel some Colombian friends asked him to organize a Salsa event and it was successful. To his knowledge, he is the first person to introduce Salsa in Israel. Since then Carlos has been organizing events in Tel Aviv at places like the “Old Port”. Apart from special events, he holds every Friday night at 11:30 pm, Salsa Carlos at Carlbach 3, Tel Aviv. He is accompanied by DJ Manuel.

Discover The Alternative To Dance Latin Music In Israel

Havana Music Club: An exclusive Cuban atmosphere in Tel Aviv

Man dressed in black dancing with woman in white top — The owners of Havana Music Club are the same as the legendary Arena club.

The number one Latin rhythm club in Israel, Havana Music Club, since August 2010 opens its doors every night. It serves as a different entertainment venue for loyal Salsa and Bachata lovers from this country located on the Asian continent.

This club has set a new standard in the Middle East that resembles the best Latin music clubs in Europe and North America specifically New York and Los Angeles but with a Cuban atmosphere. Additionally, it has an underground parking lot for approximately 250 vehicles and nearby side streets with free parking spaces.

Ten years and a resounding success led Havana Music Club to create Hula La in July 2019. This “Little Brother” is located next to the main headquarters and also meets the requirements of high quality in sound, lighting, and atmosphere with a space clean that houses hundreds of dancers in 1500 square meters of parquet, which allows you to fully enjoy the continuous music of the various DJs.

This club complex is located next to Ayalon Lanes at the Hashalom Interchange (Azrieli Towers), a 2-minute walk from Hashalom Train Station.

The next event that Havana Music Club will bring to the Latin scene in Israel in 2021 will be the Caramelo festival. This event will have workshops with a couple of top-level national and international artists in the Salsa and Bachata styles. In addition, you will enjoy three nights of crazy parties, as well as accommodation with three meals, and hot/cold drink bars at the Hotel Leonardo Club.

Date: Thursday, September 2nd – Saturday, September 4th

Venue: Leonardo Club Hotel. Kampen St, Eilat, Israel

PARTIES IN HAVANA MUSIC CLUB

Couple dancing in the middle of the dance floor — The club has a food menu served by waitresses with an additional charge to the price of admission.

Havana Music Club offers Latin parties with Salsa and Bachata instructions three days a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) from 9:00 PM to late at night, and you can start from the basic level up to the professional level.

You will start with a small warm-up lesson to continue with the Latin rhythm class of the moment you prefer in any of its levels, and end with the great dance party in the Havana Music Club and Hula La. Likewise; you can also opt for classes for small groups.

Among the courses that will open soon are:

Woman dressed in lilac and man in black shirt — The club is handicap accessible

Salsa Lady Style: This course is aimed at Salsa dancers that have an intermediate level or higher. Women interested in developing body movement, gaining confidence in dancing, developing their style, and technique.

In the Salsa Lady Style course, you will work on proper posture, turns, leg and handwork, body movement, hip work, and upper body.

Chat for beginners: These Bachata classes are designed for all levels. The objective is to give you the bases so that you enter the world of “chat” and give you the tools to enjoy the dance that is conquering Israel.

Sabor de Cuba – Master’s Level: The course is taught by Lear Shoshani & Moti Sabag, one of the oldest and most prominent Afro-Cuban Salsa instructors in the country. In these lessons, they will teach the essentials of the music of this Caribbean island from its origins and emphasizing the Son, Rumba, and Afro-Cuban Mambo to dance more in tune with the music.

Salsa and Cha Instructor Training: Havana Music Club’s most prestigious course to attract future instructors from the Salsa and Bachata scene in this Middle Eastern country. This course includes general instruction, safety before a captive audience, dance basics, instructional experience, and various enrichment lessons in the field of rhythm, style, and musical history of these styles that mark the development of the night scene of this decade.

Maybe This Data Also Interests You

Dancers in the middle of a dance pass — Havana Music Club is an exclusive Cuban atmosphere in Tel Aviv

There are 3 different rooms in the club: Central Room with capacity for 300 people seated or 850 people standing, Secondary room “Hula La”, and VIP Room with 90 square meters to accommodate from 20 to 50 guests.
Smoking is prohibited within the club’s facilities.
It is also strictly forbidden to bring any kind of drink. (Includes water)
Havana Music Club offers live local bands’ performances.
If you bought the ticket for a concert, I recommend you arrive at the opening of the doors to choose seats because the places are not separated.
In general, the price online is cheaper than the one paid at the box office.
Two other courses that will soon be offered are Mixed Style Lady Style and Salsa del Medio.
Among the DJs that currently display their sets with the best mix of Latin music are DJ Charlie Pérez, DJ Nadav Shamgar (DJ NASH), DJ Moti, DJ Paco, and DJ Tzachi Bachar.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Health guidelines, the number of people who spend time in the club should be limited. Attendees must present a vaccination or “in recovery” card plus an identification card.

