Orchestra Mambo International

A thirteen-piece Latin big band presenting mambo, salsa dura and Afro-Cuban jazz, shown here with DJ Lubi Jovanovic at Hare & Hounds in Birmingham. The group was set up in 2022 and draws on musicians from several countries.

Orchestra Mambo International, usually abbreviated to OMI, is a thirteen-piece Latin big band set up towards the end of 2022 by salsa DJ Lubi Jovanovic and trombonist and composer Jonny Enright, who also plays with Grupo X. Its members come from Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Brazil and the UK.

The music revisits the peak years of mambo, salsa dura and Afro-Cuban jazz, with stated influences including Tito Puente, Machito, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, Ray Barretto and Tito Rodriguez. The band has played Glastonbury, Leeds Jazz Festival and Musicport, and took part in a session for BBC 6 Music with Cerys Matthews, recorded at Maida Vale Studios. Their singles, original mambo, Latin jazz and cha cha tracks, have received airplay on Jazz FM, One Jazz and Worldwide FM. Their debut album, Apúntalo, is set for release on Loft Recordings, with lead vocalist Carlos Peña and guest Claritzel Miyares.

Hare & Hounds, at 106 High Street in Birmingham, mainly hosts concerts, with a programme centred on pop, rock and indie music. This concert's bill also features DJ Lubi Jovanovic alongside the band.