Conga Room

Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao may be called the world's top pound-for-pound boxer, especially after a second-round knockout victory against Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton over the weekend in Las Vegas. But Monday night he was, pound-for-pound, the greatest singer in the world -- at least to some of those in attendance at the Conga Room in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate his victory.

Human beings have trouble sitting still when the Mexican techno-funk band Kinky fires up its hit song "Más" (More), with an insinuating bass line that recalls '70s Philly-soul classics like the O'Jays' "For the Love of Money. " But what's the message conveyed by the tune's increasingly frantic refrain, "Vamos queriendo más y más" (We keep wanting more and more)? Is it an invite to a group love-in, or a commentary on consumerism run amok? It's no wonder that "Más" has been used in Nissan commercials as well as in Tony Scott's brutal vigilante thriller "Man on Fire.

With early-bloomer musicians such as Natalia Lafourcade, there's sometimes a thin but crucial line between precociousness and preciousness. When this gifted Mexican pop-rocker released her self-titled solo debut in 2003, she was not yet 20 summers old. But Lafourcade -- a daughter of musicians who grew up singing mariachi and who plays guitar, piano and several other instruments ably and writes or co-writes most of her material -- already had...

The Mexican electro band Kinky plays its signature Latin-rock-funk-techno blend for this pre-New Year's Eve celebration. The quintet has earned an international following touring with Modest Mouse, the Flaming Lips and De La Soul and playing festivals including Mexico City's Vive Latino and Austin City Limits. The Conga Room, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. $35-$65. (213) 745-0162. http://www.congaroom.com

The Mexican electro band Kinky plays its signature Latin-rock-funk-techno blend for this pre-New Year's Eve celebration. The quintet has earned an international following touring with Modest Mouse, the Flaming Lips and De La Soul and playing festivals including Mexico City's Vive Latino and Austin City Limits. The Conga Room, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. $35-$65. (213) 745-0162. http://www.congaroom.com

It wasn't surprising that the highly regarded Celtic group Danu would turn up in town for an appearance around St. Patrick's Day. What was surprising was the fact that the venue for Thursday's performance was that shrine to salsa, the Conga Room. Actually, as it turns out, it really wasn't all that unexpected, since the Conga Room management is on a campaign to expand the club's bookings.

Finding world music in a nightclub setting is not nearly as easy as locating a spot tohear some jazz or pop. There are no world music rooms in the Southland with week-in, week-out bookings of national acts comparable to the jazz performances available at the Jazz Bakery and Catalina Bar & Grill or the pop, rock and rap at numerous locations. The Conga Room, however, is trying to change that.

Even by Hollywood standards, it was a memorable evening. It's not every day that salsa fans get to see Celia Cruz perform a rousing rendition of her super hit "Que Le Den Candela" in a setting so intimate that it makes the House of Blues feel like the Forum--with actress Jennifer Lopez among those dancing the night away just a few feet from the stage.

Isaac Hayes, Erykah Badu and Vanessa Bell Calloway will host a music-filled fund-raiser Sunday for the Jenesse Center, a women's and children's domestic violence shelter in South-Central Los Angeles. "Cafe Soul" begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Conga Room, 5364 Wilshire Blvd. The three hosts will perform along with R&B stars Ronnie Laws, Angela Bofill and Jon B. Tickets are $35 at the door. Information: (323) 938-2414.

After a pre-holiday opening, when most nights were reserved for private parties, La Boca del Conga Room--literally, the "mouth" of the Conga Room, the restaurant attached to L.A.'s Latin club on Wilshire Boulevard, is in full swing. To open the tropical-themed restaurant, the club's owners (who include actors Jimmy Smits and Jennifer Lopez, comedian Paul Rodriguez and musician Sheila E.) brought in Eric Basulto as chef.

