Puya (band)

Puya is a Puerto Rican rock band from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Originally playing only instrumentals, they added vocalist Sergio Curbelo and in 1992 and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where they created their mix of salsa and heavy metal. Later in 1994 with the release of their demo tape they changed their name to Puya.

Puya was the first Puerto Rican rock band to achieve a high level of international success.^[2]

History

In the early 90s, vocalist Sergio Curbelo joined the band and they changed their name to Puya. The band also relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where they met Jeff Renza who helped them develop, and polish their sound in the newly formed Noiz Boiz production recording studio. In 1995, they released their eponymous debut album under the Noiz Boiz label.

There they also met producer Gustavo Santaolalla who signed them to MCA and they released their second album titled Fundamental which received critical praise. This propelled the band to stardom even landing them in the second stage of Ozzfest where they shared the opening slot with Slipknot in 1999.

In 2000, one of their songs ("Tírale"), was included in the soundtrack of the movie Heavy Metal 2000, the only track with lyrics in Spanish from the collection. The band opened for Sepultura, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pantera and KISS. They also recorded a cover song – using their particular style – of The Police's "Spirits in the Material World" in Spanish. The song was titled "Almas en un mundo material".

Because sales of the band's second album, Union, did not meet MCA's expectations, the label did not renew the band's contract after it had expired in 2002.^[2]

Puya reunited for a long anticipated show on Friday May 15, 2009 at the San Juan Convention Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico for the musical festival "Medalla Light Presents": "Stereo" Modern Music Festival,Invaders Must Die Tour. Puya was performing at SNICKERS Urbania November 1, 2009 at Juan Ramon Lubriel Coliseum in Bayamon Puerto Rico and they were the main event. Puya's last performance was on Sunday july 4,2010 After a long 14 year wait, since Rock Al Parque 1996, PUYA returned to Bogota Colombia to be one of the headlining acts at the 16th installment of what has become the largest rock festival in Latin America, "Rock Al Parque 2010". The festival, free to the public, was held at the Simon Bolivar National Park in Bogota with attendances of over 100,000 each day on the 3 day festival. PUYA has been historicly the only puertorrican artist to ever form part of ROCK AL PARQUE

Musical style and influences

Puya's musical style incorporates elements of salsa,^[3]^[4] hard rock,^[5] heavy metal^[5] and rap metal.^[6] Puya's influences include the Fania All-Stars, Journey, Foreigner, Kiss, REO Speedwagon, Slayer, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Van Halen and Sepultura.^[2] Much of Fundamental is punk and heavy metal-based, with salsa-influenced sections.^[2] Union fuses rap metal, Rock en Español, salsa and jazz.^[2]

Band members

Ramón Ortíz – guitars
Eduardo Paniagua – drums
Harold Hopkins – bass guitar
Sergio Curbelo – vocals
Eddie Macias – Original Whisker Biscuit Vocals (1990, 1992) current ANKLA singer.
Jose Ignacio "Joshin"- original Whisker Biscuit drummer
Mike Smart- Saxophone

Discography

Whisker Biscuit (1994)
Puya (1995)
Fundamental (1999)
Union (2001)
Areyto (2010)

References

^ [1]
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Mateus, Jorge Arévalo (2004). "Boricua Rock". In Hernandez, Deborah Pacini (ed.). Rockin' las Américas: the global politics of rock in Latin/o America. D. Fernández, Héctor l'Hoeste; Zolov, Eric. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 94–98. ISBN 0822958414.
^ Flicky, Brad (August 2001). "Review of Union". CMJ New Music (95): 87. ISSN 1074-6978.
^ R. Bouley II, Charles (January 9, 1999). "MCA's Puya Gets 'Fundamental' With Mix Of Rock, Salsa". Billboard. 111 (2): 12. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ ^a ^b Cobo, Leila (June 16, 2001). "Puya: Rocking Harder Than Ever". Billboard. 113 (24): LM-10. ISSN 0006-2510.
^ Lannert, John (Dec 11, 1999). "New Faces Spice Up A Record Year". Billboard. 111 (50): LM-1. ISSN 0006-2510.

External links

[1] [1]

[Mateus-2] Mateus, Jorge Arévalo (2004). "Boricua Rock". In Hernandez, Deborah Pacini (ed.). Rockin' las Américas: the global politics of rock in Latin/o America. D. Fernández, Héctor l'Hoeste; Zolov, Eric. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 94–98. ISBN 0822958414.

[3] Flicky, Brad (August 2001). "Review of Union". CMJ New Music (95): 87. ISSN 1074-6978.

[4] R. Bouley II, Charles (January 9, 1999). "MCA's Puya Gets 'Fundamental' With Mix Of Rock, Salsa". Billboard. 111 (2): 12. ISSN 0006-2510.

[Cobo-5] Cobo, Leila (June 16, 2001). "Puya: Rocking Harder Than Ever". Billboard. 113 (24): LM-10. ISSN 0006-2510.

[6] Lannert, John (Dec 11, 1999). "New Faces Spice Up A Record Year". Billboard. 111 (50): LM-1. ISSN 0006-2510.

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]