CRUZ WAY
9 p.m. Juanita’s. $10.
Salsa fans in Central Arkansas seem to be well served by a variety of opportunities for dancing at several venues. Little Rock Salsa organizes weekly salsa nights at Juanita’s, and this is a special week as the group has booked Cruz Way, a family band that emigrated from Cuba to Mexico to Little Rock.
The Times‘ sister pub El Latino recently published a profile of the Cruz family that detailed their voyage to the States. Patriarch Anibal L. Cruz had loved music since he was a child and was a nationally acclaimed singer as a youth, but ultimately pursued a career in medicine. He and his wife Enely were both gynecologists, but earned monthly salaries of just $19 each. “I stopped being a doctor because, the truth is, it was not enough to cover the basic needs of my family,” Anibal Cruz told El Latino. So he started the long process of leaving the island nation to find a better life for his family in Mexico and then the United States.
The band also includes Anibal Cruz Jr., Alex Cruz, Liset Mercantete, Irisley Luis Gomez and Jorge Luis Gomez. By all accounts, Cruz Way is an amazingly tight live act, so this will be a treat. Dancers of all skill levels are encouraged to attend. There will be a dancing lesson from 9-10 p.m.