The New Boogaloo: Lester Rey Reimagines a Black & Brown Legacy Through Chicago’s Sound
There’s a deliberate electricity in the way Lester Rey resurrects and reconfigures sound. The pulse of Electric-House, the heat of Salsa, the swagger of Boogaloo—it’s all there, but filtered through his unique lens. Boogaloo, after all, was born from Black and Brown genius in 1960s New York—a collision of Latin rhythm, soul, jazz, and funk that was both defiant and communal. Lester doesn’t just pay homage; he stretches it, interrogates it, and charges it with new life.
In his hands, Boogaloo isn’t nostalgia—it’s ecosystemic, alive, and radical. Crisp percussion hits, courtesy of co-producer AfroQbano, dance over shifting basslines, while Lester’s bilingual lyrics thread seamlessly through the grooves. MoonDoctoR, who mixed and mastered the EP, ensures each pulse lands with clarity and punch, while co-producer Gabacho adds subtle flourishes that push the sound forward. The result is reclamation: Boogaloo as identity, joyous and sweaty, communal and radical.
Chicago itself is a collaborator here, infusing Lester’s music with grit, pulse, and nuance. Saoko & Shingaling, his tenth and final EP before his 2026 debut album, fuses salsa, boogalú, and electronic textures into a manifesto of belonging. Each track carries weight and intention: “Pena”, minimal in lyrics but maximal in impact, was co-written with Harold Gonzalez and anchored by AfroQbano’s rhythmic sensibilities; “Blanco Café”, a raw and intimate salsa, channels the resilience of the Puerto Rican diaspora with songwriting contributions from Antonio Mundaca Jr.; and “I Like It Like That (Remix)”, written with Antonio Mundaca, Siul Reynoso, and Manuel Canchola, reimagines a Latin classic with a modern, rhythm-heavy twist. Session musicians Patrick, Enez Irizarry, Luca Pierre Irizarry, Ana, and William layer warmth and authenticity into the sonic fabric, making every beat feel lived-in.
‘Saoko And Shingaling’ is also a testament to Lester Rey as a community-builder. He’s not just a performer; he’s a bridge. His Decennial Celebration at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music in early 2025 exemplified this, drawing longtime fans and newcomers alike into a shared rhythm of gratitude and legacy. That same connective energy runs through Saoko & Shingaling—a record designed for bodies in motion, for dancers and listeners who understand that culture isn’t preserved in glass but carried, shared, and remixed.
With a discography that is likely to bring you onto an eclectic path, The Blue Lion EP is essential is a good place to start to study the soundscapes of Lester Rey’s music. Tracks like “Ponce Blues” (which blends bomba from Puerto Rico with bluesier undertones from Chicago) and “Andar” show how adept he is at stretching boogaloo’s original forms while honoring them.
Lester’s connection to Puerto Rican heritage is undeniable yet never didactic. Each swung rhythm, each percussive accent, is a conversation between memory and invention. The EP stretches classic boogaloo, salsa, and Latin grooves into new terrains, while staying rooted in lineage. Saoko & Shingaling is joyful, playful, socially conscious, and deeply personal—a rare balance of intellect and movement, reflection and revelry.
By the time the final notes fade, Lester Rey has accomplished something that feels rare: he’s created music that is at once deeply rooted and forward-thinking. With collaborators like AfroQbano, MoonDoctoR, Gabacho, and the many musicians who bring texture and soul to the tracks, the EP becomes a living, breathing ecosystem. It’s not a museum piece—it’s a celebration of identity, a bridge between Puerto Rico and Chicago, past and future, tradition and experimentation.
Saoko & Shingaling is Lester Rey at his most fearless, a declaration that Boogaloo, salsa, and Latin rhythms are living languages that continue to tell stories, shape communities, and ignite joy. It’s the prelude to his debut album in 2026, and a reminder that on Lester Rey’s dancefloors, culture moves, evolves, and breathes—and listeners move with it.
In Chicago, music moves in layers. The pulse of house beats vibrates through underground clubs, while Latin rhythms seep from corner cafés and community halls. Amid this sonic collage, Lester Rey has carved out a space that is unmistakably his own: a world where the past and present collide, and cultural memory is transformed into kinetic energy. His tenth and final EP, Saoko & Shingaling, is a testament to that vision, a three-song exploration that reimagines salsa, boogalú, and electronic textures without losing the heart of their origins. Boogaloo, historically born in 1960s New York through Black and Brown collaboration, was always about hybridization—mixing Latin rhythms with soul, funk, and the energy of the streets. Lester channels that same spirit, but through a modern lens. He honors the tradition while breaking it open, layering electronic percussion over shifting basslines, weaving bilingual lyrics with effortless swing, and inviting collaborators from queer, Puerto Rican, and broader Latinx communities. The result is not nostalgia; it’s reclamation. Boogaloo isn’t a museum piece in Lester Rey’s hands—it’s a living, breathing, dancefloor imperative.
Across the EP, Lester demonstrates an acute sense of space and contrast. Minimalist lyricism meets maximalist groove, acoustic textures sit beside pulsing electronic flourishes, and each track carries its own emotional weight while contributing to a larger narrative. There is urgency, yes—a social consciousness woven into rhythm—but also joy, playfulness, and celebration. It’s music that moves both body and mind, inviting listeners into a world where reflection and revelry coexist.
Lester’s connection to his Puerto Rican roots is unmistakable, yet it never feels didactic. In every percussion hit, every swung rhythm, and every melodic flourish, there is a conversation between heritage and innovation. He takes the familiar—the classic swing of boogaloo, the warm pulse of salsa—and filters it through contemporary soundscapes, giving listeners something that feels both intimate and expansive. He doesn’t merely revisit cultural memory; he stretches it, interrogates it, and lets it breathe in new, unexpected ways. Chicago itself feels like a collaborator on this project. The city’s eclectic energy—its grit, its cultural layering, its diasporic communities—infuses Lester’s work with urgency and authenticity. Saoko & Shingaling becomes more than an EP: it’s a manifesto of belonging for those living between worlds, ni de aquí, ni de allá, neither from here nor there, yet claiming home in the rhythms and stories of both places. Lester Rey’s music is at once a map, a celebration, and a call to action, reminding listeners that identity is something you carry, remix, and share.
The brilliance of Saoko & Shingaling lies in its balance. Lester Rey honors tradition without being constrained by it, pushes boundaries without losing heart, and delivers a sonic experience that is intellectually engaging, emotionally resonant, and undeniably danceable. It’s a project that asserts his position as a leader in Latin alternative music—a musician unafraid to interrogate, celebrate, and evolve his craft. By the time the final notes fade, Lester has accomplished something rare: he has created music that is at once deeply rooted and radically forward-thinking. It is an invitation to move, reflect, and belong—a reminder that boogaloo, salsa, and Latin rhythms are not relics of the past, but living languages that continue to tell stories, shape communities, and ignite joy. Saoko & Shingaling is Lester Rey at his most fearless, a precursor to the ambitious debut album he promises in 2026, and a vibrant reminder that the dancefloor can be a space of memory, identity, and transformation.
Lester Rey isn’t just keeping Boogaloo alive—he’s letting it breathe, adapt, and challenge listeners to feel the space between cultures. In a city as layered as Chicago, that kind of artistry matters. He’s making sure that the beat never forgets its roots, even as it walks forward.
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