Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub

by Rosa Lowinger

Few of the patrons on the Arcos de Cristal dance floor probably knew this, but the musicians in the pit were all jazz stars, with a following that extended from Havana to Harlem and Paris. Barreto was the island’s first real bebop drummer. Pianist Ramón “Bebo” Valdés was one of the island’s best improvisationalists and a composer of mambos whose output rivaled that of Pérez Prado. Chico O’Farrill was, by 1952, a legend in his own right: before his stint with Romeu, he had played with Benny Goodman in New York, and composed “Undercurrent Blues” for Goodman as well as “Cuban Episode” for Stan Kenton. O’Farrill’s works of Afro-Cuban jazz, written for Machito and Dizzy Gillespie, were so impressive that when he finally met his idol, Count Basie, the great bandleader expressed his amazement that a white person could write such arrangements. Romeu himself penned “Mambo a la Kenton” based on the tunes of his idol, bandleader Stan Kenton. The band’s sound was full, yet effervescent. “You could barely stay in your seat when they played,” said Ofelia. Of course, Ofelia rarely made it onto Tropicana’s dance floor; she was usually by Martín’s side, or at her table, entertaining Martín’s guests while he worked.