Alegria Puente and Ricci Puente have known each other since they were six years old.
Nolita from New York and Tito from Tijuana both come to Phangan as travellers!
Everyone loved Phangan so much that they decided to stay and make music happen!!
Alegria Puente and Ricci Puente have known each other since they were six years old, back home in Santiago, Chile, and have been singing and performing together for years both in Chile and more recently in Hasto Na Pi, the eclectic world-music band here on Koh Phangan....
Nolita from New York and Tito from Tijuana(!) both come here as travellers and loved Phangan so much that we decided to stay and make some music happen, and the four of us discovered our similar love of music and performance (after meeting initially at the Rhythm & Sands Festival as random musicians in the musical community), and all agreed that this island needs more good live music and some high-energy tropical flavour!
Tito was living on Koh Tao at the time, so the pieces of the Puente puzzle took a couple more months to finally come together....
We started with a trio of Alegria, Ricci, and Nolita Puente, minus percussion, at a two-month residency as the Saturday night house band at a little fishing-family joint called the Sunset Bar, all the way down the beach in Haad Salad....
The sound-system was about as crackly and crappy as you’ll find on the island, but our positive energy and sense of fun seemed to cut through the white noise, and we almost always had a crowd of 20-30 people, as folks would wander down the beach and be attracted in by the amplified music....
With Tijuana Tito Puente back on Phangan and with the energetic addition of his magnetic drums and percussion, we kicked IT up a couple of notches and began playing the Rhythm & Sands Festival regularly.
Guys! Thank you for sharing your story with us. We are super Happy to bring it and help to spread your music !
Where have you been playing on Phangan after your Band got together?
We have been Jamming in with a few high-energy dance songs at The Jam Bar, playing Hansa resort for an unexpected unplugged candlelight show during the Great Phangan Blackout of Dec. 2012.
Last Rhythm & Sands festival they were to find on the Live Music stage all night!
Have a look at the Photo Gallery from the Night!
Feel free to purchase any of the photos if you see something you like!
We’re hoping to keep performing for the good people of this island, playing as many gigs as possible for people who want something a little different besides the same-same electronic parties that we’ve all been to a dozen times....
In addition, we began expanding out to neighbouring Koh Samui, where we became a requested act at the famous Secret Garden Sunday Sessions in Baan Rak and had the opportunity to play the giant stage at the 25-year live-music institution called The Reggae Pub, as well as playing a gig onboard a Samui sailing yacht for an intimate ocean party!
Maybe even a little tour around SE Asia....?
Right Now We love playing at our current weekly residency in Reggae Village in Haad Salad, Monday nights at 9:00 pm.
The crowd is always super-supportive, and sometimes they have to clear out the front tables to make room for the dancing folks!
If Los Puentes should categorize their musical style they would say Sabor Tropical!
A little bit of everything for everybody....
We love the Latin vibe, and have Ricci and Alegria to thank for the heartfelt songs that they have grown up with and love so well....
And of course, Tito’s funky roots and Nolita’s years of jam-band odysseys round out our sound into the mix of styles and music from around the world that we offer as musical bridges to link people and cultures together, right here on Koh Phangan....
The highlight of the year so far was playing all of our first-ever New Year’s Eve show, at Secret Garden in Samui for a festive crowd under the fireworks on the beach....
We opened that show with yet another unexpected unplugged set, as Baan Rak was blacked out (along with most of Samui for a little while), and we went on by candlelight and had folks dancing acoustic-style....
Until the power came back on and then we had a conga-line happening by the time the champagne started flowing after midnight!
Great gig.... Oh yeah, and the gig on the good ship Naga!
That sunset at sea, while rolling up and down with the waves as we played The Beatles’ “Across The Universe”, was truly epic!
What are your next projects?
We just finished recording our first original track, "Antonio", at Joe's Studio in Nathon on Koh Samui, and we're really looking forward to the creation of a lot of new material together as a group, most likely with a lot of incense, some good Chilean wine, and a lot of floor on which to spread out....
What are your Hopes & Dreams?
We hope and dream of sharing our vibe of Familia Puente with as many people as possible; we take our role as "bridges" to the global international community seriously, and hope to expand our repertoire to include worldwide music’s from all seven continents, including Antarctica!
IT's the Penguin Funk! Aw yeah!
If you were Magicians, which Dreams would you fulfill right now?
Funny you should mention that....
We ARE magicians, and my dream is to saw my lovely assistant Alegria in half, while Twinkletoes Tito dances in a tutu and Ricci Megamix swallows swords and fire for your amusement and pleasure!
Where and Who do you get your inspiration from?
Tito Puente.... Of course!
Oh, and Antonio Rios.... Harry Belafonte.... Robert Nesta.... Iron Maiden!
Yeaaahhh....
Oh, and let’s remember Luz Casal, Madonna, Ella Fitzgerald, Joan Jett....
Oh yeah and.... Night Ranger! .. Yup yup....
What do you listen to when you want to unwind?
The buzzing of the bees in the cigarette trees.... and the soda-water fountain!
Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings, in the Big Rock Candy Mountain.... :-D
What makes you laugh? ( MOST of your answer made US Laugh )
Tito's little pot-bellied pig that he rides around town with, on the handlebars of his bike!
He feeds IT two liters of milk a day, and we think IT will be too big to fit on his lap soon....
What is your life philosophy?
IT's always a special situation when a group of random folks can come together on a project and wind up becoming family with each other, and IT's been truly wonderful to enjoy the growth of our closeness as a band and as a little musical family, El Familia Puente!
We invite everyone, through the music of our live show, to consider themselves family with us and join the fun as part of one big international Familia Puente!
Let the games begin! ;-)
Peace !!
Los Puentes
Alegria, Nolita, Ricci, & Tito
Phanganist wishes Los Puentes many bricks for their Bridges and Much Love & Luck on their further Trips!
May the Musical RainBows of Sound & Glitter Shine on your TwinkleToed Members in Man-fitted Tutus and bicyckling pot-bellied pigs, while the Colourful Rays draws Happy faces on your Musical Playground and Audio Tools!!
Only the Best Imagination will do !!
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