Bailamos! The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) hosted their annual gala celebrating Noche Musicál Tuesday night at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

By Michael Clements
Photos by Tony Powell

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Supreme Court Justice Sonio Sotomayor and Esai Morales, Photo by Tony Powell

The spicy Pollywood blend of Washington political power players included Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Reps. Xavier Becerra, Loretta Sanchez, and Charlie A. Gonzalez mingled with Hollywood’s top Latino entertainers like Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales. Morales, heartthrob of the classic 80’s film Labamba might have had his most important dance to date when he stepped out to do the Mambó with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (http://www.washingtonlife.com/video/) who, sources tell us, had been practicing her mambo for the past month in preparation for the night. It was Sotomayor’s first foray into the Washington social scene since being appointed the Court’s 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice. “Justice Sotomayor reinforces the notion that you can be successful and still retain your cultural identity. We all know she is a great judge, but, I think she just proved she has some swift moves on the dance floor as well as in the courtroom,” remarked the effervescent Morales. Music for the evening was supplied by Afro-Cuan jazz drummer Bobby Sanabria as well as La India. Sanabria played a rousing rendition of the “Sotomayor Mambó.”