Salsa Chubasco 29th September 2024

Salsa Chubasco are an up-and-coming female fronted salsa band. Being Manchester based, this 10-piece group was nothing short from perfect. I saw their debut gig at Big Hands and to say that I was impressed is a complete overstatement. 

The only query I had about this gig was how they fit everyone on stage! It’s very rare you get an opportunity to see such a large ensemble be so tight and so in tune with one another. 

The pianist, Georgia Clark, was tucked away in the corner stage left, and although I couldn’t see her, her presence was impossible to ignore! Her contribution to the soundscape was absolutely electrifying, in an already filled to the brim crowd. I couldn’t wait to tell her how much of an impact she made on the sound of the band. 

On bass, Marcelo Rodrigues. That double bass might have just been the bread and butter to the entire night. I remember wanting to take some time to pay attention to each instrument separately, and I have to say that once I set my eyes on the bass, I had realised truly how complex but elegant his work had been for the rhythm section. The slick sound of the perfectly harmonious bass kept the salsa groove going all night, and made the whole crowd boogie.

The percussion section was made up of multiple individuals of varying ages, and whilst they were all facing us, they communicated with each other very tightly as not to miss a beat the whole night. The trumpet player, Leo Parry, who doubles as the group leader, keeps them tight and up to speed. Trumpet was great: the usual qualm we have with live trumpets and trombones is that they overpower everyone else. But Leo and his trombone counterpart, Roz Fearnehough, keep up with the groove of the groop and take no extra decibels from the rest. On sax, Matt Hodson completes the brass section, and gives us a taste of some progressive salsa, carefully placed amid the traditional sound of South America.

Last but not least, Karolyna Sanz Oliveira makes occasional appearances on the mic, entrancing the entire space for the whole amount of time that she had been there. Her voice is absolutely beautiful: warm and bassy with the occasional excellently belted notes truly took me on a rodeo wherein I had forgotten how cold Manchester was that time of year.

The venue was packed, the atmosphere was insane, and just for a moment, it was September, and 40 degrees out.

Follow them on Instagram: @salsachubasco