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Dámaso Pérez Prado and the Succession of the “Mambo King”

Dámaso Pérez Prado was a Cuban musician, composer, arranger, and orchestra conductor, known worldwide as the “Mambo King.”

On December 3, 1983, Pantaleón Pérez Prado, an excellent bass player and composer, passed away in Milan, Italy. He was born on December 27, 1926, in Matanzas, Cuba.

Pantaleón’s Beginnings and Career

Pantaleón followed in the footsteps of his famous older brother, Dámaso Pérez Prado. At age 18, he formed his first orchestra, which he left in 1950 to join Dámaso’s group as a double bassist, accompanying him for several years.

He also played for a short time in Havana with the Laito Castro Orchestra. In the mid-1950s, Pantaleón Pérez Prado went independent and traveled to Europe, where he led an orchestra of Cuban musicians. This group achieved great success performing the songs that Dámaso had popularized.

Dámaso Pérez Prado and the Succession of the King of Mambo

The Legal Dispute

In 1956, a dispute between Dámaso Pérez Prado and his younger brother, Pantaleón (1926–1983), led to an unusual legal conflict. Dámaso sued his brother for $500,000, accusing him of impersonation.

In Hispanic culture, it is common for children to receive both parents’ surnames. In this case, the brothers’ birth names were Dámaso Pérez Prado and Pantaleón Pérez Prado, respectively, with Pérez being the father’s surname and Prado the mother’s.

In Portugal, the song Pantaleón performed, “Mambo del Estudiante” (Student’s Mambo), became the “official anthem” of the University of Coimbra. He also succeeded in Spain, France, and Italy, where he was introduced as “Pérez Prado, Rey del Mambo” (King of Mambo), which produced intentional confusion with his brother Dámaso.

Dámaso initiated legal action that concluded with Pantaleón being prohibited from using the title “Mambo King,” while also being required to use his full name. Some suggest that, beyond the lawsuit, there was a tacit agreement between the two brothers, based on the fact that Dámaso visited Europe infrequently, focusing his activities in the Americas, while Pantaleón permanently settled in Milan.

Name Confusion and The Conflict’s Revival

Originally, RCA credited the recordings to Dámaso Pérez Prado. However, when his records began appearing in the US, the record company shortened his name to the more alliterative Pérez Prado. In 1955, Dámaso dropped his full name and legally changed it to Pérez Prado.

Around that time, Pantaleón, who played bass with his own group, appeared at the Alhambra theater in Paris under the name “Pérez Prado, el Rey del Mambo.” Pantaleón was subsequently restricted by court order from passing himself off as Pérez.

However, hostilities resumed when an angry French visitor called the Hollywood Palladium, where Pérez Prado was performing, and yelled at the management for featuring an “imposter,” claiming he had danced with the “real” Prado (actually Pantaleón) in Deauville a few weeks prior.

Dámaso Pérez Prado fue un músico, compositor, arreglista y director de orquesta cubano, conocido mundialmente como el Rey del Mambo.

The ensuing lawsuit effectively put Pantaleón out of commission, but the younger brother had a form of posthumous revenge. When Pantaleón died in 1983, a widely circulated obituary was headlined “Mambo King Dies in Milan,” leading many people to (erroneously) believe it was Dámaso who had passed away.

Pantaleón’s Career and Legacy

Pantaleón Pérez Prado performed in Greece and traveled to Iran at the invitation of the Shah himself and his wife, Princess Soraya. He remained active until shortly before his death in 1983.

Dámaso Pérez Prado’s Notable Hits

Dámaso Pérez Prado’s best-known songs include:

“Mambo No. 5”
“Qué rico el mambo” (also known as “Mambo Jambo”)
“Mambo No. 8”
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White,” which was a number one hit in the United States.
“Patricia,” which was a worldwide hit and was included in Federico Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita.

Legacy: In addition to his recordings, Dámaso Pérez Prado participated as an actor and musician in several Mexican films. His music was key to the international popularization of the mambo, and his style remains influential in Latin music and jazz.

Collaboration:

Los Mejores Salseros del Mundo

Dj. Augusto Felibertt

Also Read: Israel “Cachao” López, a Cuban musician and composer, has been hailed as “the Inventor of Mambo