When legendary Cuban group Los Van Van played Miami in October 1999, about 3,000 angry anti-Castro Cuban American exiles pelted fans with eggs, soda cans and rocks. In 2001, the Latin Grammy Awards did a last-minute shift from Miami to Los Angeles to avoid any similar uproar over Cuban nominees like Los Van Van, who've been supportive of Fidel Castro's communist government. The scene is likely to be far more tranquil when Los Van Van appear Thursday and Friday evening at the Conga Room in downtown L.A. ?

Staples Center Lady Gaga, March 28, 2011 (Wed.) Gibson Amphitheatre Alejandro Fernandez, Sept. 3 (Fri.) Mayan Theater Gogol Bordello, June 21-22 (now) El Rey Theatre Cynic, July 22; Yoshida Brothers, Aug. 1; Boris, Aug. 27 (now) House of Blues Everytheory, June 17; Hollywood Live, June 18 (Thurs.); Highway 61, June 9; Thrash and Burn featuring Asking Alexandria and more, July 27 (Sat.) House of Blues Anaheim Tainted Love, July 29 (Fri.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre KROQ Weenie Roast 2010 with Paramore, Sublime with Rome and more, June 5 (Sat.) Staples Center American Idol Tour Live, Aug. 13 (Sat.); Roger Waters' the Wall Live, Nov. 30 (Mon.) Honda Center American Idol Tour Live, Aug. 17 (Sat.); Shakira, Oct. 25 (Fri.); Roger Waters' the Wall Live, Dec. 14 (Mon.) The Wiltern Broken Social Scene, Oct. 19 (Fri.) Hollywood Palladium Billy Idol, Aug. 14 (Sat.) Gibson Amphitheatre Straight No Chaser, Dec. 4 (now)

With early-bloomer musicians such as Natalia Lafourcade, there's sometimes a thin but crucial line between precociousness and preciousness. When this gifted Mexican pop-rocker released her self-titled solo debut in 2003, she was not yet 20 summers old. But Lafourcade -- a daughter of musicians who grew up singing mariachi and who plays guitar, piano and several other instruments ably and writes or co-writes most of her material -- already had...

Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao may be called the world's top pound-for-pound boxer, especially after a second-round knockout victory against Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton over the weekend in Las Vegas. But Monday night he was, pound-for-pound, the greatest singer in the world -- at least to some of those in attendance at the Conga Room in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate his victory.

To help promote the three new albums he's releasing on March 29, Prince will perform three shows at three different L.A. venues on March 28. He won't need to make special travel arrangements, however: All three are part of the L.A. Live complex downtown. The shows will take place, in order, at the Nokia Theatre, the Conga Room and Club Nokia. Tickets - priced at $77 for each show (plus service charges) -- go on sale Sunday at Ticketmaster.

The Miracle Mile will be simmering with Latin rhythms this weekend with the opening of the new Latin music and dance club the Conga Room. And, although the celebrations at the colorful new room aren't specifically related to the arrival of Mardi Gras, expect them to have every bit as much singing, dancing and all-around revelry as the most passionate Carnival festival.

At the new Conga Room -- call it Version 2.0 -- the guiding philosophy seems to be the opposite of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's famous dictum that "less is more." At the revamped, relocated incarnation of the popular Wilshire Boulevard Latin music venue that went dark 2 1/2 years ago, the owners are hoping that more will be more. "My kids are growing up. I just turned 47. So if not now, when?"

Culturally speaking, we're all turning into global nomads. We roam far and wide through the alchemy of cinema, TV and, if we're feeling really ambitious, foreign literature. We wander to the ends of our iTunes Genius recommendations in search of exotic new sonic encounters. So it was fitting that the newly reconstituted Conga Room, one of L.A.'

What happened to the Calendar section? I've been a daily reader of the L.A. Times for 25 years, always waking up Sunday morning to read the latest record reviews, commentary, whatever the Calendar section had to offer. While I love Ann Powers' articles, and I'm officially over the Sunday Calendar format change, I'm annoyed. On Dec. 7, I woke up, saved the Arts and Books section to read over breakfast, and what, just an article about the Conga Room at L.A. Live? No record reviews, Pop Matters, nothing?