Las Vegas Has Taken On a Distinct Latin Flavor

LAS VEGAS — About the same time the mariachi music started playing here last weekend, the Puerto Rican flags began flying en masse.

The buildup for tonight’s welterweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center between Mexican American Oscar De La Hoya and Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad has given a new meaning to the phrase “Viva Las Vegas.”

Las Vegas, Spanish for “The Meadows,” has taken on a different flavor in the days leading up to the showdown, a superbout blending different Latino cultures that has crossed over into the American mainstream.

Spanish is flowing in the Las Vegas valley as never before, and the Strip is saturated with Latin-style entertainers.

It’s no coincidence that the area has taken on a different look this week, said Rob Powers, public relations director for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“You would think that the fight was timed to coincide with the Mexican Independence Day holiday [which was Thursday],” Powers said. “The hotels here generally cater to a lot of Latinos as well as foreign visitors. It’s not unusual for the hotels to gear their entertainment toward whatever holiday is going on and what’s going on in town.

“I was just at the mall, and there were a lot of Spanish speakers shopping. There are a lot of Latinos in town, presumably for the fight and the shows.”

Of course, Latino acts have performed here before, but usually as a one-shot deal around Cinco de Mayo. Never before have Latino headliners dominated the marquees as they have this week, which began with the International Mariachi Festival.

Comedian Paul Rodriguez is at the Monte Carlo. George Lopez and Carlos Mencia are promoting an act called the Latino Comedy Explosion at the Riviera. Los Latin Cowboys are also at the Riviera.

Latin singers are a hot ticket too.

Olga Tanon is at the MGM Grand, as is legendary bandleader and percussionist Tito Puente, who will put on an after-bout show tonight with his Latin Jazz Ensemble.

Other Latino singers performing in the area include Elvis Crespo, Freddy Fender and Los Van Van with Barbarito Torres. Rocio Durcal gave a show earlier in the week at Caesars Palace.

And while the boxing media center at Mandalay Bay was filled with the sounds of Ricky Martin early Friday, the casino had a distinct Latino ambience with piped-in Mexican music.

“With the fight and all the shows here, we estimate that the non-gaming economic impact will be about $7 million,” Powers said. “It will be a huge economic boost.”

Jesus Valle, 47, a grocer from Aguada, Puerto Rico, was part of a large contingent to make the flight from the island to root on Trinidad. He stood proudly holding his Puerto Rican flag during the raucous weigh-in Friday at Mandalay Bay.

“As soon as I got off the plane, I saw a lot of Hispanic people,” Valle said. “I’ve seen many Mexicans here in Las Vegas, a lot of Mexicans, but it feels very good to see so many Hispanics together in one place. I’m very comfortable.”

David Reyes, 27, is a Puerto Rican from Rhode Island and though he stood in the pro-Trinidad section during the weigh-in, he is a De La Hoya fan.

“As soon as I got here, I noticed a lot of Spanish speakers here for the fight,” he said. “All you have to do is go outside and walk down the Strip and you can see the Hispanic influence for the fight. There are so many singers and entertainers here that it’s a very good feeling. But I just hope that all Hispanics can be like brothers, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Colombians, whatever, we’re all the same.”

Clark County, of which Las Vegas is the seat, reportedly has had the fastest growing Latino population of any major metropolitan area in the country over the last eight years. But most of the visitors drawn to Las Vegas this week won’t be able to attend the fight.

Tickets for the match were never put on public sale, which means most fans will either watch the fight at home on pay-per-view for $49.95 or go to one of the 18 Las Vegas venues showing it on closed-circuit screens for $50. They’ll be part of what promoters say may be the first non-heavyweight bout to generate a million pay-per-view purchases.