Cultura Profética
Cultura Profética | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Puerto Rico |
Genres | Reggae en Español, reggae, roots reggae |
Years active | 1996–present |
Labels | Tuff Gong Luar Music |
Website | http://culturaprofetica.com |
Cultura Profética (in
After gaining popularity in Puerto Rico as a cover band, Cultura Profética began performing original music and released its debut album,
History
1996–99: Formation and Canción de Alerta
Cultura Profética originally began as a cover band, performing popular reggae songs in small bars and clubs before beginning to perform original music in Spanish. Shortly after transitioning to perform original music, the group adopted the name Cultura Profética, which was inspired by the view that "music is a voice of culture and is prophetic because the reggae music that we love, and that influenced us, is from the '70s with themes of what's happening now that can affect our future", according to guitarist/bassist Omar Silva.[1]
Many of the original members of the group attended the Escuela Elemental and the Escuela Secundaria of the University of Puerto Rico, an institution noted for its progressive and experimental teaching approaches. Vocalist/bassist Willy Rodriguez commented, "It is a school in which you are allowed to decide a few things on your own, you have free time between classes [when] you can do your own things, and there is a lot of musical culture in the school. It tends to allow you to explore your artistic interests ... There was always an air of liberation, of thinking on your own. I think that influenced a lot in what we do today musically and ideologically."[2] Group members Boris Bilbraut, Willy Rodríguez, Eliut González, Juan Costa, and Ivan Gutiérres began jamming together in 1996, bonding over a shared interest in reggae music, particularly Bob Marley.[2] These rehearsal sessions took place in El Hoyo, a neighborhood in the San Juan metropolitan area.[2]
After transitioning away from being a cover band, the group quickly gained popularity in the Puerto Rican reggae scene. Cultura Profética began performing in major reggae festivals and opening for Jamaican reggae musician
1998–2009: Ideas Nuevas, Diario, and M.O.T.A.
The group returned to Tuff Gong studios in 1999 to record its second album,
In 2004, Cultura Profetica began to focus on the international stage, eventually moving temporarily to
2010–present: La Dulzura and Sobrevolando
In 2010, Cultura Profética released La Dulzura, the group's first album on its own record label, La Mafafa.[10] While discussing the decision to create an independent record label, Rodríguez explained "I can't deny we spoke with different labels, but we didn't find anything favorable. Labels are going through tough times and we decided to brave it on our own."[10] Many of the songs on the album were written and performed during the band's extensive touring beginning in 2007, and the songs went through numerous transformations during this time.[10] Before the album's official release, the band posted songs on the internet, including "La Complicidad", which became a radio hit in Puerto Rico. La Dulzura debuted at number five on Billboard's Top Latin Albums Chart.[10]
La Dulzura represented a stylistic departure for the group, both musically and lyrically. The song "Del Tope al Fondo" is influenced by Argentine music, especially the genre of tango.[11] Lyrically, the band discusses more romantic themes as opposed to the political emphasis of the group's previous records. Guitarist Eliut Gonzalez remarked that the band aimed to shift discussion to "the good things in the world", explaining that "We know that people need help, and that behind every revolution or movement, there is love. We wanted to document that in our music, but without doing it in a cheesy or typical way."[3] The singles "Baja la Tensión", "La Complicidad", "Para Estar" and "Ilegal" all charted on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs chart.[9] In 2011, the group collaborated with Dominican musician Vicente García on his single "Mi Balcón".[12]
The group's single "Saca, Prende y Sorprende", released in 2014, pays homage to Jamaican
On November 1, 2019, the band released the album Sobrevolando, which debuted at number two on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart.
