CLOSED IN MAY 2022 AFTER NEARLY 75 YEARS IN BUSINESS.

Founded in 1948 by Puerto Rican musician Bartolo Alvarez and purchased in 1966 by Alfonso Rubio, Casa Latina was run since 1978 by Rubio’s daughter Christina and her husband Vicente Barreiro, who is known for his ability to recall the song you’re looking for after hearing just a few notes.

Packed with an extensive selection of vinyl, cassettes & CDs of salsa and other Latin sounds — plus congas, bongos, timbales, cowbells, maracas and sheet music — Casa Latina became an iconic house of music for performers ranging from Tito Puente to Tito Rodríguez, Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe, Machito, Celia Cruz and more. It was the longest-running Latin music store in the city, and the first Spanish-language music store in the country.