Willie Martinez & Mambo Loco

Willie Martinez & Mambo Loco?

I need to start this by saying that one of my favourite acts at Fuji Rock over the years has been Big Willie’s Burlesque. Big Willie is one of the hardest working guys at Fuji Rock. although he’s never pulled off the most-shows-at-the-fest prize in any given year, without actually counting he may well hold the overall prize, as he’s been so many times, and plays three, four or more sets each time. That’s sure to add up to quite some FRF kudos. So I was excited when I saw in the Don’s piece on the Crystal Palace line-up that the Willie Martinez of Willie Martinez y Mambo Loco is actually Willie McNeil aka Big Willie.

So I looked into it… And I saw that the listing in the media information certainly does link to Willie McNeil’s site (and his five outfits!). I was initially disappointed to see that the act he’s doing is not Big Willie’s Burlesque, so we’d be missing out on longtime favourite Carolina… But then I noticed that the listing includes Carolina. And most of the BWB band. But it doesn’t list the members of Mambo Loco. Hmmm… What’s going on here? Some further searching turned up a completely different Latin percussionist by the name of Willie Martinez. Who’s actually very good. And has a decidedly different name to Willie McNiel. And a decidedly similar one to that on the Crystal Palace bill. And plays with a decidedly different band to Mambo Loco. And the picture in the media kit shows a decidedly different set of band members to Mambo Loco’s website. As well as missing Carolina & other members of BWB listed in the band info.

Digging a bit deeper, a web search for Willie Martinez y Mambo Loco turned up only a single reference to the act that isn’t Fuji Rock related, at a Cinco de Mayo day show back on (who would’ve guessed?) May 5th of this year at The Edison in LA. So, I’m confused. Not sure exactly who to expect here. But after the searching I did on all the artists names involved in this little story, I can certainly tell you this: Whoever steps up to the plate late on Sunday night at the Crystal Palace, it’s gonna be some excellent Cuban / Latin mambo!

Big Willie’s Burlesque’s 2008 performance at Fuji Rock