New York’s Palladium Ballroom is commonly revered as the birthplace of modern Latin dancing. Known as “the home of the mambo,” the Palladium was New York’s most popular venue for Latin dance music from 1947 to 1966 It featured live Latin music four nights a week, frequently played by “The Big Three” orchestras: Machito and his Afrocubans, Tito Puente, and Tito Rodríguez. Located near prominent nightclubs and theaters at 53rd St. and Broadway, the Palladium was significant for bringing Latin music to midtown Manhattan and for the racial and ethnic integration it engendered.

Puerto Rican, Cuban, Italian, African-American, Irish, and Jewish patrons of all classes

filled its dance floors and rubbed elbows with celebrities, especially on .... Wednesday nights when “Killer Joe” Piro hosted the popular mambo contest and professional show. The weekly show

launched the careers of many dance teams who then performed in Catskill and Miami Beach resorts, and worked as opening acts with touring musicians. Mambo was the favorite dance of Palladium regulars, but other dances experienced surges of popularity, including the cha-cha (1954) and pachanga (1961).

The original Palladium in New York City was the place where this amazing fusion of latin rhythms, American Jazz and Swing came together and formed what we now call Mambo and Salsa.

We, at “The Montreal palladium” would like to give tribute to this place that started this wonderfully infectious love of music and dancing and in which quickly traveled the globe and made the world, the largest dance floor.

No matter where you are from, no matter what your background is, no matter what your socioeconomic status is, everyone can dance and be part of this community.

Latin music has gone through lots of fusions and styles over the years combining, jazz, funk, rythme and blues, rock, pop, traditional music and modern yet shows no signs of ever stopping. Why? Because it simply feels good!

The Montreal Palladium would like to invite you for some latin dancing.
Bienvenido.