Spanglish Fly
New York Boogaloo (Chaco World Music, 2015)
Spanglish Fly bring back the spirit it of bugalú (boogaloo), the musical genre created in the 1960s in the Spanish Harlem barrio of New York that brought together tropical dance music from Puerto Rico and Cuba with American soul and pop.
Spanglish Fly is a new 10-piece band based in New York City, one of the hot spots for boogaloo. New York Boogaloo features a fabulous combination of salsa, Latin jazz, cha cha cha, soul, pop and more, with a mix of vocals in Spanish and English, therefore cooking up a tasty Spanglish soup.
“So many elements can be brought into boogaloo because the musical platform gives you plenty of room to do things. The spirit of the music is intensely inviting,” reveals trumpeter and bandleader Jonathan Goldman. “I felt when I first got into the music that I was invited to a party. Boogaloo welcomes everyone, whatever degree of familiarity you have with Latin music and culture. It’s a wide open door that says, ‘Come on in here and dance with us. Have fun.’”
Spanglish Fly has made strong connections to the old school bugalú artists. “Brooklyn Boogaloo” was recorded with boogaloo producer Harvey Averne. The CD booklet artwork is by Izzy Sanabria, who designed many of the classic album covers for Fania Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. To top it off, Goldman brought in Adrian Quesada (Brownout, Grupo Fantasma) to mix the album. “He is best person to do this Brooklyn retro thing knowing how a Latin percussion section should sound,” explains Goldman. “He knows how to find the balance between the conga heads, the right placement for the timbales in relation to the bongos.”
New York Boogaloo is a vital tropical blend of Latin music and soul.
Purchase New York Boogaloo digital version
Buy the CD at www.spanglishfly.com
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