Asia / December 2025

Directory of Asian nightclubs
HONG KONG
Graffiti LKF G/F, 17-18 Lan Kwai Fong, Central Central, Hong Kong	SOLAR LKF Central 2nd Floor, Ho Lee Commercial Building, 38-44 D’Aguilqr Street, Lang Kwai Fong Central HKI Hong Kong	Sole Mio Upper Ground Floor, 51 Elgin Street, Soho Central Hong Kong, Hong Kong
ISRAEL
	Havana Music Club Yigal Alon St 126 Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel +972 3-562-3456
JAPAN
Egoland Bar Akihabara Chiyoda City, Kanda Sakumacho, 4 7－3 2F Tokyo, Japan	Bar Mirage 5F VORT Roppongi Briller, 3-14-14 Roppongi, Minato-ku Tokyo 106-0032, Japan +03-5860-6946	Fiesta Latin Spot Bar 3F, 1 Chome-14-6 Kabukicho, Shinjuku City Tokyo 160-0021, Japan +81 90-1086-2878
El Cafe Latino 3 Chome-15-24 Roppongi, Minato City Tokyo 106-0032, Japan +81 3-3402-8989	Latin Club Leon 5-17-6 B1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0022, Japan	La Tropi Azabu 3F Roppongi Azelea Bldf. 1-3-6 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku Tokyo1060031, Japan
THAILAND
Bafros Sugar Club Complex Sukhumvit Soi 11 Bangkok 10110, Thailand +66 63 039 8700	Havana Social 1/1 Sukhumvit Rd. Soi 11 Bangkok, Thailand +66 2 821 6111
VIETNAM
Apocalypse Now Sai Gon 2F Thi Sach Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000 +84 799 741 261	La Habanera Basement 81 xuân diệu Tay Ho Hanoi 100000, Vietnam +84 35 320 7220	La Pachanga Club Saigon 3rd Floor, 39A Co Bac Street, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam +84 93 855 79 21

Cristobal Verdecia and his quartet Son Qba in Miami

As we all know, Cuba is an endless source of talent and never tires of proving it. Today, we are really honored to be able to talk to one of its greatest exponents in the city of Miami and it is arranger, producer, bandleader, and bassist Cristóbal Verdecia, who very kindly agreed to talk to us for a few minutes about his life and career both in Cuba and in the United States, his home for more than 10 years.

Cristobal with his basses — Cristobal Verdecia with his two basses

Cristóbal’s beginnings and inspirations for entering the world of music

The first reference that Cristobal had at a musical level was his uncle Israel “Kantor” Sardiñas, who was the vocalist, bassist, and pianist for the legendary band Los Van Van. The artist always wanted his nephew to learn to play instruments, more specifically the piano, but Cristóbal had other hobbies at the time and did not pay much attention to him. Then, in 1982, Sardiñas packed suitcases and left Cuba in search of better opportunities, but not before leaving his piano, bass, and guitar to the young Cristóbal to use them in his place.

It was then that he finally became truly interested in music, and the instrument that most caught his attention at the time was the bass. Seeing this sudden love for the instrument, Cristóbal’s father decided to enroll him in the Guillermo Tomás Music Conservatory when he was about 10 years old. He greatly improved his skills with the bass and began playing with local jazz bands, but his academic training was not yet complete.

Some time later, he enrolled at the Ignacio Cervantes Conservatory, where his teachers, in his own words, were two of the best bassists to come from Cuba: Silvio Vergara, now deceased, and Carlos Del Puerto. At this institution, he studied electric bass and double bass.

From there, Cristóbal began playing with increasingly prestigious bands such as Pachito Alonso y Su Kini Kini, Paulo FG y Su Élite, Adalberto Álvarez y Su Son, Havana D’Primera, among many others. Being with Pachito, he had the opportunity to share with artists of the stature of Roberto Hernández “Robertón” (current Los Van Van singer), “El Lele,” the Mengual twins, among others. It was Robertón who gave him some advice about how to improve the quality and raise the level of his work.

Cristobal and his uncle — Cristobal Verdecia and his uncle Israel “Kantor” Sardiñas

In the case of Paulo G Y Su Élite, he had the opportunity to serve as musical director for about five years in the band, which provided great learning for the future.

Subsequently, Alexander Abreu, director of Havana D’Primera, had the idea of forming his own band with the best musicians in Cuba and that each musician had a substitute. That was where Cristóbal joined and became part of the first album, “Haciendo Historias.”

Move to the United States

When Cristóbal made the decision to leave Cuba, the first country he visited was Mexico, where he spent about four years and also played with many other bands. However, the idea of forming his own project was already on his mind for some time.

When he finally turned this idea into reality, the artist and his band accompanied singers who arrived alone, which provided him the expertise to face the future professional challenges that awaited him.

Julio Cesar, Cristobal, Marciano, and Franklin — Guitarist Julio Cesar rodriguez, bassist Cristobal Verdecia, percussionist Marciano Hernandez and tresero Franklin Reytor

Once his cycle in Mexico concluded, he moved to Miami in 2012 to continue growing in music, as he believed that the city offered him an opportunity that his previous country of residence did not. One of the first things he wanted to do was to revive his quartet Son Qba, which he had started in Mexico, but he was advised to take the time to learn how everything worked there first and then follow the path he wished.

This is how Cristóbal also managed to play with several local artists and bands to understand the dynamics of the place, such as Tony Succar, Issac Delgado, Timbalive, Aymée Nuviola, Grupo Niche, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Albita Rodríguez, Buena Vista All Stars, among others. All this path traveled finally led him to be able to resume Son Qba with the full works in 2019.

Today, Son Qba consists of our guest Cristóbal Verdecia, tresero Franklin Reytor, percussionist Marciano Hernández, singer and guitarist Julio César Rodríguez, and singer José “Pepito” Gómez.