THE PALLADIUM HAS A THOUSAND STORIES
MICHAEL TERRACE WRITERS VINCENT LIVELLI
PART 15
THE PARK PLAZA IN SPANISH HARLEM
Catered to a small group of latinos that liked to dance to the music of their borne culture.It was located on 110th street and 5th Ave in Spanish Harlem. Synonymous to and a precursor to the Palladium Ballroom, the Park Plaza was quite different than the Palladium. It had no hollywood stars playing a roll of glamorous importance or the Italian Mafia beaming their dominance over the turf. No! The Plaza had its own elegance, they carried the crest of the dancer’s Spanish noble ancestor in their social way of living. Good manners, good dress and the kissing of the back of a Lady’s hand,was a point of ethics as a moral principle. The Plaza was ninety nine percent Spanish,encompassing, Puerto Ricans, Dominican’s and some Cubans, the other one percent, were American white’s. They all came from with in the Christian community, between West 110 Th. and 125th street. From 1938 up un-till 1948 the Plaza’s main dance was the Rumba, the Danzon and the soul dance of romance, “The bolero”. that was closes to their existence, as it is to all Spanish people. Bolero’s are songs of passionate romantic love affair’s of the heart, poetic love’s between men and women, the mother’s of amor for her children and the earthy rooted love of country. The bolero’s have poetic signatures that bring tears to the eyes, each Spanish country his own. Spain has “Granada”, Argentina has “Mi Buenos Aires Querido”, Puerto Rico has “ Lamento Borincano”. and Cuba has “Guantanamera”. Each one significant to their own country. All of these latin tints carry a special pride as newly Americanized citizenship, their are very mindful that many of them have a linkage from their great great grandfathers to the Santa Maria,the Pinta and the Nina ships that were sent by Queen Isabela from Spain. They proudly know that the Spanish were more than part of the discovery of America.
I alway joke around and say, “three boats full of Latinos came over with one Italian and he got more credit than the Spanish did. But no matter what country or state, every discovery was given a Spanish name.
Another discovering Italian I know also made a monumental discovery, he found The Park Plaza and put it in his heart with love,he placed the music in his veins and used it to dance to the boleros, the rumba and the conga. He viewed the light and the dark ladies of the Park Plaza artistically with verse. He always told me, “Women are walking works of art, you must look at every one piercingly with loving care ,like a flower, enjoy the curves and design and hold them close when you dance with them. He’s a special guy with literary skills and a love for life at 92 he’s still rocking . his
influenced his life forever, and a temple called the Park Plaza as well as and a people, the Latinos he learnt to love and respect.
By Vincent Livelli
Type to enter text
In 1938, The Park Plaza crowd consisted of more women than men. I believe it was because during the great depression men had no jobs. Where as women were milliner’s ( women all wore hats) seamstress and dress makers with sewing machines. The mother and daughter duet was evident since girls were chaperoned,and came looking for a husband among men who could afford .25 cents price of admission. It was fertile ground. No long lines like the Palladium since people had no money to spend for entertainment . You could not hear the band outside in the street as you could at the Palladium. To hear latin music you had to stand by a fire house,that put a radio outside, ( Few people owned a radio) or at W 116th street. The entrance of the P.P ( Also known previously as the Golden Casino,) Women at the P.P. were either widows or mothers of young girls seeking husbands. You could see the difference in their dress.Widows had hats, many with feathers ( we saw some with paste imitation cherries) The daughters were very well costumed in the latest patterns since they as well as their mother costumed made their dresses to show shapes at their best.
I traveled to the Park Plaza searching for music of a certain flavor: Afro Cuban. I couldn’t dance a step, I didn’t know a soul, couldn’t understand a word, couldn’t play a note nor could I spare, during the Great Depression, the carfare and admission. At a time when there was little joy in the world, the music gave me the reasoning I needed to set off from Ft. Hamilton, Brooklyn, up to Harlem, when it was dangerous to do so.
I knew I had found what I was searching for the moment I heard the Happy Boys orchestra, while paying my twenty-five cent admission. The ticket window was grilled, like a Bronx bodega’s cashier. The bandstand was a lighted area as I sought a chair near an exit sign. The ladies, young and old, were lined up facing the young and old men, all sitting on rows of chairs along two walls. For the first few numbers that the band played, I felt no need to do other than sit, listen, and luxuriate, filled with satisfaction at having found what I needed and had accomplished.
I was not destined to remain a wallflower for long, for after my second visit, I was approached by a girl who came and asked me to dance, something unheard of at the time. I wisely declined, feeling foolish—but better to feel foolish than to look foolish on the floor. What I needed now was the ability to dance the rumba. On my third visit a tall black fellow came up to me. “I see you sitting—why don’t you dance?” “I don’t know how,” I answered him. “Show him how,” he said to his partner.
So it was that Renee and Estella, the top Afro-Cuban dance team perhaps of all time, got me dancing. That brief encounter was the first step that led me around the world on cruise ships, to hotels, nightclubs, dance studios and lectures, carrying Afro-Cuban rumba with me for others to learn. To popularize it was what became necessary, to pass its joyous content on to others or to remind others of happy days in their past.
***
The dusty dance floor seemed not to have been swept.
