Salsa Divas Fill Sports Arena With Dancing and Fiesta Spirit

The cavernous Los Angeles Sports Arena is hardly the ideal space to enjoy performances by salsa divas Celia Cruz and India. So their pairing there Friday was a misfire from the start, especially since it’s possible to see the same artists regularly in much smaller rooms with excellent sound systems, such as the Conga Room and House of Blues.

What the show lacked in sonic clarity, however, it made up for in sheer enthusiasm.

As soon as Cruz stepped on stage, the approximately half-capacity crowd started partying with wild abandon. Most threw themselves into the rumba ritual, performing a dizzying variety of turns and spins, turning what started as a dissonant fiasco into a joyful fiesta.

Noticing this, Cruz urged her audience to “socialize and have a good time.” The singer, who is in her 70s, was as delightful as ever, her chitchat bringing to mind the all-knowing Latino mother figure. Musically, she didn’t only rely on her old hits. Newer tunes such as “Que le Den Candela” and “El No Te Quiere Na’ ” were as warmly received as the classic “Bemba Colora.” Interestingly, the salsa queen’s best moment came when she performed a duet with India.

In her own set, the Nuyorican diva had the best possible backing, including the amazing percussive talent of timbalero Luisito Quintero, who performed a breathtaking solo on “Mi Primera Rumba.” Although India’s material visits the “salsa romantica” genre a little too often, her delivery Friday was focused and inspired.

The scheduling of merengue sensation Elvis Crespo as the closing act was puzzling, considering the stature of the bill’s other acts. But then again, he is a hot newcomer, with an album, “Suavemente,” in the Top 200 sales chart. The Puerto Rican singer brought a fiery energy to his performance, and he kept everybody dancing until the very end--no small feat after five hours of uninterrupted salsa.