This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
Opening act by Bazurto All-Stars from Colombia sponsored by the International Latino Cultural Center.
El Laberinto del Coco is an Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba Fusion 13 piece ensemble founded in 2017 by visionary percussionist Hector “Coco” Barez. With a unique blend of sizzling musical ideas Barez presents new ways to the traditional sounds of Puerto Rican Bomba. After touring the world with Ballet Folklorico de Puerto Rico “Areyto”, Grammy Award winning groups like Calle 13, Bacilos and world renowned bands like Bio Ritmo, Miramar, William Cepeda and Bayanga, Barez decides to embark on a new journey.
In 2017, Hector Barez received a commission from the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts to record El Laberinto del Coco first Album. With critics comparing this recording to Rafael Cortijo’s masterpiece The Time Machine. A new era in Puerto Rican music is established. During 43 minutes, Barez brings to life a unique concept with a very distinctive sound with rich syncopated horn lines, funky guitar licks, solid multilayered percussion and enchanting voices, making El Laberinto del Coco a fan pleaser.
Bazurto All-Stars have their own unique sound which comes from the mixing of African Champeta, folkloric and electronic music with cumbia, vallenato, reggae, ska and even symphonic music. They have dubbed this fusion “La Champeta Universal” or “Universal Champeta” which has allowed champeta to cross social, cultural, and language barriers to evolve and adapt to a variety of musical styles. The result has been a string of hits like “La manguerta”, “El boll”, “Me falla el wifi”, “La reina del baile” and “La pupileta”. This last song broke all of the rules and expectations within the genre and reached markets that more traditional champeta had never entered, becoming the official song of the Carnaval of Barranquilla (the largest after Rio) in 2016 and becoming one of the most recognized songs within Colombia in 2016 and 2017.
This event is part of SRBCC’s Melaza Music Series and receives generous support from The Field Foundation of Illinois. Opening act and promotional support provided by the International Latino Cultural Center.
