Ciudad Juárez

The dance hall in the song

The invitation is direct: come to the Noa Noa and dance. When Juan Gabriel released “El Noa Noa” in 1980, the place in the song was a real dance hall in Ciudad Juárez, close to the crossing to El Paso. The singer knew it from the beginning of his career.

Born Alberto Aguilera Valadez, he grew up in Juárez. As a teenager he performed at El Noa Noa, using the name Adán Luna before he became known as Juan Gabriel. The El Paso Museum of History dates his early performances there to 1966. Years later, his song invited listeners into the place by name, and visitors came from both sides of the border.

The original building was demolished in 2007. The album Recuerdos, however, still contains his invitation to the dance floor, a record of a venue that mattered to the young performer before it became familiar to his audience.