Chicago
Salsa Mainstay Luis "Electrico"
Diaz Devoted to Dance Community
When
the Chicago World Salsa Congress held its
second annual recognition ceremony on February
13 to honor local standouts in tropical music,
Luis Diaz's name was noticeably absent.
No
one's really sure how the selection committee
overlooked Diaz, despite his well-rounded
resume as a salsa entrepreneur. But he isn't
losing much sleep over it. "I think they know
who I am," Diaz says.
Indeed,
the man known in salsa circles as "Electrico"
for his electrifying dance moves remains very
visible on Chicago's landscape after more
than 25 years of staging dances and nightclub
shows. Nowadays he's the master of ceremonies
for Tropical Thursdays at Excalibur, where
he had served as emcee for eight years. He's
also a judge at many dance competitions such
as the Nacional 27 contest co-produced by
SalsaChicago.com on Fridays in March.
When
Diaz ran Electrico Enterprises as his entertainment
company, he handled dance promotions for the
Happy Medium, Phoenix and other venues on
Rush Street, even the Germania Club on Clark
Street near North Avenue. Some superstar promoters
may or may not recall, but Diaz says he shared
trade tips and pointers with upstart impresarios,
sending them off to bigger assignments and
contracts.
When
he wasn't setting up club dances, Diaz could
be seen making some incredible moves on the
dance floor. At about 6-feet-1 with broad
straight shoulders and a wide smile, "Electrico"
sends out high-voltage vibes on top of any
hot salsa number. He did shines when doing
shines wasn't as cool as it is today, and
they weren't shabby shines either.
"I
was using moves from New York; they were very
popular out there," Diaz says, "but I wasn't
interested in opening a school or becoming
a teacher. I found it easier to teach somebody
a few steps in an hour than many moves over
three weeks."
Diaz
also had a few other music-related interests
while running Electrico Enterprises. He hosted
a nighttime radio program for 11 years on
1240 AM until 1999, and he was the host of
"Salsa Caliente," a cable TV show taped at
the Casanova Club on Lawrence Avenue.
Outside
of music, Diaz has devoted many weekends to
amateur baseball. He arrived in Chicago from
Santo Domingo at age 14 and quickly took to
the baseball diamonds. An umpire for 15 years
at several levels in Chicago Park District
leagues, Diaz is currently the president of
the Monchile Concepcion League. He aspired
to a career in pro baseball until a wrist
injury set those plans aside.
"I've
been fortunate to travel to Puerto Rico and
the Dominican Republic a lot, playing with
league teams and all-star teams from Humboldt
Park," Diaz says. "We've played all over each
island, and each time there's a trip, I gather
boxes of clothing and other donations for
needy families."
"I'm
very proud of these achievements because I
love helping out," Diaz says as he mentions
the support of his wife of 23 years and their
three girls and one boy. Diaz will ultimately
be recognized for these achievements and many
more to come
