Founded in 2001, Boogalu Productions is a culture, media, and travel organization with headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area and Havana, Cuba.

Where does the name Boogalu come from ?
Boogaloo or bogalú is a fusion of Afro-American soul music and Latin music that was invented as a cross over style to engage the music-dance communities in New York in the 1970's. I named my company Boogalu (mix of the two spellings) Productions to honor this rich tradition in the Americas of blending cultural expressions.

Creator-Director
Philip Ross

I am an American, from the San Francisco Bay Area. I have a background as a Latin and African music scholar, musician, dancer, teacher, and producer, along with a degree in Anthropology.

My involvement with black culture and Latin music began in the mid-sixties listening on the radio to soul and Latin tinged "Boogaloo" music while also playing rhythm guitar in a teen garage band.

A turning point came in 1969 when I witnessed the Afro-Cuban orchestra of Mongo Santamaria and was transfixed by the percussive force and beauty of the music being played by musicians highly attuned to each other. It's as if I dropped into another realm realm that touched my core like nothing else had done before.

In the ensuing years I have embraced an Afro-centric focus as a music and culture student, educator, performer, and scholar, with extensive travels to Brazil and Cuba. In Cuba I have developed projects as a media producer, travel director, and community facilitator.