La Tribu de Abrante

La Tribu de Abrante are a 12-piece orchestra from Puerto Rico. Their sound melds traditional bomba and plena melodies and with salsa, Latin jazz, funk, reggaeton and urban pop. Founded and led by singer, songwriter and chief arranger Hiram Abrante, the band's sound also includes family members Luis Abrante and Jomar Abrante. Most of the group grew up playing music together and several are classically trained. Hiram Abrante is a music industry veteran. He made his living for years doing studio background vocals for Tego Calderón and other artists. In 2007 he decided to pursue the vision of melding bomba and plena with urban sounds, full time. The first lasting version of La Tribu de Abrante came together in 2010. The group rehearsed relentlessly and played local fairs, festivals and weddings for five years, becoming a crack outfit in the process. Then Abrante reconnected with producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Angelo Torres (they had worked together on the Calderon classic El Abayarde in 2003). With Torres, La Tribu Abrante cut their debut single "Dale Pa' La Calle," and issued it digitally through White Lion. The track did well on the internet charts and in clubs with its punchy chants, burning horns and layers of danceable rhythms. Press and radio picked up on it. La Tribu de Abrante went back into the studio with Abrante assisted by a host of co-producers in late 2015. A second single, "Yo No Se," was issued in January the following year. The album Otro Formato de Musica was issued in June. It entered the Top Latin Albums chart at number six and the Tropical Albums list at number three, pushing "Dale Pa' La Calle" into the top 25 on the Tropical Songs chart. ~ Thom Jurek