BIOGRAPHY PLENA LIBRE

Three-time GRAMMY nominees, the 13-member Plena Libre is Puerto Rico’s foremost exponent of plena.  Plena is a traditional Afro-Rican rhythm and musical genre, and Plena Libre means free-form, or liberated, plena, a traditional Puerto Rican rhythm which emerged from the island’s African heritage. Combining percussion, horns and vocals, this joyous dance music has been given new light and form by Plena Libre’s exciting arrangements combining traditional plena rhythmic patterns with contemporary dancefloor styles. Add to that an energetic stage presentation and choreographed dance steps and you have an extraordinary musical experience.

Plena Libre was formed in 1994 by bassist and bandleader Gary Nuñez, whose mission was to reinvent and update the genre, taking it from its present folkloric status – which relegated its performance to holidays and folk revivals – and turning it into a living and breathing, popular, evolving form.  He added a lineup that includes bass, keyboards, timbales, congas, four trombones, miscellaneous percussion as well as some of the best plena singers (soneros) found in Puerto Rico. With a style that draws on both the traditional and the modern, and arrangements that mix other Caribbean rhythms and sizzling dance-floor charts with plena, Plena Libre topped the charts with one hit after another on commercial radio stations in Puerto Rico, becoming a major force on the Puerto Rican musical scene.

Plena Libre has performed thousands of shows in Puerto Rico, and has toured in the U.S, South America, Asia and Europe, receiving extraordinary reviews for their performances and recordings which have generated over 15 hit songs and sold hundreds of thousands of copies in Puerto Rico alone. Tune in to the plena. Tune in to Plena Libre.

Nominated for a GRAMMY in 2003 and a Latin GRAMMY in 2001 (Mas Libre, RykoLatino),  their latest release,  ¡Estamos Gozando!, marks their 10 year anniversary and their 10th commercial release. It is also a tribute to the greatest Puerto-Rican plena composers of the century - Canario, Angel Torruellas, Cesar Concepción, Mon Rivera, Rafael Cepeda, Rafael Cortijo and Ismael Rivera, updated in Plena Libre's style.

2003 Grammy Award Nominee

“Best Tropical Traditional Album”

2001 Latin Grammy Nominee

“Best Tropical Traditional Album”

2002 ACE Awards Nominee

“Best Tropical Folkloric Group”

 Press about Plena Libre:

“Today Plena is hip thanks to (Gary) Nuñez’ 12-piece band . . . the people keep dancing and asking for more.” — Miami Herald

 “An outstanding live act.” — MIDEM Convention Magazine

“Plena Libre has given a new era to this wonderful rhythm plena” —Daily News, New York

“Plena Libre takes “plena” to its maximum expression.”  —Osceola Sentinel, Florida

Plena Libre made a strong impression because of their musicality, togetherness, growth and dynamism on stage.” —El Nuevo Día, Puerto Rico

“Tres chic. . .”  —Liberation, France

“(Plena Libre) was the night’s best.” —Crónica de Cancún, Mexico

“Young talented and spicy and full of young followers, Plena Libre is the new face of the Puerto Rican plena.” —Latin Beat Magazine

“The crowd went wild.” —Sun Sentinal, Florida

“Tropical music will never be the same after the emerging of the vigorous group, Plena Libre.” —The San Juan Star

“Plena Libre (at Sculller’s Jazz Club) . . . a mad weave of polyrhythms that simply sizzle”. The Boston Globe

“This group with it’s unique personality has placed plena in places only reserved for merengue and salsa.” —Diálogo Monthly, Puerto Rico

“Nowadays Puerto Rico is spearheading the Latin invasion of American popular music, thanks to the international success of stars like Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Jennifer López and the group Plena Libre.” —National Geographic

DISCOGRAPHY

“Estamos Gozando” / World Connection (2005)

Mi Ritmo (2002) GN Música / Latin World Entertainment

Plena Libre. . .  Más Libre (2000), RykoLatino

Juntos y Revueltos (otra vez!) (1999), RykoLatino

Plena Libre (1998), RykoLatino

Plena Libre Mix (1998), ACP

Plena Libre….De Parranda (1997), ACP

Plena Libre. . . Plena Pa’Ti (1996), SJ Records

Plena Libre. . .Cógelo que Ahí te Va  (1995), SJ Records

Juntos y Revueltos (1994), ACP