Born in 1948, Gomez started his career with one of the great classic bands, the Sonora Poncena, and went on to figure among the founders of New York salsa and the Fania label. First on board, chronologically, was the Puerto Rican born sonero Tito Gomez, a second rank star globally, but one of solid quality and of especial interest to the Colombians. Even if many of the new Anglo-salsa converts seems oblivious to the details of who they're listening to as long as they can show off their brand-new footwork, the Colombians do discriminate, as does the hard core of serious London Latin fans.For this dual audience, an intelligently tempting bill has been assembled. This means not only 40,000 Time Out inserts, ads in the national press and lobbying for TV guest spots, but also intensive leafleting at the Sunday Colombian football league pitches in Clapham and Lambeth.A further key to success is, of course, the choice of artists.

The Salsa Ball's cost has been underwritten by over a dozen supporting entities, including the Cuban rum distillers, Havana Club, successful Latin American theme catering operations like Islington's Cuba Libre, Kensington's Cuba and Bar Rumba in Shaftesbury Avenue. There are also several anonymous individual investors who will presumably want to remain anonymous if they make a profit just as much as if they lose out, in view of the undoubted inclusion of Inland Revenue staff among the new ranks of Surbiton salseros. As for publicity, which is the responsibility of Dominique Roome, operating as Salsa Boogie Productions, it's essential to cover all bases. In 1981, a decade before his descent into drugs, defenestration from a Puerto Rican hotel and finally death, Hector Lavoe - one of America's most prestigious singers - played to a mere 80 people in the Charlotte Street club Sol y Sombra. Three years ago, the Gran Combo refused to go on stage at the Empire, Leicester Square, when the promoter couldn't come up with their fee in advance, and the event was abandoned in chaos, with those audience members who did turn up not receiving refunds.The key to avoiding such scenes is, clearly, securing adequate financial backing and good publicity. Subsequent high points included a series of rip-roaring gigs by the salsa queen Celia Cruz and an ecstatic 3,000 strong audience for the veteran Puerto Rican Gran Combo at Brixton Academy, aided by the presence of the growing population of London Colombians.But each of these successes had its counterpoint. If certain indicators are favourable (recent London concerts by the Colombian Toto La Mompasina and the Venezuelan Orlando Watussi were extremely well attended), the track record of London salsa promotion is, none the less, erratic. To recap: Londoners were introduced to live salsa in 1975, a few years after the term came into popular usage to describe the tough new blend of Puerto Rican and Cuban dance music emerging primarily from the New York Latin barrios.

Island Records, who put out early UK compilations of music from the seminal New York Fania label, backed concerts by the Fania All Stars (sell-out at the Lyceum) and the doomed star vocalist Hector Lavoe (a succes d'estime in front of an invited audience of 300 rock critics and cognoscenti at the Nashville pub). With a total capacity of 5-6,000 in the giant hall, and the importation of two top salsa singers, plus their full orchestras, this is the most ambitious British event in the 25-year lifespan of the salsa genre. Its instigators are three London promoters (an original fourth lost his sauce bottle and dropped out), who were encouraged by the tremendous boom in salsa clubs and classes to try to emulate one of the really big events (with a bill of several top bands) that are a common occurrence across Latin America. there's no place ..." And I'm thinking Sartre, I'm thinking No Exit, I'm thinking hell is other homosexuals.. When the history of Latin music in London comes to be written, will the weekend of 21 September 1996 go down as an occasion of tropical splendour and alegria, or one of weeping, gnashing of maracas, and rending of bank statements? For the last few weeks, an advertising campaign across London - Spectrum Radio and Jazz FM, Time Out and the Latin clubs - has been enjoining punters to "dance with the gods in Olympia" tomorrow, and at least 3,000 will have to oblige if the pounds 70,000 budget of the Salsa Ball is to be recouped. For closeted him and his straight chums it's a novelty, a blast, to have two weeks where every night is Saturday night.