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Room to Tango; Art and Music Flourish at Local Latino Community Center By Lana Limon, Spectator Staff Writer, April 18, 2006

Media Credit: CINDY SIMILIEN/CDS El Taller Latino, a community center of sorts just blocks from Columbia, inspires a special devotion in its constituents. "Esta es la biblia del universo," artist Herberto Turrizo said, as he poured himself a cup of Colombian coffee. The bible of the universe. El Taller Latino, a community center on Broadway, provides a warm and eclectic haven for art and Latin American culture. The stairwell leading up to El Taller Latino, located on Broadway between 103rd and 104th street, is covered in paintings and artistic pieces that morph the grey and yellow of New York City into a vibrant Latin getaway. After opening the door, the colors, designs and unexpected foliage can leave visitors hankering for their bikinis, trunks and a tasty margarita. El Taller founder Bernardo Palombo, whom many patrons call "padre of the place," has created a "weave of creativity without a pretense," according to musician Michael LaMorte, known to regulars as "Miguelito.". "Everyone is 'whatever'-it's not about what you can give me but about the magic of El Taller." The myth of El Taller's beginning is so, well, New York: a collection of bohemian musicians on the Lower East Side started teaching Spanish classes to pay the rent, and after moving around the city four times, settled in their current location 12 years ago. Originally started in an attempt to unify people exiled from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay by military governments, El Taller has become a center for art and Latin American culture. "Language classes is what brings in the money," Palombo confessed. The live music played at El Taller is mainly heard by students of the various classes, those that hear about it via word-of-mouth, and passersby drawn in off the streets by the infectious melodies. LaMorte, the golden child of El Taller and lead singer of the band Miguelito, said that this place is completely "unpretentious and relies on a network of artists. People who are kind of famous and people who are just starting out all come here-it's just communal." Various musical celebrities, including Gordon Gano from the Violent Femmes and David Byrne, have taken Spanish classes at El Taller. And whether it's the walls of artwork or the smell of Colombian coffee, people tend to ease into the Latin culture here without feeling overwhelmed. "They aren't very savvy about advertising," LaMorte said. "If someone is coming here to perform, it's pretty much up to them." But, it's the magic and the secrecy of El Taller that makes it so comforting for celebrities and regulars like Turrizo and Victor Hernandez-Soto, the resident poet laureate. "The room molds itself to who is here-at night it is a completely different vibe than it is right now," LaMorte said as he looked around the colorful and sun-filled room. "Palombo has a philosophy-there is no garbage, just misplaced matter and when you find the right place for it, then it becomes something. And that's exactly what El Taller is-it gives all the misfits a place to hang out." © Copyright 2007 Columbia Daily Spectator Close   Back to Top