In my latest installment for the Los Angeles Times “Boogie Nights” column, I visited Club Soulside at Cafe Club Fais Do-Do, a monthly invocation of all things mod (a subculture with roots in 1960s Britain). In the late 1970s and early ’80s, a mod revival swept through Southern California, introducing a new generation to its tenets of soul music, Italian scooters, and — above all — sharp dressing. The music and fashion are so cool that the mod lifestyle has continued to endure among its faithful devotees, with newbies discovering its pleasures at places like Club Soulside. The DJs here are really dynamite and the Northern soul, Motown, and vintage reggae tunes (all played on 45s) irresistible. Patrons get down with the Shuffle and the Jamaican skank. You might even see some hardcore dancers break out James Brown-type splits and hand plants! Read more in my piece in the Los Angeles Times.

After two trips to Cartagena, Colombia, this year, I feel like it’s my second home. And as cooler weather approaches in Los Angeles, my mind is beginning to drift back to the tropical heat of the Caribbean coast. When the chill and rain of January and February hit, there’s no place I’d rather escape to than the sultry streets of Cartagena to drink in the color, cumbia rhythms, and fresh tropical juices.

For others curious about the magic of this colonial city, I’ve just published a guide to the Best of Cartagena on Trip Out Travel. It’s got all the must-hits for the best sights, restaurants, and nightlife just in time for your winter trip planning. And don’t worry: the city’s come a long way from its “Romancing the Stone” days. The danger is gone, but the beauty and sex appeal remain.

When I first heard bachata at a salsa club a couple of years ago, I was puzzled. Salsa DJs regularly slipped salsa’s tropical cousins cha cha and merengue into the mix, but this Dominican sound was something I’d never heard before. I quickly scooted off the floor when a bachata song came on because I had no idea how to dance it. Also, it seemed slow and a bit boring to me in comparison to the lightening-fast twists and turns set to salsa’s rapid conga beats. Bachata was merely a bathroom break.

But I couldn’t ignore it for long. Soon enough, I gave into bachata’s slower, smoother charms. I never took a class, but it was easy to fake the dance with a strong leader. I naturally fell into the rhythm of “step 1, 2, 3″ and copied the little “hip pop” I saw other dancers doing on the count of 4. With the basics down, I no longer evacuated the dance floor when bachata came on, but I still didn’t quite get the appeal.

Two years later, bachata is a tour de force on Los Angeles’ Latin dance scene, with its own dedicated night at The Granada in Alhambra and Stevens Steakhouse in Commerce. I immersed myself in the Thursday bachata night at The Granada a couple of weeks ago to write the “Boogie Nights” piece that appeared in today’s Los Angeles Times, and I was blown away by the passionate dancing I witnessed. Most impressive were the young dancers who are making bachata their own by cross-pollinating it with hip-hop. The fancy footwork and fluid body action that results are truly stunning. I can only hope to replicate an iota of their funk and flava! This is one salsera who has been won over by bachata, and I’m definitely not alone… Read more in the Los Angeles Times piece.