There is a well-known Puerto Rican group, one that sings reggae, that is known as Cultura Profetica. In English, this translates to roughly Prophetic Culture. Like many groups that come out, significant changes happen over time. Lead singers, guitarists, and those that play base have been rotated in and out. Some of the founding members are left which include the lead singer Willy Rodríguez who not only sings but is also a guitarist and a bassist. There are three others that were founding members, still part of the group, including two guitarists and Boris Bilbraut who plays the drums and also contributes to the vocals. It has almost always performed reggae, which is what it is known for, but they have deviated into other areas such as salsa, jazz, tango, and also playing bossa nova. In most cases, the songs that they are presenting are going to present ecological issues, as well as sociopolitical problems of the day. Some of their more favorite songs do revolve around topics of love and also interpersonal relationships.
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Where Did They Start out?
This band began back in 1998. They came out with an album called Canción de Alerta that was very popular. They were known all throughout Puerto Rico. It was two years later when they released Ideas Nuevas, an album that deviated from the previous styles of the debut album. This is followed up by several more problems that actually lead to songs charting on the Hot Latin Albums chart back in 2005. Some of their singles include Saca, Prende y Sorprende which was very popular in 2014. As of late, back in 2017, Musica Sin Tiempo is one of their top releases. Currently, they are working on yet another problem, one that will likely be a combination of the many different styles that they have released in the past, focusing on social and political issues.
How Did They Get Started?
As with most groups that try to get their big break, they would play at local clubs in small bars. Although they did play other people’s music for some time, they began to perform original music, at which time they came up with the name Cultura Profética. Musical bands that get started must have a defining moment before they can become successful. With this group, it had to do with crafting their own songs, coming up with a unique name for their band, one that was influenced by topics of the 1970s. The people in the band were primarily educated, having attended the University of Puerto Rico, during which time he began to develop the many issues and viewpoints that are heard in their songs.
Turn Of The Millennium
It was right around 1999 that they went back to one of their original studios called Tuff Gong. This is where their second album Ideas Nuevas was envisioned and recorded. Released in 2000, in the month of May, this is where they began to experiment with many different sounds. The album itself is dedicated to a university professor that they had an affinity with, and from that point forward, they decided to ramp up and focus all of their attention on becoming successful. This unbending intent led them to create successful albums every few years. It was not until 2004 where they began to have an international presence. They did move to Mexico for some time, prompting them to release an album in 2005 called M.O.T.A. which was very popular. Today, La Dulzura and an up-and-coming album are their primary focus.
Lyrical Themes And Their Unique Style
Many of the critics, and also the fans of this group, referred to their music is a type of roots reggae. This simply means that it is reggae that not only focuses on topics of the day, but they are also very spiritual in their lyrics. They use a Moog synthesizer, and you will hear hints of Caribbean genres when they are playing songs that are perfect for salsa. They use polyrhythmic patterns and often use improvisation when they are creating some of their best music. It is this combination of improv, combined with their stylistic themes and viewpoints, that has made them so popular today.
Cultura Profetica is a band that you should consider listening to if you are a fan of legends like Bob Marley. You may even hear riffs that are very similar. However, they are very distinctive, singing songs that are both unique and somewhat divisive, especially up against the political climate of the day. If you have been looking for a new group that is creating a very unique form of reggae music, you can’t go wrong with Cultura Profetica.
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