Boogaloo

Boogaloo on vinyl: when Latin meets soul

In short: Latin boogaloo emerged in New York in the mid-sixties: young musicians with Puerto Rican roots combined Latin rhythms with rhythm & blues and soul, often sung in English, with handclaps and a party mood. Towards the end of the sixties salsa gradually took its place – but boogaloo remained a favourite of record collectors. The Vinyl Room currently has 15 boogaloo records.

What is boogaloo?

Mambo piano, soul vocals and a groove to clap along to: The Harvey Averne Dozen are represented with “Viva Soul”, Jimmy Castor with “Hey Leroy” and – later with his band – with “Phase Two”.

The sound travelled as far as South America: from Venezuela come Ray Pérez and Los Dementes, whose record we have several times over.

What to look for

Many boogaloo records came out in the US in the late sixties and were later reissued; label, catalogue number and country of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

New in

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FAQ

What is boogaloo? A mix of Latin rhythms, rhythm & blues and soul from sixties New York.

What came after boogaloo? Towards the end of the sixties salsa gradually took over.

Is boogaloo sung in English? Often, yes – that set it apart from many other Latin styles.

Is there boogaloo outside the US? Yes – here, for example, Ray Pérez and Los Dementes from Venezuela.