Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub

Book Description

It was to Havana what the Moulin Rouge was to Paris or the Blue Note to New York. The brightest jewel in 1950s Cuban nightlife, Tropicana was a "paradise under the stars" where you could gamble, hear the finest mambo and jazz musicians, and ogle the extravagantly risqué floorshows. Nat "King" Cole played Tropicana; so did Josephine Baker. Americans-celebrities and suburbanites both-were drawn to its kinetic sensuality and tropical setting. And Tropicana remained a uniquely Cuban institution; unlike most Havana nightclubs, it operated free from the American mob's control.

Journalist Rosa Lowinger and Ofelia Fox, widow of Tropicana's last owner, vividly portray the cultural richness and roiling social problems of pre-Revolutionary Cuba and take the reader on an intimate insider's tour of one of the world's most glamorous venues at its most brilliant moment.

Customer Reviews:

While Waiting for the Movie, read this book!.......2007-07-28

Tropicana Nights brings to life the second most famous nightclub of the 20th century, and the events of the Castro revolution. Rosa Lowinger weaves into the story just enough personal history to give context to all the larger events. Details are included when they are relevant to the story told, but the story is allowed to move along quickly, and this book is entertaining and illuminating. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get an idea of what pre-revolutionary Havana was like, whether or not they are interested in nightclubs. My parents, who often went to Tropicana, said that the book tells it like it was. The book also includes wonderful vintage photos.

Seeing early Cuba through two women's eyes.......2007-02-20

Tropicana Nights gives the reader a sense of what life was like in Havana during the 1940s and 1950s. The Tropicana nightclub embodied the creativity and glamour of that era.

Tropicana still exists in Havana today. In the 1940s and 50s, it was a nightclub, cabaret and casino. It hosted performers such as Nat "King" Cole, Ginger Rogers and Liberace. Its audience was composed of the rich and famous, politicians and people wanting a special night out. Tropicana consistently met and raised people's expectations. The shows were legendary due to the imaginative choreography, live animals and beautiful Tropicana models.

This book is a collaboration of two women who are brought together to tell Tropicana's story. Ofelia Fox is the widow of Martin Fox who owned the Tropicana from 1950-1962. Rosa Lowinger was born in Havana but raised in Miami. As they work together on the book, some issues are raised.

Rosa and Ofelia have different views on Cuban politics. Ofelia claims that both Batista and Castro are dictators. Rosa must be sensitive about what she writes about Castro or risk being denied entry back into Cuba.

Rosa is curious about the possible Mob involvement at Tropicana. Ofelia and Martin went to Trafficante's daughter's wedding and were personally entertained by Frankie Carbo (a hit man for Bugsy Siegel in the 1930s) when they visited New York. Ofelia maintains that this was just a good business relationship. but Rosa isn't so sure. It is up to the reader to decide who is right.

There are also questions about Ofelia's relationship with her roommate (Rosa Sanchez). They have been together for more than 30 years yet when asked, Ofelia states that Rosa is a close friend but they are not a couple.

Lowinger has written a book that reads like a juicy novel. She has a great writing style, I kept turning the pages to find out what happened next. After reading the personal anecdotes and seeing the photos, I felt like I knew the various characters (the showgirls, the dancers and roulette dealers). I also enjoyed finding out what happened to everyone in recent years.

Armchair Interviews says: Come spend some time at the Tropicana and find out why it was paradise under the stars.

A Movie Waiting To Be Made!.......2006-09-16

Rosita Lowinger brings Cuba in the '40s and '50s to vibrant life in this excellent book. Anybody interested in learning about the island of Cuba should read it, because it's chock-full of historical facts. In addition, you learn all about the politics, the music, the cabaret circuit, the culture, even the Mafia connections! Rosita is an excellent writer who puts lots of "sabor" in her prose. I hope she's working on the screeplay right now. You cannot put the damn book down! It's easily the best I've read all year.

A Temple to the Goddesses of Flesh.......2006-04-03

Lowinger, Rosa and Ofelia Fox 2005 Tropicana Nights. The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub. Harcourt, Orlando, New York, London ISBN 0151012245

This is a very exciting and interesting book, well worth reading. Personally I found this book, "Tropicana Nights", by chance and in it my distant cousin Leonela Gonzalez.

