Tropicana: Cuba’s Iconic Cabaret Celebrates Over 80 Years of Glamour
After more than eight decades of extraordinary performances, El Tropicana has solidified its status as Cuba’s premier cabaret and a worldwide emblem of tropical glamour. Inaugurated on New Year’s Eve in 1939 at Villa Mina in Marianao, Havana, it is famously dubbed the “Paradise Under the Stars,” reports 24brussels.
By 1940, the venue adopted the name Tropicana, inspired by a melody from Alfredo Brito and suggested by choreographer Sergio Orta. Distinguished by its open-air architecture situated within a tropical forest, it diverged from conventional cabaret designs. Originally designed for 300 guests, it now accommodates over 1,000, providing an immersive experience that fuses nature, music, and dance.
The cabaret’s early achievements can be credited to innovative entrepreneurs like Víctor de Correa and later Martín Fox, whose business savvy and appreciation for the site’s lush surroundings propelled Tropicana to international acclaim. The 1940s marked a watershed moment with productions such as Congo-Pantera, integrating the natural foliage into routines, with dancers spectacularly emerging from the trees, amplified by dramatic lighting to enrich the jungle feel.
Over the years, Tropicana has welcomed world-renowned artists including Josephine Baker, Tongolele, Xavier Cugat, and Los Chavales de España, alongside Cuban legends like Rita Montaner, Bola de Nieve, and Alfredo Brito. It earned titles such as “Monte Carlo of the Americas” and “the most beautiful casino in the world.”
The cabaret’s illustrious reputation owes much to its artistic directors. Roderico Neyra (Rodney), known as “El Mago,” transformed Cuban cabaret with extravagant productions and global partnerships. His successors—Joaquín M. Condall, Santiago Alfonso, and Tomás Morales—upheld this legacy, introducing innovations such as the “total show,” where performers interacted with the audience, and the establishment of the Tropicana Dance School.
Condall’s productions toured internationally, including performances at the Casino de Montecarlo and Broadway’s Beacon Theatre. Alfonso’s Tropicana: La gloria eres tú and Morales’s Tambores en Concierto further entrenched the venue’s position as a cultural institution of significance.
Tropicana is more than merely a cabaret; it embodies a living archive of Cuban art, resilience, and exhilaration. For assistance in creating a feature article, cultural guide, or visual timeline of its most iconic performances, feel free to reach out.
