Frenzied Salsa Fans Push Limits of Club

The Conga Room was clearly too packed for comfort when Miami-based salsa idol Willie Chirino walked onstage Friday at the intimate venue. In fact, the crowding problem ultimately brought a sudden end to a sweaty show that was distinguished by Chirino’s ability to inspire his fans into a dancing frenzy.

Chirino, a singer, composer and producer, was instrumental in the creation of what is known as salsa’s Miami sound, an unapologetically superficial style that brings Afro-Cuban music dangerously close to pop, while finding delight in glossy musical surfaces and lyrics loaded with double entendres.

In person, Chirino packs more spice than his studio output ever had. With the help of an explosive band whose rhythm section was boosted by the unexpected inclusion of trap drums, he generated some serious combustion on the rollicking “Bongo” and a fast-paced medley that included the humorous “Lo Que Esta Pa’Ti.”

But as the concert was reaching a fervent climax after an hour or so, about a dozen firemen in full gear and the same number of police officers entered the club.

They secured the exits as a Conga Room official ordered Chirino to leave the stage. The lights were turned on, and the audience was told to leave because the club was overcrowded. Some of the fans voiced their disapproval loudly and initially refused to depart, but eventually the club emptied without incident. Fortunately, Chirino had had enough time to prove that his Miami sound is not without its merits.