In my recall it is Cuba in the 1950. Leonela is six years older than I, Professor of Ballet, student of Alicia Alonzo and showgirl in La Tropicana; she sings professionally. She is all curves, raven black hair, smooth skin, full lips, high cheek bones, jet eyes. She is 5 foot four and less than 120 pounds, but towers over me in her high heels. I stutter but cannot speak, so drunk on her presence I cannot talk, unable to take her extended hand, I mere give a judo bow. She is one of the goddesses of flesh.

We are family, both of us great grandchildren of Leonela Enamorado Cabrera, that brave and graceful Taina woman who was consort of the great general Calixto Garcia at the time of the fullest power of his fiery warrior strength. Grandfather was child of Leonela Enamorado's passionate war time love match; Leonela Gonzalez is fruit of the descendents of a later formal marriage.

Thus I read this book intensely, trying to better understand things past. The authors have compiled oral history and compared it to the record of scholarly and popular writings on the matter. Lowinger and Fox have struggled, as all honest authors must on books about Cuba, to eliminate propaganda. What has come of this is a beautifully detailed, well written, hypnotically fascinating and engrossing book on the Havana Nightclub "La Tropicana."

The book presents the scene and the lives the actors of that place against a background of Cuban history. And it does that with remarkable accuracy, there are a few errors: as a University of Havana student, Castro did his first killings when he belonged to the "the trigger happy" Unin Insurreccional Revolucionaria (UIR) not Masferrer's Movimiento Socialista Revolucionario (MIR). The official Cuban Communist Party had very little to do with war against Batista until the last few months, quite the contrary it frequently supported that regime by providing information on resistance groups. The presence of Tano racial mix and culture, now clearly demonstrated by DNA studies, is glossed over yet both Batista and Leonela had such ethnic roots; the word Guajiro is taken from the original Taino word.

These authors of "Tropical Nights" explain that those who visit Cuba are not welcomed to return if they write the mildest criticism of the Government. They honestly point out such details as that the nomenklatura of the Castro government, took over and keep well painted the residences of the upper class, while the residences of most of the population are crowded and in disrepair.

As the Lowinger and Fox point out, contrary to official Cuban government propaganda in the Tropicana then these goddesses were not available to the clientele, for there were enough such places in Havana. The goddesses' loves of after hours which were then private matters are clearly presented. There were Mafia gangsters there, but they fearful of losing their comfortable residence in Cuba, limited their activities to providing gambling advice and were mere toothed minnows when compared to the far more numerous and lethal Batista goons. Don't keep on reading this, go buy this book!!!!!!!

Tropicana Nights.......2006-02-05

Tropicana Nights shows the views of two Cuban women from different generations who politically disagree, but are brought together by their love for Cuban culture, particularly the Tropicana Nightclub. This book provides an insider's view on the intrigue, gambling, music and dance of a place that holds an almost mythical place in the history of Cuba.

Book Description

An analysis of the major securities, derivatives and money markets from an operations point of view, 'Understanding the Markets' takes the reader through the major features and characteristics of the markets and the products. The relationship between the trading and dealing functions and the operations functions is examined and the issues discussed.

This book looks at the financial markets from the viewpoint of the person working in the operations functions that support the trading, dealing and investment processes, and as such is essential reading in order to fully understand the industry - an industry which has gone, and is still going through, much change.

As the markets undergo change so too do the administration, clearing and settlement functions, as the clearing houses, securities depositories and custodians merge and diversify. This is going to impact on the operations teams that support the trading, sales and retail business. A failure to be aware of and to understand the impact of changes in the markets will create massive problems, greater risk and ultimately financial losses. And yet the sheer size and diversity of the global markets, together with the rapid pace of change and expansion, and the increasing volume of transactions needing to be processed, presents a massive challenge to operations teams and managers.

Knowing how the markets work and what impacts on the operations team is crucial for managers and supervisors. In this book the author provides a full explanation of the markets and their impact in operations terms. So if you are about to embark on a career in operations 'Understanding the Markets' is essential reading. Alternatively, if you are planning a career as a dealer it will prove very useful in explaining the process that occurs after you have traded.

