From learningsecrets:

Grupo Fantasma - El Sabio Soy Yo from weheartmusic.com

These Dynamic Funksters Collaborate With Everyone From Prince To Spoon To Maceo Parker

"one of the sickest live bands ever" - Philadelphia Weekly

Grupo Fantasma is fresh off a busy Coachella weekend, where the band's horn section provided backup for Prince during his appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Friday night, as well as supporting the pop icon at his Coachella performance this past Saturday.

The band's relationship with Prince began with a two-month residency at his Las Vegas nightclub 3121 (guest appearances included Marc Anthony, Mary J. Blige and will.i.am) and evolved into a series of backing roles at events such as the CBS Superbowl Bash in South Beach and the ALMA Awards. According to Jose Galeano, Grupo Fantasma's elder statesman, "Prince's seal of approval sends a message that the band's music and performances are of the highest quality, and that we can conquer anything we put our minds to. It was quite an accomplishment. Even if the masses don't know it yet, he believes that we kick some serious ass!"

Formed in 2000, Grupo Fantasma is an 11-piece orchestra from Austin, Texas, who tour exhaustively and have garnered high esteem with fans and critics nationwide for their musicianship, stage presence and unique sound. It is that very love, adoration, and musical prowess that led Pop Culture Press to declare Grupo Fantasma "One of the all-time great Texas bands...Their catchy sounds straddle so many musical genres that putting them in a particular niche seems pointless."

Grupo Fantasma infuses traditional Latin styles with a modern twist on their new album, Sonidos Gold, set for release June 17th on Aire Sol Records/High Wire Music. From the epic and inspiring entrance of "El Sabio Soy Yo" to the dreamy and delicate closure of "Perso Fra i Mesquites," Grupo Fantasma's third studio album provides a cohesive collection of genre-defying songs. "It's the definitive Grupo Fantasma album, the one we've wanted to make since the beginning," declares Adrian Quesada, one of the band's guitarists, co-founders and head producer. "The sound is organic, live, while sonically it's big and roomy with psychedelic and cinematic undertones." Guest performances on the album include legendary saxophonist Maceo Parker on "Gimme Some," and Fania All-Stars' pianist and arranger Larry Harlow alongside trombonist Greg Boyer (Prince, Parliament Funkadelic) on "Rumba y Guaganco."

So diverse are the musical renderings of Grupo Fantasma that their résumé features an appearance on PBS' Austin City Limits in addition to gigs backing indie-rockers Spoon and the above mentioned Prince.

The upcoming Grupo Fantasma tour in support of Sonidos Gold includes dates at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, Bonaroo, and Montreal Jazz Fest amongst many other shows nationwide. DONT MISS THEM LIVE!

http://www.grupofantasma.com
http://www.myspace.com/fantasmatics

      vu www.weheartmusic.com info@weheartmusic.com