SPANGLISH FLY: part band, part celebration. Two women lead vocalists in English and Spanish, Latin percussion section, horns, piano and bass. They have been hailed as the premier band of the Latin boogaloo revival, "single-handedly reviving sixties bugalúin NYC" (NBC New York). Boogaloo! that mix of Latin and soul/R&B music that emerged from the clubs, the street corners, the transistor radios and the pool halls of 1960s Spanish Harlem, "El Barrio.” Bugalú blends Afro-Caribbean percussion and rhythms with the fervor, the feeling, and the bluesiness of 60s-era soul.
SPANGLISH FLY burst onto the New York scene in 2010 and was soon dazzling audiences at venues such as the Apollo, the Blue Note, BB King's, SOB’s, and Brooklyn Bowl. The band has toured the US east coast, bringing the party to festivals in Charlotte's Latin American Fest and Massachusetts's Green River Festival, and to institutions including DC’s Kennedy Center and NY’s Lincoln Center. Recording for the labels Electric Cowbell and Chaco World Music, they have worked with legendary Fania producer Harvey Averne (Eddie Palmieri, Machito), and Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma).
Their 2018 album, Ay Que Boogaloo! takes boogaloo in unexpected directions, incorporating bolero, New Orleans funk, swing jazz, Arabic chant, and other sounds. It “explodes with creativity, slick arrangements and gorgeous double-lead-vocals by Mariella Gonzalez and Paloma Muñoz” (National Public Radio’s Alt.Latino) and boasts guest appearances by Latin music luminaries Joe Bataan, Snowboy, Flaco Navaja, El Callegueso, and Izzy Sanabria.Ay Que Boogaloo! earned gushing reviews from Billboard, The Huffington Post, and NPR, and led to a feature on WNYC’s Soundcheck and an article on Goldman in The New York Times. Two of its tracks were chosen by Spike Lee for his She’s GottaHave It Netflix series.
SPANGLISH FLY's multicultural cast has origins in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Japan, Argentina, Colombia, and Upper Manhattan. They come together in New York City to create quintessential music of the urban USA. Fans, whether they've been listening to boogaloo since back in the day or just yesterday, shake their thing to the band's stirring melodies, danceable grooves and instant crowd engagement. "Todos bailan y cantan, el ambiente es pura fiesta" (El Diario).