The Black Bottom Brass Band was first up on Sunday, and had at least 200 people squeezed inside with a few more spilling out the front entrance and peeping in. The group is hardly composed of virtuosos, but that is not the point. They are more like a street band, and to prove it they entered the room marching band style, already playing as they drummed their way through the front door. They are a fun emulation of New Orleans brass, though the sound is also very Quincy Jones, a mix of zydeco, 70s soul and TV jingles. On this day, they played everything from the New Orleans classic “Iko Iko” to the soul oldie “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire. They have been going for close to 20 years and the current version has five horns and two drummers. They know how to woo an audience with I-say-you-say, sing-after-me and other varieties of call-and-response. In an intimate venue, they inspired plenty of smiling faces, and even more happy, dancing feet.

They also get the “longest conga line” award for Fuji Rock 2013, having a wrap-around boogie train snaking the circumference of Café de Paris, so long in fact that the line was able to high-five itself at one point.

Thanks to the dancing duo that made their debut in the second song, showcasing super quick salsa moves and inviting audience members to try out the dance floor, what was at first a somber crowd, looking exhausted from the rain and sighing when the stage manager took their chairs away and made everyone stand up, began shaking their booties and appreciating the fact that they get to hear Cuba’s finest in such an intimate setting.

So intimate in fact was the Café, while selling Havana Club rum mixers and 1000 Yen real Cuban cigars to coat the livers and lungs of everyone with shades of the Caribbean, the dancers during their break took a stack of CDs and stickers around in the crowd and hustled their goods to the innocent and musically infected audience.

You can take Los Guanches out of Cuba, but you can’t take the Cuba out of Los Guanches.

Can’t really blame them though, I mean you actually have to commend their outgoing confidence and professional attitude. After all, they came here to perform and get paid to do so, and with a large band like theirs, they need to make sure the money will go around.

That said, everything else aside, it was a rare treat to see this Los Guanches act in the flesh, almost two decades of performing under their belts, bringing a taste of their island to ours. It is that unique and worldwide diversity you can always expect from Fuji Rock, and one aspect of this world-class fest that keeps people coming back.

In any case, manic doesn’t quite do enough to describe the intensity of Asakusa Jinta’s performance. The popular Tokyo outfit’s 45-minute set was relentless from the get-go, with the band only stopping a few times to catch its breath — and even then only for a split second. The seven-piece outfit included an accordion (my second in as many days), standup bass, horns and a rhythm section that threw together elements of swing, ska, punk and rockabilly in what could almost be described as a madcap musical science experiment gone right.

A more experienced Fuji Rock fan later told me he found the set to be a little flat compared to the band’s incredible 2011 performance at the Naeba-Shokudo, but it was kinda hard to believe: How much more manic can you get than that? If nothing else, I guess it’s safe to say that Asakusa Jinta certainly know how to put on a show.

The five-piece L.A. band’s afternoon set at Cafe de Paris on Friday started sedately enough, with a crowd content to lounge around in deckchairs and slowly knock back mojitos. One member of the audience even seemed more concerned with the amount of mint in her cocktail than the foreboding accordion being played menacingly only a few meters away from her.

“You guys want another one?” yelled accordion player Ricardo “Ricky G.” Guzman at the end of Very Be Careful’s opening number. “How many of you are going to stand up?”

And within seconds, the entire audience was on its feet and crowding the stage. It would be an exaggeration to say that a mosh pit had been created, but one could be forgiven for thinking the music wasn’t infectious enough to produce one.

The next few songs were a subtle mix of energetic Latin bruisers and swirling, hypnotic melodies, and by the time the band launched into its fourth song, “Busted,” Guzman had the crowd in the palm of his hands. And once he had them there, he didn’t stop until he’d wrung every last drop of energy out of them, leading the L.A. outfit through song after song of non-stop rock-infused Latin grooves.

Cafe de Paris suited the band perfectly as a venue, and I fear it may struggle to replicate the same intimacy at the much larger Orange Court on Saturday. In a small venue, though, it’s hard to think of another vallenato outfit who would be able to top them.

Sultry brass blared over a bright tropical rhythm, as each dancer took turns to solo with their large white fans, strutting and teasing as way of introduction to the crowd. Next song Willie took to the mike, singing about a lonely summer to a Latin beat as an ominous keyboard led led the band back to groovy territory. The melody gradually ground down before the re-emergence of a dancer heralded a change to a rendition of ‘Sway with Me’ led by brazen trumpet. She lost piece of silvery clothing by silvery clothing in a shimmer, as Willie gaped and stared exaggeratedly. The song ramped up as she continued to leave the crowd hanging, before eventually losing all but a skimpy set of briefs and nipple pasties, much to the delight of the crowd.

Reggae crept into the set as the next song became a bopping bass and soulful sax number, but regained its manicness again once the dancers whirl and twirl out from backstage in colourful skirts. The next song saw the dancers rest again, while Willie took to vocals in Spanish. It was built upon a bassline so happy you can almost see its smile shimmering in the air. The set continued, with the band’s catchy funk, latin and jazz hooks matched by the grace, physicality and allure of the three dancers. But it was when Willie unleashed on the drums with his hand speed, solos and deep groove that was just as eye-catching as the half naked dancers, who were able to quiver in ways that shouldn’t be possible.

It’s Willie’s ‘dirty old’ uncle caricature behind the drum kit, with his wide, fish-eyed adoration of the dancers and mugging for the audience, that made the performance good. The chemistry between not only all the instrumental performers but also between them and the dancers made the set great. But what truly made it awesome was Willie behind the drum kit, using his instrument in directing the band and dancers with poise and equally conducting the audience’s reaction with his face, actions and exaggeration. Willie and his gang will be appearing around the festival a few more times this year, be sure to catch them!