Bacilos: Grammy afterglow

Bacilos is a band that was born on stage, forming and performing before South Florida audiences long before its first record was released in 2001.

That live experience brought a genuine warmth and good-natured confidence to the group’s Los Angeles debut as headliners at the Conga Room on Thursday. The band’s polished, heartfelt and joyful performance displayed the irresistible appeal that has generated grass-roots excitement almost since its inception eight years ago.

The group arrived here straight off its recent Grammy triumph in New York, where its “Caraluna” won for best Latin pop album.

Perhaps pumped up by the honor and an enthusiastic capacity crowd, Bacilos infused fresh, flesh-and-blood feeling into now familiar songs, including the catchy hit “Mi Primer Millon” (My First Million), a playful and now prophetic song about a struggling band’s big ambitions.

The trio’s folksy tropical sound was beefed up by four versatile backup musicians on horns, congas and keyboards. Together, they generated a pulsating energy with jazzy solos and an array of rhythms from reggae to rap and bossa nova. But the focus was on shaggy-haired lead singer and songwriter Jorge Villamizar, who has a natural and engaging style. He also has a knack for words and melodies that resonate with fans, who happily jumped around and sang along Thursday even to numbers from the group’s lesser-known, self-titled first album.