[RATING: 5] If the densely populated global retro funk and soul scene is the musical equivalent of a burgeoning metropolis rife with competition as everyone strives to outdo each other, the global latin boogaloo is more of tumbleweed-troubled hamlet in the middle of nowhere, population one: Ray Lugo. You might expect the lack of rivals to engender laziness or mediocrity but were you to do so, you would be sorely mistaken, for Fania fan Lugo would still stride like a colossus among boogaloo bands if they were ten a penny.
Like soul/ rnb outfit The Excitements, Lugo has moved from a first LP of covers (Mi Watusi) to a second LP of entirely original NYC latin boogaloo – Que Chevere! – an arguably even better storming ten track set that comes cast-iron guaranteed to get las chicas shaking it. Aside from the album’s descarga style debut single El Ritmo De Nueva York and its dope flipside Let Me Tell Ya Bout The Boogaloo, other highlights include psychedelic cumbia wigout La Tumba De Fu Manchu, sexy swayer Rico Boogaloo (a theme for aspiring Rico Suaves everywhere) and the title track. Add to that the saucy latina-featuring front and back cover and it’s ‘que chevere!’ indeed.