- Grupo Fantasma
Grupo Fantasma is an 11 piece latin funk orchestra from
Austin, Texas . Formed in 2000 from the merger of two Austin acts, The Blue Noise Band and The Blimp, the band emerged with a sold out show at the former Empanada Parlour on 6th Street in Austin. The band is best known for their exuberant live shows and their recent association with Prince and his 3121 Club in Las Vegas. The band has backed Prince on numerous occasions, including his performance on the ALMA Awards in 2007, and often perform at his afterparty jam sessions."They're the best band in Austin" confesses "Austin Chronicle" and "Village Voice" music critic Jim Caligiuiri, "The only other band I've seen get that kind of response was the Ramones."Fact|date=August 2008 This group of enthusiastic youngsters has grown into a monstrous and masterful ensemble that has sold more than 20,000 albums independently. Allmusicguide.com said "the grassroots success of Grupo Fantasma marks them as one of the decade's most important independent artists in the latin genre. The band successfully obliterates the clichés that often plague the current Latin music market, all the while keeping their feet firmly planted in the traditions that they love and deeply respect."Fact|date=August 2008
Grupo Fantasma has twice played the
Austin City Limits Music Festival and recently taped an episode of the popular "Austin City Limits " TV Show on PBS. They have also performed at such prestigious festivals as theMontreal Jazz Festival and theCalgary Folk Music Festival and have headlined numerous SXSW showcases in their career. The also played at the inauguralSouth Padre International Music Festival in 2007. The band performs relentlessly, regularly doing 150+ dates a year. Their horn section has also made various appearances on worldwide releases and has recently been performing with indie rock legends Spoon. The band's music was featured prominently in the NYC Cable Access television show, The Unbelievable Show from 2001-2004.Discography
*"Grupo Fantasma" 2002
*"Movimiento Popular" 2004
*"Comes Alive" 2006
*"Sonidos Gold" 2008Albums Featured
* "Homenaje" by Brownout (2007, Freestyle Records)
* "El Nino y El Sol" by Ocote Soul Sounds and Adrian Quesada (2005, ESL Music)
* "Mascaras" by Sergent Garcia (2004 EMI France/Virgin Records)
* "Uno, Dos, Banderas" by Control Machete (2004 Universal)Band
* Beto Martinez - guitar
* Adrian Quesada - guitar
* Johnny Lopez - drums
* Jose Galeano - percussion, vocals
* Greg Gonzalez - bass
* Leo Gauna - trombone
* Josh Levy - baritone saxophone
* Gilbert Elorreaga - trumpet
* Kino Rodriguez - vocals, percussion
* Matthew Holmes - congasFormer Band Members
* David Lobel - baritone saxophone
* Jeremy Bruch - percussion
* Brian Ramos - vocals
* Joseph Serrato - saxophone
* Dave Wolfe - trumpet
* Gene CentenoExternal links
* [http://www.grupofantasma.com Grupo Fantasma Homepage]
* [http://www.myspace.com/fantasmatics Grupo Fantasma Myspace Page]
* [http://www.spimusicfest.com/ South Padre International Music Festival]
* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/AMDB/Profile?oid=oid:54222 Austin Music Database]Articles
* [http://www.exclaim.ca/musicreviews/generalreview.aspx?csid2=849&fid1=32573&csid1=124 Adrian Quesada article at www.exclaim.ca]
* [http://www.okayplayer.com/content/view/5922/86/ www.okayplayer.com]
* [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29692 www.allaboutjazz.com]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
