The Booga Mambo Beat

"A true lost chapter of early salsa and Latin soul finally resurfaces. The Booga Mambo Beat, the lone 1967 album by the elusive Steve Hernández y Su Orquesta Latinoamericana, is one of those records that has obsessed collectors for decades: impossible to find, full of contradictions, and packed with music that bridges eras with effortless swing.

Long believed to be a self-released anomaly, the album brings together master arranger Ray Santos, powerhouse vocalist Vitín Avilés, and an all-star cast of Puerto Rican and New York musicians. The session fuses mambo, descarga, proto-salsa, and the boogaloo energy of late-60s New York.

Heard today, it’s a time capsule bursting with life: scorching horns, elegant arrangements, hard-hitting percussion, and Avilés in peak form. Tracks like “Steve’s Boogaloo,” “Steve’s Impact,” and “Guaguancó Pa’ Borinquen” hit with the raw excitement of a sound shifting from the Palladium era toward the salsa explosion soon to come.

Long feared lost, the original mono and stereo master tapes resurfaced in 2025, revealing not only the complete album but also the additional material from its rare Puerto Rican reissue Boogalypso Dance Beat. Transferred directly from these tapes, his new edition pressed on 180-gram vinyl, features extended new liner notes by Pablo E. Yglesias (DJ Bongohead) and includes a digital download code.

A vital document of Latin music history!"

Tracklist

A1.   Steve's Boogaloo
A2.   Me Gustan Todas
A3.   Mi Propia Condena
A4.   Chocolate
A5.   Booga Mambo

B1.   Boogalypso
B2.   No Te Vayas
B3.   Guaguanco Pa' Borinquen
B4.   Steve's Impact
B5.   Fuerte Como Un Roble
B6.   Se Que Eres Suave