The definitive series of professional references for those finance professionals concerned with "Back office" or operations management unique to this industry.Presents concise references on the essential management functions such as technology, client services, and risk management for financial operations management professionals.A comprehensive resource from a leading financial management consultant for global banks and institutions.

Open Fire: Understanding Global Gun Cultures

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Open Fire: Understanding Global Gun Cultures
Charles Fruehling Springwood
Manufacturer: Berg Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Guns are everywhere: three quarters of a billion guns - from pistols to machine guns - exist in the world today. And guns are everything: a hard-won symbol of individual freedom, an index of crime and disorder, a whole industry legitimately contributing to an economy, a popular piece of sports equipment, and an object of desire, endlessly duplicated by toys, video games and films. Open Fire presents a broad analysis of the social, cultural and political significance of firearms and the worlds they create. Illustrated with a wide range of case material - from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa - Open Fire explores and questions this global icon of our times. Why do guns proliferate? What does it mean to shoot or to be shot? Who owns guns and who does not? How is a firearm, a manufactured thing, very different from any other object? Is there such a thing as a "gun psychology"? How are firearms regarded in places where they are largely non-existent? Is a gun a different thing when held by a white man?

Terrorism: Understanding the Global Threat (2nd Edition)

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Terrorism: Understanding the Global Threat (2nd Edition)
David Whittaker
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1405840854

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Come to terms with terrorism's definition, origins, and future

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Explores past terrorists and their actions in order to evaluate efficacy of current strategies
Written as short pieces on several of the key themes, this is an accessible, jargon-free, up to date introduction

September 11,2001 was the defining moment, not only of the year, but also of the new millenium. Terrorism is now everybody's major and constant fear. Terrorism: Understanding the Global Threat presents 10 steps to coming to terms with terrorism's definition, origins, characteristics and future. This is the road down which prevention and control are finally possible. The book takes on many important and interesting topics including, the meaning and motives of terrorism and its place in the developing, and the developed world. Religious fundamentalism is examined, and so are fanaticism and the financing of terrorism. The future of terrorism and the means to counter terrorism are explored. This is an easy to read, concise account of terrorism, particularly how it has shaped, and been shaped by, the past half century.

Book Description

International Security has once again become a crucial issue in the post-September 11th World. This textbook provides an introduction to both the conventional 'hard' security issues which dominated international relations during the Cold War and the 'soft' security issues which have emerged in the post-Cold War era. Security Studies is traditionally associated with the study of military issues: war and peace, defense, the international arms trade, arms races and arms control, the balance of power and nuclear weapons. In recent years, with the emergence of critical security studies, there has been an increased focus on non-military threats to security such as terrorism, the environment, transnational crime, poverty, economic instability and ethnic rivalries. This textbook is a perfect introduction to both of these aspects of international security in the twenty-first Century.

Conflict in Context: Understanding Local to Global Security

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Conflict in Context: Understanding Local to Global Security
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Manufacturer: Educators for Social Responsibility
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0942349164

Book Description

Current and timely, this curriculum introduces high school students to the key concepts and skills needed to be responsible citizens. Aided by numerous case studies based on international issues, students will learn that a complex consideration of security must go beyond military issues to include economics, human rights, and more. Over 40 carefully developed lessons stress skills such as researching, mapping, dialogue, critical thinking, and informed analysis.

Global Jihad: Understanding September 11 (Middle East in Audio)

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Global Jihad: Understanding September 11 (Middle East in Audio)
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Manufacturer: In Audio
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Global Jihad: Understanding September 11 (The Middle East)

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For one hundred and forty -one years The Statesman's Yearbook has been relied upon to provide accurate and comprehensive information on the current, political, economic and social status of every country in the world. The 2005 edition is fully updated and contains more information than ever before. A foldout color section provides a political world map and flags for the one hundred and ninety two countries of the world. In an endlessly changing world the annual publication of The Statesman's Yearbook gives you all of the information you need in one easily digestible single volume. It will save hours of research and cross-referencing between different sources, and is an essential annual purchase.

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