Grupo Fantasma

One of Grupo Fantasma’s symbols (which adorns one of their concert posters) is the king cobra. Like the hooded snake, Grupo strikes quickly and keeps holding on, but the venom is truly intoxicating, inducing dancing, heart palpitations and (sometimes) shortness of breath.

Unlike BeauSoleil, I’d never heard of Grupo Fantasma. If you haven’t heard of them, their very name (a kind of “team awesome”) has a bullfighter’s bravado that makes you feel you should have known it. I wasn’t sure if they would live up to their hype as a great Texan Latin dance band.

I needn’t have worried. While more traditional than comparable Latin rock bands Control Machete, Ozomatli and Kinky, and lacking the level of energy, innovation and experimentation of the latter, their strength was their musicianship and easy charisma. They played original and traditional cumbias and salsa tunes with great skill and near-flawless arrangement, keeping up the energy of the crowd and encouraging audience participation in their songs. “Chocolate” and “Vida Guerra” were particularly catchy and got even more of the crowd up and dancing on a sweltering night. Their cover of a Tower of Power funk song was an unexpected (and enthusiastically received) treat.



I do wish that even more people had danced earlier in the concert. But I am the kind of person who never wants to be sitting down at a concert unless it’s classical or jazz. A lot of the concertgoers did dance, though, even in the heat, and by the end of the night there was a big crowd in front of the stage.

I spotted a Mexican flag waving in the audience, and delighted in the sight of couples dancing salsa and meringue expertly, and at the twirl of a woman’s black and red folklorico skirt! Did not spot Dancing Rat Lady.


Several guitar solos and trumpet solos throughout the concert were a big highlight. These were the kind of arresting (not just obligatory) solos that you only hear rarely: intoxicating in their skill and shining notes.