“100% top-quality Latin recording from Orchestra Mambo International. Love the vocal arrangement on this.” Gilles Peterson

Across the course of 4 years, Orchestra Mambo International have risen to become the UK’s hottest latin band. Formed in 2022 by band leader Jonny Enright and mentor, promoter and salsa encyclopaedia DJ Lubi, they boast a 12 piece line-up of global musicians from the old quarters of Latin music – Havana, Caracas and Bogotá – alongside a handful of the UK’s most revered players. The band is fronted by “el veterano” – legendary, Venezuelan singer Carlos “Pachanga” Peña, whose long career tracks a path starting from the orchestras of Caracas across more than 60 countries, at festivals including Montreal Jazz Festival, WOMAD and Glastonbury as well as fronting acclaimed bands including Ska Cubano, Grupo X and La Clave.

Expect an eminently groovy, party set of good-time, New Yorican era (1970s) mambo, salsa and Afro-Cuban jazz gems. Think Fania All Stars, think authentic big band salsa, think hot-stepping, swinging Puerto Rican-touched sounds, with plenty of Tito Puente-inspired timbales and mambo shake.

Olufina, the lead single from their upcoming album ¡Apuntalo! (due for release 18th September), is getting heavy rotation on BBC6 Music right now by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Craig Charles and Don Letts. They’re also enjoying airplay on Radio 2 where they’re being championed by Jamie Cullum and Cerys Matthews, who hosted a Maida Vale session for them. Their last tour included dates at the Jazz Café and a slot on the Glasto Latino stage at Glastonbury.