February 12–19, 1998

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Caesar and His Latin Playboys

It's cold, rainy and desolate on Bank Street, a small back alley in Old City. But head into cocktail lounge The Five Spot and the scene's just the opposite. This club is one place where the air conditioner should be blasting.

As they do every Thursday night, the local Latin nine-piece Caesar and His Latin Playboys is playing to a packed house. Girls in spaghetti-strap dresses are twirled to the beat by men in sharkskin suits. The room is so crowded, dancers have no choice but to press tightly against one another. It's not a night for subtle wooing; this is a place where men drip sweat and women's scents are traceable.

Fronted by brothers Caesar and Freddy Marrero, it is the younger of the two, Freddy, who's the showman. He is the one in the eye-catching suit (tonight's outfit is a scarlet mandarin jacket paired with a glossy black shirt).

The Playboys' set is sprinkled with original and cover songs that move between salsa romantica, salsa agresiva and merengue. The robust horns play off of the conga drums to create insistent, syncopated rhythms. Recognizable tunes like "Oye Como Va" and "La Bamba" are interspersed with fierce tunes the band wrote together. This boisterous band boasts musicians who have played with, among others, Gladys Night and the Pips and Grover Washington Jr.

The Latin Playboys first came together last November as an experiment. Though everyone in the band was gigging with other groups, they decided to give it shot just as a lark. Now Caesar says this is the band he feels most at home with. An impressive statement coming from a veteran such as Caesar: he began playing at the age of 17 has been a part of 10 plus groups over the years.

"Thursday night is like Saturday night here," brags Caesar, whose Puerto Rican descent is revealed in his bubbly mixture of Spanish and English. "No matter if it's raining or not, people are here."

At the moment there is only one way to experience Caesar and His Latin Playboys—live. But a recording and video of a Five Spot performance should be available in early summer.

"Tell the people that want to get into salsa, merengue and Latin dancing, this is the place to come," says Caesar.

For those who've have never been to see the Playboys, be prepared to dance a lot, sweat a little and leave craving for more.

-Elva Ramirez

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