Plena Libre

Contemporary masters Plena Libre, have been nominated for multiple Grammys and Latin Grammys, Plena Libre has earned acclaim for taking the once dormant style of plena music and reclaiming it for a new generation across a 30-year, 15-album career. The ensemble that help put Puerto Rican roots music on the international map, wins the hearts of aficionados and newcomers alike. “The chemistry and emotions on stage – my God!” says bandleader, bass player and founder Gary Nuñez. “I am continually overwhelmed by the spirit of the band. It is the music of Puerto Rico as it should be experienced. This train will just run you over!”

Plena Libre stays true to the island’s unique African-based plena and bomba pulse, while flirting unabashedly and engagingly with sounds from across the Caribbean and Latin world. Dancing with genres from smiling merengue and Cuban songo to Latin jazz and rock, the band takes a no-holds-barred approach to, keeping the rhythmic core of Puerto Rican music and adding layers of complex, good-spirited brass, string and hard-hitting hand percussion.

“We emphasize the sound of the drum in the eternal dialog with the voice and the rest of the musical ensemble” says Núñez, “as we adapt elements of jazz, rock and other Latin and Afro-Caribbean music to our roots.” Intense horns meet Plena Libre’s lush, traditional vocal harmonies, and gritty arrangements take plena gems to the next level.

But Plena Libre isn’t just about playing music and winning hearts among their Puerto Rican and international audiences. It’s about making music with heart, with a core of integrity and dedication to the community. The band has long spoken boldly for change at home, a role that fits perfectly into the community-oriented genres of plena and bomba, which traditionally acted like the local paper in Puerto Rico’s barrios, keeping people informed and sparking discussions of current events. Plena Libre maintains this side of the music, in outspoken, evocative calls for more thoughtful, incisive approaches to the island’s problems.