Midnight Boogaloo
The descarga — the Latin jam, free and burning — brought back to the streets by a Vancouver collective: percussion, guitars and the scent of 1960s-70s Spanish Harlem, between salsa, cumbia and boogaloo
Biography
Midnight Boogaloo is a collective of musicians based in Vancouver, founded by Colombian guitarist Alan Ruiz with one clear intention: bringing Latin descargas back to the streets. Those incandescent jams, born in the Latin New York of the 1960s and 1970s, are the project's beating heart.
Salsa, boogaloo, cumbia and Latin jazz: the collective blends Latin American rhythms with the energy of the era's New York sound, in high-voltage concerts that move body and soul alike. In October 2026, the band played an official showcase at the Folk Canada conference, in Hamilton.
2026 was also the year of the West Coast's big stages: Vancouver's FIFA Fan Festival, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Surrey Fusion Festival, Harmony Arts in West Vancouver and the Cherry Blossom Festival. Montreal welcomes them to close the night at Petit Campus, in Mundial's official showcases.
Stages and milestones
Founded in Vancouver by Colombian guitarist Alan Ruiz · Folk Canada 2026 official showcase (Hamilton), October 17, 2026 · FIFA Fan Festival — Vancouver, 2026 · Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2026 · Surrey Fusion Festival 2026 · Harmony Arts (West Vancouver) and Cherry Blossom Festival 2026 · Wednesday on the Wharf (Salmon Arm) 2026 · Coquitlam Canada Day 2026 · Hope concert series 2026
Gallery
Videos
Me Robaron mi Runa Mula · Official video
El Cumbanchero · Official video
La Tienda De La Esquina · Official video
The musicians
- Alan Ruiz — guitar
- Sangito Bigelow — congas
- Lily Towers — güiro
- Nicholas Bracewell — drums
- Linaldo Sans — bass
Upcoming dates
- Wednesday November 18, 2026 — Vitrine officielle — Mundial Montréal 2026 (soirée) · Petit Campus, Montréal (Canada) — Official page ↗
Public dates — collected from the artist's official channels on November 9, 2026.
Discography
- February 7, 2026 — “My Favorite Things” (single, Bandcamp)
Calendar
- Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 11:05 p.m. — Mundial Montréal 2026, Petit Campus, Montreal (official showcases)
Show formats
- Full collective — Latin descargas: percussion, guitars, brass and vocals
On video — their Mundial Montréal 2026 showcase
The official presentation video of Midnight Boogaloo for Mundial Montréal 2026: Wednesday, November 18, 2026 · 11:05 p.m. · Petit Campus, Montreal. Video © Mundial Montréal — provided to Festival TV in the festival's official media kit.