Style and lyrical themes
Cultura Profética has been described as roots reggae. The group has often made use of the moog synthesizer, an instrument commonly used in traditional reggae but is generally rare in contemporary reggae.[2] Despite primarily performing reggae music, the group incorporates various other rhythms into its compositions, including those of Caribbean genres such as salsa.[2] The song "Reggae Rústico" from Ideas Nuevas includes an extended soneo, an improvised call-and-response section common in the salsa genre, at its closing, calling for unity in reggae music.[2] Additionally, the band's music features a strong emphasis on improvisation and polyrhythmic patterns.[2] Rodríguez notes that "We've developed what I think is our own genre. We don't consider ourselves a pop act but we do make popular music in the sense that we are supported by many people. People have finally understood what we do."[10] Leila Cobo of Billboard observed elements of jazz in the single "La Complicidad," additionally describing it as "more mellow rock than reggae."[10]
Lyrically, the group addresses social issues including corruption, environmentalism, personal liberty, and Latin American identity. Canción de Alerta contains the song "Por qué cantamos," an adaptation of Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti's poem of the same name. Author Eunice Rojas cites this as an example of the group using "the power of music to advance social causes."[17] The song "Suelta Los Amarres" from Ideas Nuevas discourages listeners from using violence to advance a political cause.[2] However, the lyrics on La Dulzura place more emphasis on interpersonal relationships and love. Silva notes that the group refrains from writing "romantic" lyrics, noting that "romanticism has a connotation of suffering for love. We are talking about the love that elevates and purifies your soul. We are talking in the sense of the love that sets you free."[1]
Discography
Studio albums
- Canción de Alerta (1998)
- Ideas Nuevas (1999)
- Diario(2002)
- M.O.T.A. (2005)
- La Dulzura (2010)
- Sobrevolando (2019)
Band members
Current members
- Willy Rodríguez—Bass guitar, Lead Vocals
- Omar Silva—Guitar, Bass guitar
- Juanqui Sulsona—Keyboards
- Eliut González—Guitar
- Eggie Santiago—Organ, Keyboards
- Ernesto Rodríguez—Percussion
- Patricia Lewis—Vocals
- Adrianna Betancourt—Vocals
- Victor Vázquez—Trombone
- Kalani Trinidad—Flute & Saxophone
- Jahaziel García—Trumpet
Former members
- Boris Bilbraut; percussion
- Iván Gutiérrez—piano, brass arrangements
- Sergio Orellana—keyboards, organ
- Melvin Villanueva—piano
- Juan Costa—rhythm guitar
- Raúl Gaztambide—organ
- Danny Ramírez - keyboard, organ
- Eduardo Fernández—trombone
- Javier Joglar—tenor saxophone, flute
- Luis Rafael Torres—tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flute
- Juan José "Cheo" Quiñones—trumpet
- María Soledad Gaztambide—vocals
- Yarimir Cabán, better known professionally as Mima—vocals
- Eduardo "Edo" Sanz—drums, percussion
- Omar Cruz—percussion
- Beto Torrens, Juansi—percussion
- Bayrex Jiménez—piano, keyboards
References
- ^ a b Toruno, Catherine (November 21, 2013). "Cultura Profética brings positive vibrations". Miami.com. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gaztambide-Fernández, Rubén A (Fall 2004). "Profetas De La Cultura: Notes On The Puerto Rican Reggae Of Cultura Profética". Centro Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ a b c Darby, Heidi (June 23, 2014). "Cultura Profética Are the Lords of Latin Reggae Archived 2015-05-30 at the Wayback Machine", OC Weekly, Retrieved July 4, 2014
- ^ "Cultura Profética: "Buscamos la unión de la gente"". La Vida (in Spanish). October 29, 2013. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ a b Amary Santiago Torres (July 1, 2008). "Su música cala hondo por sí sola" (in Spanish). Primera Hora.
- ^ "Hot Latin Albums of Cultura Profética". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Cobo, Leila (March 26, 2005). "Rapper Vico C Rides Reggaeton's Wave". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ a b "Latin Pop Songs Chart". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Cobo, Leila (July 3, 2010). "Riddim & Romance". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ a b "Cultura Profética sobre su nuevo corte: "Hace falta controversia para dar un cambio"". La Vida (in Spanish). September 30, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
- ^ Aguila, Justino (July 2, 2011). "En Breve: Vicente García to open U.S. shows for Maná". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
- ^ Fernandez, Susette (March 24, 2017). "New Music Friday Feat. Don Omar, Wisin, Santa Cecilia & More". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ Jackson, Kevin (November 13, 2019). "Israelites hits Billboard, again". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ Exposito, Suzy (December 29, 2019). "So, How Was Your Decade, Ozuna?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- ^ a b "John Legend, Cultura Profética y Flor de Toloache unen fuerzas en Quisiera". Rolling Stone Colombia (in Spanish). March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Rojas, 2013. p. 501
Bibliography
- Rojas, Eunice, ed. (October 8, 2013). Sounds of Resistance: The Role of Music in Multicultural Activism. Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-39805-6.
External links
- Cultura Profética on MySpace
- Cultura Profética on Facebook