Brazil! Brazil! Presents Latin Live

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The Fringe may feel like a world away from the South American carnavale, but you can find your very own slice of Latino heaven in the Assembly Rooms. With dancers and singers joining together from all over Cuba, Brazil and Puerto Rico, hit salsa, funk and samba tunes are expertly visited in an 80 minute extravanganza of music and colour. Suave master of ceremonies Leo Almaguer has the audience on their feet in no time, and it is a testament to the talent of the entire group that spectators become so immersed in the action. That, and the free shots of rum distributed before the interval, make for a winning formula.

‘Maria raiou’ is the star number of the show, performed to perfection by pint sized singer Paloma Gomes. Accompanied onstage by a dancer in full carnavale gear (read: sparkly thong and feathered headdress), it is impossible not to lose yourself in the blistering trumpet solos and hypnotic hip shaking. The less recognisable songs, one of which was written by the group two days ago, still cause something of a stir, and the indomitable energy with which everything is performed is infectious.

The lofty, chandeliered ceilings of the Assembly Rooms are the only thing slightly dampening the sultry Latino spirit of the night: in order to really evoke the feeling of the Reveillon, a steamier setting is required. But this is a small blight in what is otherwise a frenetic fusion of South American soul.