Latin American rhythms at new club in Jakarta

Latin American rhythms at new club in Jakarta

By Jules Bell

JAKARTA (JP): Latin American pop music already is the next big
thing in Asia, and Indonesia is no exception. Hip-swinging
Hispanic superstar Ricky Martin, and pop diva Jennifer Lopez, are
now household names in Jakarta. MTV and local radio pulsate with
the South American styled music; a fusion of Latin beats and
English vocals.

One place that epitomizes this trend, and where you can take
some dance lessons and get with the action yourself, is the Salsa
Club on Jl. Kemang Raya, South Jakarta.

As a specialist Latin dance venue and Italian restaurant, the
idea for such a club in Jakarta originated with Teges Soraya, the
club's marketing and communications manager, and her husband,
Matteo Guerinoni, the manager of a local Italian restaurant.

"We thought of opening a Latin dance club because we know that
Latin (dance and music) is booming in the world," said Soraya.
Her husband had seen how popular Latin clubs were in other parts
of the world she said, adding that the recent popularity of Latin
music stars such as Ricky Martin had really helped the club.

Opened on May 15 this year, Salsa Club seems to have found
itself a real niche in Jakarta's entertainment scene.

Friday or Saturday nights are always crowded and the dance
floor is where you find the real action. The crowd is first
warmed up by two resident instructors who demonstrate one of the
numerous styles of Latin dance, such as the rumba, samba or
merengue.

By 11 p.m. on a busy night, the dance floor is usually packed
with happy guests swinging a variety of Latin inspired dance
steps. The atmosphere is very high energy, and the crowd
absolutely love it.

A strong feature of the club is its restaurant, an Italian
Trattoria, headed by Italian chef Mario de Carlini. Described by
Soraya as a casual and relaxed eating environment, a variety of
Mediterranean dishes are available averaging Rp 35,000 (US$5).

The restaurant serves food daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on
weekdays, and until 2 a.m. on the weekend. After 11:30 p.m.
though, the menu is restricted to pizza.

The eatery is very popular on the weekend, so book at least a
week in advance for a table. On weeknights patrons can usually be
seated without booking, said Soraya.

If dancing is not your style, or you need a break from the
dance floor, Salsa Club has other rooms and areas. The Cuban Bar
is a typical barroom with a pool table and usually standing room
only. Soon to open on Aug. 1 is the Cigar Room where guests will
be able to drink cognac and buy cigars. A VIP room is also
available at the club for functions and group bookings.

Salsa Club has two resident native Cuban dance instructors,
one male and one female. Dance lessons in all styles of Latin
dance are available weekday afternoons by appointment, and
evenings at 6 p.m., 7 p.m, and 8 p.m. Classes last one hour, have
a maximum of seven to 10 students and are available in freestyle
(on your own) or as a couple.

"A lot of Indonesian women come and learn on their own," said
Soraya, "because husbands and boyfriends are very shy." Classes
cost Rp 200,000 ($30) for one level, which equates to four
classes. A free first trial class is also available.

Although tired and hot from their freestyle dance class, Angie
and Rina have had a good time. "It was fun," they said. "At first
I was shy but now I am fine," continued Angie. They rated their
first class in Latin dancing as medium in difficulty, and said
that they would probably come one night and practice their new
steps in the club.

Entry to Salsa Club is free, and a good time to arrive on a
busy night is around 9:30 p.m. to avoid the later crowds. On such
nights you have an option to buy your first drink as you enter, a
good idea if you are thirsty and would rather not go straight to
the bar.

Weeknights are also an option, when the DJ still spins tunes,
but the crowds are small, meaning more dance-floor space. Another
bonus on weeknights is that you can dance with the instructors
and pick up some tips for free.

Salsa Club's drink prices are average for a Jakarta venue at
Rp 10,000 ($1.50) for a Pepsi, Rp 18,000 ($3) for a glass of
Bintang beer and approximately Rp 40,000 ($6) for a bottled beer.

If you buy two glasses of Bintang you receive one free at the
club this month. Next month's promotion will get you one free
bottle of Corona when you buy three. Wine, spirits and Cuban
cocktails are also available.

The crowd at Salsa averages 25 years of age, said Soraya, and
includes a complete mix of nationalities -- Indonesians,
Westerners, Indians, Chinese and Koreans to name the most
prevalent. It is also important to the club that families feel
welcome, said Soraya.

Being only two months old, Salsa Club is yet to hold its grand
opening festivities. Soraya is also planning to book a live
Colombian or Cuban band at some point in the future.

Ricky Martin's number one song, Livin' la Vida Loca,
translates as living a crazy life. Considering the nightly dance
floor action and atmosphere, it seems that the Salsa Club crowd
have appropriated this theme for themselves. With a little help
from the club of course. So get out your dancing shoes get down
there, pronto!