Bio Ritmo
Encyclopedia
Bio Ritmo "Salsa Machine" is a salsa band based in Richmond, Virginia
. The name Bio Ritmo is a Spanglish
word play on the term Biorhythm
, the hypothetical description for the rhythm of life.
The eight to ten member ensemble is known for a classic Nuyorican
salsa sound made famous by the Fania All Stars in the 1970s that combines African Caribbean rhythms from son
, bomba
, plena
, and samba
with electronica
and big band
brass.
Founded in the early 1990s, they started out as a part of the Virginia college band scene that included other, then indie
, acts like Dave Matthews Band
and Fighting Gravity.
In November 2004, the Salsa Machine won the Disc Makers
Independent Music World Series (IMWS) Northeast finals held at The Lion's Den in New York City and earned the title of "Top Independent Act in the Northeast." They were finalists in the 2004 Independent Music Awards – Latin Category.
Following their critically acclaimed 2003 self-titled release, Bio Ritmo released its EP, Salsa System, produced by legendary engineer/producer and 18-time Grammy Award
winner, Jon Fausty. In September 2008, Bio Ritmo released their LP "Bionico", recorded by Lance Koehler and mixed and mastered by Jon Fausty.
In September, 2011 Bio Ritmo released their latest LP, "La Verdad" on CD and Vinyl, celebrating 20 years of original salsa music.
extensively and has also performed in Canada
, Puerto Rico
, France
, and The Republic of Georgia.
Bio Ritmo has shared the stage with Mambo King, Tito Puente
, as well as Poncho Sanchez
, Squirrel Nut Zippers
, Timbalaye, Tambo
, Ozomatli
, Steel Pulse
, Burning Spear
, Morphine
, G Love and Special Sauce, Wilco
, Southern Culture on the Skids
, Frankie Vazquez, La Familia Quintero, La Sonora Ponceña
, Bloque 53, and Diabloson.
January 14, 2006, Bio Ritmo performed at the Inaugural Ball for Commonwealth of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
in Williamsburg, Virginia
at the College of William & Mary.
August, 2010 Bio Ritmo toured The Republic of Georgia and performed for President Saakashvili
September, 2011 Bio Ritmo performed in Dax, France at the Toros y Salsa festival.
On September 23, 2011 Bio Ritmo celebrates it's 20th anniversary.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The name Bio Ritmo is a Spanglish
Spanglish
.Spanglish refers to the blend of Spanish and English, in the speech of people who speak parts of two languages, or whose normal language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population of the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of...
word play on the term Biorhythm
Biorhythm
Biorhythm is an attempt to predict various aspects of a person's life through simple mathematical cycles. Most scientists believe that the idea has no more predictive power than raw chance, and consider the concept an example of pseudoscience.-Beliefs:...
, the hypothetical description for the rhythm of life.
The eight to ten member ensemble is known for a classic Nuyorican
Nuyorican
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York State especially the New York City metropolitan area, or of their descendants...
salsa sound made famous by the Fania All Stars in the 1970s that combines African Caribbean rhythms from son
Son (music)
The Son cubano is a style of music that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity in the 1930s. Son combines the structure and elements of Spanish canción and the Spanish guitar with African rhythms and percussion instruments of Bantu and Arará origin...
, bomba
Bomba
Bomba is one of the traditional musical styles of Puerto Rico. it is a largely African-derived music. The rhythm and beat are played by a set of floor drums, cuá and a maraca. Dance is an integral part of the music: the dancers move their bodies to every beat of the drum, making bomba a very...
, plena
Plena
Plena is a folkloric genre native to Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music.-History:The music is generally folkloric. The music's beat and rhythm are usually played using hand drums called panderetas, but also known as panderos or pleneras. The music is accompanied...
, and samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
with electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
brass.
Founded in the early 1990s, they started out as a part of the Virginia college band scene that included other, then indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
, acts like Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
and Fighting Gravity.
In November 2004, the Salsa Machine won the Disc Makers
Disc Makers
Disc Makers is primarily a CD and DVD manufacturer that caters to independent musicians, filmmakers, and small businesses. Disc Makers competes with many established CD and DVD replicators in North America including , , , , , and ....
