Whether you frequent Ibiza or have only gone once or twice, it’s highly likely you’ve heard of Café Mambo. Likewise, any DJ worth his salt knows about it, too, and it’s probably a destination many amateur DJs dream of. It is arguably one of Ibiza’s most go-to spots, and over the years it earned its solid reputation. You can find Café Mambo in Sant Antoni de Portmany, smack dab in San Antonio’s famous sunset strip.
Café Mambo was first established in 1994 by Javier Anadon and his wife. Believe it or not, it used to be a single small, run-down, threadbare house. Sure it was kind of a shack, but it had one of the best views of one of the most well-known sunsets in the world. None of the people who advised Anadon against making it would have believed it would reach the heights it’s reached today.
Throughout its history, Café Mambo has left its sure mark on San Antonio and its relationship with the music industry. Numerous bars and restaurants have long since taken several pages from its proverbial book, meshing together good food and drinks with partying for that distinct San Antonio experience.
And an authentic San Antonio experience Café Mambo is, because it has not lost its Ibicencan touch. This location a beautiful marriage of the cultural and the natural with the modern and technological. Earthy mosaics and terraces with state-of-the-art technology. This is exactly part of the reason it’s still so popular today, because when you go to Ibiza you want to experience the culture.
One of the many reasons Café Mambo is so popular is because it’s played host to a plethora of acclaimed DJs, like David Guetta, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold and Swedish House Mafia. Musicians of different stripes have also flocked to Café Mambo to perform to crowds of enraptured dancers- names like Brand New Heavies and Groove Armada come to mind. In fact, people from all walks of life and all scenes have come to party in this famous bar, like the likes of Paris Hilton and Elton John, who pretty much have nothing in common.
What’s more, British radio station BBC Radio 1’s Weekends at Ibiza live broadcast segments have almost always taken place at Café Mambo. Other radio stations like international station 40 Principales Radio and Kiss Fm have also called Café Mambo their base at one point or another. Needless to say, it’s become something of a dance music mecca and it won the “Bestest Ibiza Bar” award during the DJ Awards back in 2007, an international recognition, for a reason.
In the future, we can look forward to even more advancements in dance music and partying technology. It appears the team at Café Mambo is hoping to truly deliver their unique experience the world over, with plans for international DJ sets being “beamed live and direct around the world” one of their priorities.
If you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, visiting Café Mambo is simply a must. You owe yourself that experience!
Sources:
http://defected.com/news/cafe-mambo-history/
http://www.ibizahire.com/latest-news/cafe-mambo-20-years-history