WHAT IS SPANGLISH FLY?
SPANGLISH FLY is part band, part celebration: 12 musicians igniting a party that quickly spreads to the audience. They have been hailed as the premier band of the Latin boogaloo revival,"single-handedly reviving sixties bugalú in NYC" (NBC New York).
Boogaloo! That mix of Latin and soul/R&B that emerged from the clubs, the street corners, the transistor radios and the pool halls of 1960s Spanish Harlem, "El Barrio." Inspired by Latin boogaloo, or bugalú, SPANGLISH FLY plays irresistible grooves that blend Afro-Caribbean rhythms with the fervor, the feeling, and the harmonics of 60s soul. SPANGLISH FLY "roars through covers, originals, and transformations of previously untouched soul hits" (Village Voice), paying homage to the boogaloo genre while refreshing it for a new generation.
Current(ish) roster: Mariella Price, vocals/ Paloma Muñoz, vocals/ Jessenia Cuesta, vocals/ Rafael Gomez, bass/ Matt Thomas, tenor sax/ Manuel Garcia Orozco, guitar, bass, vocals/ Arei Sekiguchi, timbales/ Dylan Blanchard, congas/ Kenny Bruno, keyboard, piano/ Teddy Acosta, percussion/ Edwin “Machuco” Estremera, percussion, vocals/ Stefan Zeniuk, bari sax/ Paula Winter, percussion/ Rich Robles, bass/ Ric Becker, trombone/ Jonathan Goldman, leader, trumpet
MARIELLA GONZALEZ
Spanglish Fly has comprised many musicians over the years, including:
Ronnie Roc, bongo, bell/ Jonathan Flothow, baritone sax/ Vera Kemper, trombone/ Sebastian Isler, trombone/ John Speck, trombone/ Charly Rodriguez, timbales/ Zach Seman, keyboard/ David Frankel, percussion, vocals/ Erica Ramos, vox / Gabo Tomasini, percussion/ Mick Santurio, conga/ Martin Wallace, keyboard/ Dimitri Moderbacher, bass / Maria Christina Eisen, sax/ Rose Boogaloo, sax / Atsushi Tsumura, trumpet/ Hector Torres, percussion/ Chrystelle Durandy, percussion
PRESS QUOTES (click for more)
“ 'New York Rules' goes way beyond superb, entering the glorified realm of fabulous.... It’s charming, spellbinding and irresistible.”
Randy Radic – The Huffington Post
“Spanglish Fly are single-handedly reviving sixties bugalú in NYC. . . . Go soak up a full measure of their brass-heavy Latin funk."
“The retro outfit from New York proves that a funky Latin groove never goes out of style”
"The 12-piece Spanglish Fly's modern twist on boogaloo explodes with creativity, slick arrangements and gorgeous double-lead-vocals by Mariella Gonzalez and Paloma Muñoz."
“Este combo retoma el boogaloo de los años 60 y lo transporta a pleno siglo XXI combinándolo con latin soul y toques de salsa que no deja a nadie indiferente”
Anibal Pacheco - Rebel Sounds Blog
“On the boogaloo tip, which has become extremely hip and cool again, we have Spanglish Fly. They are a band coming out of Nueva Yol with tons of flavor. I definitely co-sign! ”
Rice and Beans Soundsystem
“Todos bailan y cantan, el ambiente es pura fiesta. “Está tocando la banda Spanglish Fly y es Bugalú”, me dice una pareja. Me quedo hasta que termina el concierto y tengo que reconocer que hace tiempo que no lo pasaba tan bien.”
Gerardo Romo - El Diario
Listen to PRI's "The World" feature on Spanglish Fly!
HISTORY OF THE BAND
SPANGLISH FLY originated in 2009 when DJ Jonny Semi-Colon (Jonathan Goldman) started noticing that amid his sets of old-school funk and soul vinyl, what really shook the dance floor was Latin boogaloo, late-60s records by Joe Cuba, Joe Bataan, Mongo Santamaria, etc. He knew he had to form a band to play the music live in the place where it began, New York City. Soon, SPANGLISH FLY was dazzling audiences at NYC venues such as the Apollo, the Blue Note, BB King's, SOB’s, and Brooklyn Bowl, including opening for boogaloo legends Joe Bataan and Johnny Colón. Over the years, the band has toured the US east coast, bringing the party to festivals such as Charlotte's Latin American Fest and Massachusett's Green River Festival, and to arts institutions such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Recording for labels Electric Cowbell and Chaco World Music, they have worked with legendary Fania producer Harvey Averne, Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout) and the crew at Brooklyn's Truth and Soul Records. Their 2015 release New York Boogaloo was hailed as "a seriously wonderful record, full of spectacular, raucous musicianship – a very high quality of musicianship" (World Music Report).
SPANGLISH FLY's multicultural cast has origins in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina, Japan, 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). Footage of the group in performance appears in the 2015 Latin boogaloo documentary We Like It Like That.