From small Belize to big Brazil, nearly 3,000 people from 27 Latin American countries live in the Grand Duchy, and these passionate and open-minded residents were fêted as Delano marked a birthday milestone this week. In Delano’s April print edition, on newsstands Friday, seven Latin Americans share their expat experiences; at Delano’s fifth anniversary party--“Delano turns 5: Miami Beach Party”, held Thursday evening at Melusina--the spotlight was on the entire Latin American community in Luxembourg.

The evening featured a salsa dance demonstration by dancers from the Alkemia School of Dance, which offers salsa, kizomba and bachata courses in the Clausen, Gare, Gasperich and Kirchberg districts.

Les Thermes, distributed bracelets to party guests; anyone still wearing one gains free entry to the health and fitness centre in Strassen.

Kichechef, the home design shop in Capellen marking its 40th anniversary, had a stand taking entries to win a €1000 voucher.

But that wasn’t the only big prize of the night. Zhanna Gervorgyam, Sam Jahan and Ekaterina Litvinova each won a free course in the MBA programme at Sacred Heart University in Luxembourg.

Then Rachida Bensaber and Winfried Kornberg were the lucky names drawn--from a pink flamingo piñata, no less--both winning a pair of roundtrip tickets from Luxair. Perhaps they will head off to Barcelona, Lisbon, Madrid or Porto.

The crowd then grooved to the sounds of salsa DJ Carlos Pereira and of DJ Château Bajac.

The soirée was attended by 1,222 people and was graciously organised by the Paperjam Club (part of the same company as Delano).