Independent Music World Series (IMWS) Northeast finals held at The Lion's Den in New York City and earned the title of "Top Independent Act in the Northeast." They were finalists in the 2004 Independent Music Awards – Latin Category.
Following their critically acclaimed 2003 self-titled release, Bio Ritmo released its EP, Salsa System, produced by legendary engineer/producer and 18-time Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner, Jon Fausty. In September 2008, Bio Ritmo released their LP "Bionico", recorded by Lance Koehler and mixed and mastered by Jon Fausty.
In September, 2011 Bio Ritmo released their latest LP, "La Verdad" on CD and Vinyl, celebrating 20 years of original salsa music.
The band
- Rei Alvarez: vocals, guiro (original member)
- Giustino Riccio: timbal, coro, clave, drumset (original member)
- Bob Miller: trumpet, coro, synth (original member)
- Marlysse Simmons: piano, Farfisa organ, (leader)
- Tobias Whitaker: trombone
- Mark Ingraham: trumpet
- Edward Prendergast: bass
- Michael Montañez: bongó
- Hector "Coco" Barez: conga
- JC Kuhl: saxophone
- John Lilley: saxophone
- Gabo Tomasini: conga (original member)
Discography
- Piraguero, 7" single, Merge Records, 1995
- Que Siga la Musica, Shamless Records, 1996
- Salsa Galactica, Permanent Records, 1997
- Rumba, Baby Rumba, Mercury / Triloka records, 1998
- Bio Ritmo (self-titled), Independent Release, Locutor Records 2004
- Salsa System, Independent Release, Locutor Records 2006
- Featured on international CD compilations: Latin Beat Magazine's 2005 Siempre Salsa CD of the best indie salsa; the Swiss release Ritmo Rico, and Holland's Latin Lounge Vol. 1.
- Bionico Locutor Records 2008
- La Verdad Electric Cowbell Records September 2011
Performances
Bio Ritmo has toured the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
extensively and has also performed in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and The Republic of Georgia.
Bio Ritmo has shared the stage with Mambo King, Tito Puente
Tito Puente
Tito Puente, , born Ernesto Antonio Puente, was a Latin jazz and Salsa musician. The son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puente, of Spanish Harlem in New York City, Puente is often credited as "El Rey de los Timbales" and "The King of Latin Music"...
, as well as Poncho Sanchez
Poncho Sanchez
Poncho Sanchez , a Mexican-American, is a conguero , Latin jazz band leader, and salsa singer. In 2000, Sanchez and his ensemble won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album for their work on the Concord Picante album Latin Soul...
, Squirrel Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Squirrel Nut Zippers are a band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina by James "Jimbo" Mathus , Katharine Whalen , Chris Phillips on drums, Don Raleigh on bass and sideman Ken Mosher....
, Timbalaye, Tambo
Tambo
- People :* Adelaide Tambo , South African anti-apartheid activist* Oliver Tambo , South African anti-apartheid activist- Geographical features :In Australia:* Tambo River * Tambo, Queensland...
, Ozomatli
Ozomatli
Ozomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
, Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse is a roots reggae musical band. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, in Birmingham, England, composed of David Hinds , Basil Gabbidon , and Ronald McQueen .-History:...
, Burning Spear
Burning Spear
Winston Rodney, OD , also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.-History:...
, Morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
, G Love and Special Sauce, Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
, Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids
Southern Culture on the Skids, also sometimes known as SCOTS, is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina...
, Frankie Vazquez, La Familia Quintero, La Sonora Ponceña
La Sonora Ponceña
La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique "Quique" Lucca Caraballo. Quique's son, Papo Lucca, directs the band. The band has stayed active for a remarkable amount of time, recording dozens of albums, including a 55th anniversary album...
, Bloque 53, and Diabloson.
January 14, 2006, Bio Ritmo performed at the Inaugural Ball for Commonwealth of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011...
in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
at the College of William & Mary.
August, 2010 Bio Ritmo toured The Republic of Georgia and performed for President Saakashvili
September, 2011 Bio Ritmo performed in Dax, France at the Toros y Salsa festival.
On September 23, 2011 Bio Ritmo celebrates it's 20th anniversary.