CHAUVET® Professional Adds More Flavor to Bongos

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Featuring an upscale interior and white classy furniture with touches of silver, Bongos Cuban Café at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino becomes even more elegant under the discreet lighting of CHAUVET® Professional fixtures. A perfect example for ‘less is more,’ the lighting at Bongos—a restaurant/club owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan—is strategic and efficient. Lighting Designer Ian Elbrand placed four CHAUVET® Professional Legend™ 230SR Beam moving yoke lights and four Q-Wash™ 560Z-LED wash lights high on pipe truss at equal distances, for a simple and impactful effect. CHAUVET® Professional fixtures were provided by Audio Systems Consulting of Miami.

“With only eight lights we cover the entire space, the large interior and high ceiling,” said Don Apel, Bongos General Manager. “We were blown away by the Chauvet lights the first time we saw them during the demo. We are looking forward to exploring them more.” Currently used mostly to spice up the venue during dinner, the CHAUVET® Professional fixtures, and Legend™ 230SR Beam in particular, will also be used in a nightclub setting during the summer months. On Fridays and Saturdays after 11 p.m. Bongos transitions to a more dynamic nightclub atmosphere.

Aiming at creating an inviting ambiance, Elbrand chose to hang the Legend™ 230SR Beam lights in each corner of the venue, projecting captivating patterns on the walls, while the wash lights brush in rich color the white tables and chairs. “I love the Legend™ 230 SR Beam lights,” Elbrand said. “They are bright and perform as well as a Sharpy, but with a different price tag. And after looking at the Elation Professional Platinum Spot 5R, there is no comparison—Legend™ 230SR Beam has better gobos and a wider range of colors.”

More saturated color from the Q-Wash™ 560Z-LED fixtures highlight a tasteful white glass chandelier that hovers over a long table in the middle section of the venue. “We have used these lights in a couple of other installs, and I particularly like how they transition from a beam to a full wash. They are very versatile and reliable,” Elbrand said.

The exterior of the venue matches the elegant interior, lit by 18 Ilumipod 42 IP wash lights and 10Ilumiline 36 IP linear fixtures from Chauvet’s architectural brand ILUMINARC®.

Gear list:
18 x ILUMINARC® Ilumipod 42 IP
10 x ILUMINARC® Ilumiline 36 IP
4 x CHAUVET® Professional Legend™ 230SR Beam
4 x CHAUVET® Professional Q-Wash™ 560Z-LED