Pulsating Latino rhythms emanated from La Hacienda Recreation Center Saturday night as Halloween came early for members of The Villages Spanish-American Club. Tommy and the Quinto Latino (Latin Quintet) from Orlando perched on the theater’s stage, played salsa and merengue rhythms punctuated with conga drums; and offered spirited vocals and sentimental guitar melodies, much to the delight of the crowd.
“Our meeting is always the first Saturday of every month,” club president Mariacarmen Rottenburg, a Hadley Village resident, said, “so if we want to have a Halloween costume party, we have to do it early. We invited our friends from the Filipino-American Club and some from the Italian Paisans Club to have fun with us also. There are a lot of Spanish-speaking people here, of course, but also a lot of Americans.”
Members and their guests brought donations of non-perishable food and ‘like-new’ clothing for the Maldonado Mission charity in Wildwood. “Christmas will come very early for our club also — and that’s a good thing,” Mariacarmen smiled. “Our Christmas party will be the first Saturday in December.”
Mariacarmen dressed in a ‘fifties poodle skirt with a pigtail wig, and club vice president, Ray Sanchez, from Pinellas Village, dressed as a law-enforcement officer. Belvedere Villager, Elisa Perino, was a ‘Spanish Leprechaun,’ and guest, Carlos Toro, was a priest. A large group of members with elaborate costumes lined up along a lighted spider-web screen — including King Neptune and his mermaid; pirates, court jesters, the Sheik of Araby and some ‘otherworldly’ characters.
“I don’t mean to offend anyone,” said Sunset Pointe resident Rod Namen, who dressed as a panhandler, “but my costume makes a statement about these troubled times.”
Roberto and Nilda Canals, from Hadley Village, made an impressive President Abraham and first lady, Mary Todd Lincoln. Mallory Square Village residents Titina and Jerry Parsons came as an ornately feathered ‘showgirl and gaucho.’
“We will be giving out several ‘best costume’ awards in different categories tonight,” Mariacarmen said. “There are so many good ones, it will be very difficult to choose.”
