El Prodigio
Encyclopedia
Krency Garcia, better known as El Prodigio, is a famous merengue tipico accordionist from Cabrera
, Dominican Republic
. He is known throughout the genre for his rapid instrumental solos, his origination of fusion in merengue tipico with genres like jazz
, and his rivalry with fellow accordionists, Geovanny Polanco
and Kerube (head of the tipico band Kerubanda
). While the latter two are slightly more traditional, El Prodigio is more experimental, and has included instruments such as trombone
, trumpet
, and wurlitzer piano
in his lineup, along with the standard accordion
, tambora
, güira
, conga
, electric bass
, and saxophone
s of today's merengue tipico.
Cabrera
Cabrera means goatherd in Spanish and Catalan. It may refer to:Places:* Cabrera, Balearic Islands* Cabrera, a town in the northeast of the Dominican Republic* Cabrera, Cundinamarca, a town in Colombia* Cabrera, Santander, a town in Colombia...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. He is known throughout the genre for his rapid instrumental solos, his origination of fusion in merengue tipico with genres like 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...
, and his rivalry with fellow accordionists, Geovanny Polanco
Geovanny Polanco
Geovanny Polanco is a merengue tipico accordionist from Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Nagua, Dominican Republic...
and Kerube (head of the tipico band Kerubanda
Kerubanda
Kerubanda, headed by accordionist Kerube Ortiz, is a Merengue Tipico band from the Dominican Republic. They are known for their authentic Perico Ripiao, their rendition of "Negro Cruz y Tono Colon", and rivalries with fellow musicians Geovanny Polanco and, especially, El Prodigio...
). While the latter two are slightly more traditional, El Prodigio is more experimental, and has included instruments such as trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, and wurlitzer piano
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
in his lineup, along with the standard accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, tambora
Tambora
Tambora may refer to:* In music:**Tanpura, an instrument used in Indian classical music for continuous production of consonating reference notes **Tambora , an Afro-Caribbean percussion instrument...
, güira
Güira
A güira is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic, generally used in merengue, bachata, and its subgenres, that sounds like a maraca or hi-hat but in fact is a sheet of metal—in practice, often from a five gallon oil can—evenly perforated with a nail, shaped into a cylinder or...
, conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
s of today's merengue tipico.
Biography
As a child he played as long has he could remember, first appearing in public at age 5, then playing on various children's TV shows that aired in the Dominican Republic. He later studied jazz in the United States, which he would use in his improvisation techniques and albums. In addition to fusion, he is also known for his interpretation of traditional merengue tipico and salsa standards, such as "Juanita Morel", "El Estrujao", "Cualquiera Llora (Tatico Llorando)" and "La Vida es un Carnaval". His American music interpretations include "Mountain Dance" (originally performed by Dave Gruisin) and "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles.Discography
- El Hombre Acordeon en vivo (2007)
- Pambiche meets Jazz (2005)
- From Santo Domingo Live! (Vivo) (2005)
- Cabecita Loca (2004)
- El Prodigio y la Banda tipica, En Vivo
- Krency Garcia, El Prodigio y la banda tipica, Interplanetario
- Krency Garcia, El Prodigio y la banda tipica, en vivo