Caldera (band)
Encyclopedia
Caldera was an American
band, that combined jazz
, funk
and rock
with a wide variety of Latin music. 1970s fusion
explorers like Return to Forever
and Weather Report
influenced Caldera, but its members were also influenced by everything from Earth, Wind & Fire
's soul
/funk
to Afro-Cuban
salsa
, Brazil
ian samba and Andean
/Peru
vian music.
), came from all over Latin America
as well as parts of the United States
. While bass player Dean Cortez and saxophonist Steve Tavaglione
were US
born, other members were born in Costa Rica
(Strunz), Argentina (del Barrio), Cuba
(drummer Carlos Vega) and Brazil
(percussionist Mike "Baiano" Azevedo). In 1976, Caldera signed with Capitol
and recorded its self-titled debut album
, which was followed by Sky Islands
in 1977, Time and Chance
in 1978, and Dreamer in 1979. The four albums (only the first of which have been reissued on CD
) did not sell, and the band called it quits in 1979.
However, most of Caldera's members kept busy long after its breakup. Strunz went on to form the guitar duo Strunz & Farah with Iranian
/Persian
guitarist Ardeshir Farah
, while del Barrio worked with artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stan Getz
and Dianne Reeves
throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band, that combined jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
with a wide variety of Latin music. 1970s fusion
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
explorers like Return to Forever
Return to Forever
Return to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke...
and Weather Report
Weather Report
Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...
influenced Caldera, but its members were also influenced by everything from Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
's soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
to Afro-Cuban
Afro-Cuban
The term Afro-Cuban refers to Cubans of Sub Saharan African ancestry, and to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community...
salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian samba and Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
/Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian music.
Biography
Members of Caldera, which was led by keyboardist Eduardo del Barrio and guitarist Jorge Strunz (Strunz & FarahStrunz & Farah
Strunz & Farah is a guitar duo with an eclectic sound that have been described as a cross between world fusion and flamenco.-History:Jorge Strunz, born in Costa Rica, and Ardeshir Farah, hailing from Iran, met in the United States in 1979. Jorge Strunz was one of the founders of the Latin jazz...
), came from all over Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
as well as parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. While bass player Dean Cortez and saxophonist Steve Tavaglione
Steve Tavaglione
Steve Tavaglione is a woodwind and EWI musician most notable for his work as a founder of the Latin fusion group Caldera, his work with noted keyboard player Scott Kinsey, and work in the television and film industry....
were US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born, other members were born in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
(Strunz), Argentina (del Barrio), Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
(drummer Carlos Vega) and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(percussionist Mike "Baiano" Azevedo). In 1976, Caldera signed with Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and recorded its self-titled debut album
Caldera (album)
Caldera is the 1976 debut album of Jazz fusion band Caldera.- Track listing :# "Guanacastle" – 6:31# "Coastin'" – 4:42# "Exaltation" – 6:52...
, which was followed by Sky Islands
Sky Islands (album)
-Track listing:# "Sky Island" – 6:07# "Ancient Source" – 4:30# "It Used to Be" – 1:12# "Pegasus" – 4:56# "Carnavalito" Eduardo del Barrio) – 4:51...
in 1977, Time and Chance
Time and Chance (Caldera album)
-Track listing:# "The Arousing" – 2:50# "Reviviscence" – 7:00# "Mosaico " – 7:00# "Magewind" – 1:34# "Crosscountry" – 5:24...
in 1978, and Dreamer in 1979. The four albums (only the first of which have been reissued on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
) did not sell, and the band called it quits in 1979.
However, most of Caldera's members kept busy long after its breakup. Strunz went on to form the guitar duo Strunz & Farah with Iranian
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
/Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
guitarist Ardeshir Farah
Ardeshir Farah
Ardeshir Farah is an Iranian musician and guitarist. He was born in Tehran. Farah is half of the guitar duo Strunz & Farah.Farah's work in Strunz & Farah earned him a Grammy Award in 1991. His works include jazz, rock and pop music. Influence of Iranian music is evident in his works. He is a...
, while del Barrio worked with artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
and Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves
Dianne Reeves is an American jazz singer. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.-Early life:Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan to a very musical family. Her father, who died when she was two years old, was also a singer. Her mother, Vada Swanson, played trumpet. A cousin, George Duke, is a...
throughout the 1980s and 1990s.