Review of Bugalu Foundation and DJ Lubi

Saturday the 21st was the longest day of the year, it was also sunny and at Grassington a transformation took place in the Town Hall as Bugalu Foundation took to the stage. From the opening beat of the giant bongo drums we were transported through lush Latin music to a South American nightclub.

DJ Lubi had prepared us with a range of intoxicating Salsa numbers to warm us up but this was a heady mix of rich Spanish lyrics from lead vocalist Vanessa Rani accompanied by a great brass section of trumpets, trumbones and sax and underpinned by some outstanding guitar, keyboards and percussion.

Across the generations Grassington took to the floor of the Town Hall and showed that in this corner of Yorkshire there are more than a few would be Salsa Kings and Queens. Dancers were given a lot of inspiration from a reggae/jazz fusion to more traditional Cha Cha Cha and everything in between.

It turned out to be La Noche Mas Lindo and it went by in a flash as their two sets competed Bugalu Foundation left the stage to rapturous applause and shouts of more. We weren’t left cold though as DJ Lubi took us back to more sounds of Spanish Harlem.

Ali Richards