Editors Note: The Barbara Baer Capitman archive’s “Historic Threads” project is partly sponsored by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida. We’re highlighting important documents that tell the story of Miami Beach, coinciding with National Historic Preservation Month sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Hosted annually from 1978 through the 1990s, the Moon Over Miami Ball was a black-tie soiree held to fundraise for the Miami Design Preservation League. The event featured a lively evening with a 1930s nightclub atmosphere, held at several hotels in the historic Art Deco district, and featuring a variety of celebrities each year highlighting a unique theme. Over the years, the Balls brought in some of the greatest talent in the industry, including Cab Calloway, Eartha Kitt, the Xavier Cugat Orchestra, the Incomparable Hildegarde, Lionel Hampton and the Swing Classics.
The Raleigh Hotel was the venue for this event in 1995 in celebration of the theme “Art Deco Latin America.”
From Cuba to Puerto Rico, Uruguay to Argentina, the 1995 Ball celebrated the music, architecture and personalities of Latin America. Mambo legend Israel “Chachao” Lopez and Argentina’s Libertad Lamarque graced the stage with their music. But the most glamorous star of all was none other than the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, who performed a concert accompanied by Raul Gallimore’s Orchestra Inmensidad.
Sponsors of the event included Citibank, the Raleigh Hotel, Kalhua, and Chiquita. It was attended by over 400 people and raised approximately $20,000 in admission fees for MDPL’s educational programs.
