By Charly SHELTON
On Saturday, the Arturo Sandoval Institute brought Cuba to Glendale, inviting guests to spend a warm night full of salsa, samba, roast pork, hand rolled cigars, mojitos and more dancing. “Hot Havana Night” was held at The Plaza at 801 in Glendale as a fundraiser for ASI, which encourages students to pursue music, regardless of their financial ability.
“It was unbelievable,” said Mercy Velazquez, CEO of ASI. “It was one of the best parties that many people have gone [to], including Arturo Sandoval telling me that this is one of the best Cuban parties that he’s been to.”
The event included dinner, mojitos, a live band from Cuba featuring Rosalia de Cuba, hand rolled cigars, desserts by Porto’s Bakery, coffee by Gavina and La Lavve, Tropicana girls for a photo op and even more. Arturo Sandoval played as well, on trumpet and whatever instrument he picked up.
With almost 300 guests in attendance, the tables were full and the dance floor was packed. For Velazquez, the event was “awesome, fabulous, unique, exciting, unbelievable. People are asking me when is going to be the next one. They want the next one next week.”
Excited guests will have to wait longer than a week for ASI’s next event. Coming in October, ASI will host its first ever golf tournament fundraiser.
“It’s for anybody who would like to play,” said Velazquez. “We are going to sell foursomes, we are going to sell individual tickets … After golf we are going to have a party. So if you don’t golf, you can come to the party and if you don’t pay for the golf you can pay only for the food. We’re going to have food, we’re going to have entertainment, probably Arturo will play some tunes and it’s going to be a party after golf.”
The Save the Music Golf Tournament will be held on Oct. 23 beginning at noon with a lunch buffet, followed by golf and then a dinner buffet and party to end the night. The event will be held at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, and more information will be available soon on ASI’s website at arturosandovalinstitute.org.
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