Remembering Luis A. Frias

Age 65, Las Vegas
Passed away on April 25, 2020

He trained under Argentina’s legendary Santiago Ayala, and people packed stadiums to see his stylized version of malambo, the folkloric Argentine dance of gauchos. In America, Frias performed at the Superdome and Madison Square Garden, touring with shows including the Ringling Bros. Circus.

His wife and dance partner traveled with him, though malambo is traditionally performed only by men. Together, with their two daughters, they saw great works of art, tried new foods and experienced different cultures over the course of about 13 years, all as he shared his heritage with the world.

After each tour, they returned to Las Vegas, where Frias also performed on the Strip.

In the mid-1990s, though, the young family settled down for good. Frias found steady work as a dealer, proudly entertaining guests at his blackjack and roulette tables at various casinos until he retired in 2018.

He still loved to beat on his bombo legüero.

But like so many who have succumbed to the coronavirus, his death was quiet, clinical and without audience. Alone on April 25, his heart stopped in hospice care, which he had requested after rallying once, then deteriorating again, tired of the ventilators and pain.

“My dad had such a colorful, unique life,” his oldest daughter, Luisa Frias, who was named after him, said. “I literally still can’t believe he got COVID and passed from it — that that’s what took him out.”

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