There was no band stand or microphones at the Park Plaza, no amplifiers or spotlights, though alarm bells were visible in two opposite corners to signal to the bouncer where to hurry to in the room in case of need. Nor was there fire-safety equipment evident. The fire exit led to an alleyway that was shared with the neighboring Teatro Hispano and its fire exit, both leading onto Fifth Avenue.
The Happy Boys band, with Dorote Santiago singing, did not take long breaks. Their two-minute numbers allowed frequent changes of selected partners. Particularly favorite pieces would be repeated. To tease dancers, the band pretended a mock break, resulting in chairs being thrown to the middle of the floor—in jest, not in anger. (This display of bogus protest was inspired by barroom fights popular in cowboy movies of the 1930s.) The music resumed with prostrate suppliants rising up off the floor to continue dancing.
As one of the only sources of gaiety during 30% unemployment in America, the Park Plaza’s rumba world was vital. At a time when, elsewhere, you would be asked to “Please leave the dance floor” if your dancing was considered indiscreet, here these behaviors were encouraged as an ingredient of joyful exuberance. The Joropo, that titillating, sexy, verbal innuendo of everyday Cuba, manifested itself in the physical activity on the dance floor, like intimate paintings springing to life.
Four iron columns supported the ceiling. The one in the far darkest corner served, in addition to holding up the ceiling, to provide support for the girl while her partner pressed into her, grinding away at her body while the music accompanied a clandestine, sexual-outburst performance. Couples would take turns using this structure for gratification. This was not acceptable behavior, nor was it condemned—it was conveniently ignored.or understandably inspiring to some.
When the management of the Park Plaza installed a very large upright fan, the admission went up to thirty-five cents. It was set at the top of the stairway that led up from the basement, where the Powder room and men’s latrines were located. Currents of air carrying male and female pheromones floated over the dance area. In this way clouds of ethereal substances, sex steroids, were blended into the suggestive rhythms and lyrics, the flirtations in progress, the orchestral vibrations, the sweet-smelling tobacco, libido Latino and
overlapping perfumes,that floated around in the congested intimacy of a room one-third the size of the Palladium,filling it to the brim with sensuality.The large fan added spice to the feverish environment, increasing body temperatures to the maximum. The latrine windows were open to allow cold air to enter the building. A communal urinal there, like a trough found on animal farms, served to allow a constant flow of water that kept the pipes from freezing in winter.
No one lingered long, for the glare of the white tile walls disturbed one’s mood. You returned at the sound of the first note of the rumba to the semi-darkness of the dance floor, the music and your partner, buttoning up as you ran. If someone were to yell “Fire!” the dancing would continue until flames might be seen,just as on one occasion dancing continued while a fight was in progress.
***
The five piece Happy Boys Orchestra was a power house.It generated energy that electrified the dancers, like pumps , dynamos, boilers and furnaces.The musician’s were the tools that fined- tuned resonances,pulsated vibrations and punctuated climaxes.
They were mechanics. From the opening set ,the gradual accumulation of various rhythm seemed to remain unwilling to leave the salon reluctant to go out into the dark,empty night.As the evening progressed pressure increased like an inflating ballon. It compounded itself to that extreme moment known as the descarga the explosion ! It could have killed you if you had a weak heart.. for you were close to a real life explosion as you ever could be and still walk back to your seat. Some dancers would slump to the floor,not from exhaustion but in tribute to the musicians, like a bow while the musicians bowed back to the dancers. Lovers turned away from each other in order to extend their love to the musicians. After embracing each other, the musicians surrounded the pianist out of respect. On one occasion , the singer, Doroteo Santiago, concluded his piece by turning around , sliding atop, the grand piano to the end up kissing the pianist. As for the crowd, including those seated,the round of embraces and kissing resembled mid-night New years Eve. The band would sometimes favor us with an encore but with the echoing blast of La descarga (Explosion ) there never was one.The Fania all stars did it for25000 fans at Madison square Gardens many years later -so did others but the one at the Park Plaza that night in 1938 went through the roof. Not only did I find a treasure that day in 1938, I found the very one I was searching for.Unlike many treasures that one stumbles upon in life,this one was held close and never lost again.It was destined to remain with me forever. I belong to it and it belongs to me like a true love affair. Once inside the Park Plaza, I sat in the shadows hoping not to be to noticeable. This only made me suspect as people present puzzled over me-was I a cop? Who came to the Park Plaza to pay to watch, just to sit? No one . Certain that I would return many times I did not remain ver long since the ride home involved the IRT and the BMT transit, to the last stop in Fort Hamilton. Th fare round trip was .10 cent’s to pass the time I bought the Daily New for 3 cts. Like office workers waiting for Friday, I waited all week for Saturday when I would return to that 110th street Dance, like some John.
Another discover awaited me on my third visit.This was the prize in the form of Estela Renee’s partner for it was she who got me to learn how to do a simple Bolero. they were the greatest and most authentic proponents and performers of the Afro Latin in the country!in the world !
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Luis de Amechazurra Vincent Livetti
Michael Terrace
For info on Palladium stories
901 237 5538
edited by Writers Luis de Amechzurra Michael Terrace & Vincent Livelli
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