"Puya" Biography

Artist/Band: Puya

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In 1992, after kicking around San Juan in various incarnations, the quartet: Ed Paniagua on drums, Sergio Curbelo on lead vocals, Ramon Ortiz on guitar, and Harold Hopkins on bass, moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Rock-En-Espanol scene in Puerto Rico had teeth, but the young band had yet to realize its musical horizons. "The bands back then were mainly playing covers of American rock," explains PUYA's drummer Ed. PUYA journeyed from their home to figure out what exactly their sound was going to be. "I don't know if we missed the island or what," said Ed, "but our Latin influence started growing stronger (in Florida), more than when we were living in Puerto Rico. We wanted to go back to our roots, and it was interesting to find them, musically, in the United States." Not only did the band merge their Latin and Anglo musical influences, they began to use English, Spanish, and Spanglish lyrics, peppering their songs with Puerto Rican slang. PUYA met their producer-to-be, Gustavo Santoalalla (fabled producer/auteur responsible for Cafe Tacuba and Molotov's crossover success) in Miami. Soon they were playing gigs at L.A.抯 House of Blues, Dragonfly, and Opium Den. Exposure to L.A.'s growing Latin rock scene helped to solidify their rock-meets-salsa style. A deal with MCA Records soon followed in early 1998. The band is set to debut their self-titled EP on October 20, 1998. Included on the CD are three tracks from the band抯 forthcoming full-length debut, Fundamental, 揝olo,?揝al Pa抐uera?and 揗ontate.?The EP抯 揝olo,?fluctuates between syncopated salsa, backed by a full horn section, and hard-core interludes that urge pride in 搇a raza Latina?(the Latin race). 揝al Pa抐uera?is a straight-ahead headbanger designed to kick your conscience into high gear. 揗ontate,?meaning 揼et on it? is a track as hard as anything Korn or the Deftones have to offer, with a chorus that turns 180 degrees into a smooth horn-driven mambo. PUYA's debut full-length CD is due for release in January ?9. Fundamental, which has the same meaning in both Spanish and English, has 13 sizzling tracks that cover the wide range of lyrical and musical influences the band抯 members grew up with. The albums title track, 揊undamental,?is juiced by a swinging Afro-Cuban pulse that breaks into a metallic frenzy, prompting Sergio to switch from smooth Spanish to abrasive English. "Oasis," one of the CD's more hyperkinetic cuts, is a tribute to the island's unique cultural mix, and the band's eternal love for its homeland. Crooning over a funky Latin jazz vibe, Sergio switches it up to suddenly growl over Ramon抯 revved-up thrash guitars, shouting, "This is where the sound of the future is born!" in Spanish. "Trinidad" celebrates the Puerto Rican welterweight boxing champ of the same name; "Whatever?is a slinky hard rock/Latin funk song about a day when everything that can go wrong does gowrong. The members of PUYA are pleased to have signed with MCA Record's main label, rather than to its Latin division. But that is not to say that the band is burying its heritage -- PUYA's sound is sofull of nationalist pride, the group will undoubtedly serve an ambassadorial role for the people of Puerto Rico. The last song on the album, "Mere Ni駉," is based on an old El Gran Combo song about the dancing, feasting, and partying done during the holidays on the island. "We're looking to convey the message that we have our own identity, even though politically Puerto Rico is a colony of the U.S.," said Ramon. "There will always be Caribbean blood running through our music," said Ramon. Even though the band is now based in the U.S. and plays primarily here, it was PUYA抯 trip to Bogota, Colombia that made the biggest impression on Ramon. "We played a gigantic three-day festival there," saidRamon. "By the third song, I saw the biggest pit I've ever seen in my life. People were moshing, but the girls started dancing around the edge of the pit to the salsa parts. It was like a new dynamic was forming." PUYA?a new dynamic coming soon to your hometown.