El Caribefunk Looks to Bring Latin Flair to Penn Museum’s Summer Concert Series

Music seems to be the one of the few forces that can transcend time, energy and language.  The right song can take you back to a happy time in your past or it can change your mood in an instant as well as have you shaking your rear even if you don’t understand a word.  Colombian based band El Caribefunk knows first hand just how powerful music can be.

With a unique sound consisting of Latin, jazz, funk and pop, El Caribefunk has been gaining notoriety on a global scale. Their upbeat tempo and rythmic blends have made them a hit in festivals in both their native Colombia as well as throughout the U.S.  Now they are currently blessing Philadelphians as they work the local circuit.  A week from today, El Caribefunk will be making a special stop at the Penn Museum in West Philadelphia.

Scheduled to perform July 29th as part of the Penn Museum’s “P.M @ Penn Museum Summer Nights Concert Series,” El Caribefunk will look to get folks out of their seats and dance like no one is watching.  Although the lyrics will be in Spanish, the rhythm and soul will be universal. We had the opportunity to speak with band leader Alfonso “Funk-cho”Salas and got the scoop on what makes this band so special and what you can expect from their upcoming gig.

Colombia is a long ways away, how did you guys end up in Philly?

“We used to play with this base player that was on tour and he helped organized our tour.”

What Can People Expect From Your Upcoming Show at the Penn Summer Nights Concert Series?

“We find it amazing how with communication with people.  We Bring different music

Describe Your Band’s Style in 3 Words

“Caribbean. Happiness. Reflection.”

What are your musical influences? (sound wise)

We are influenced by Afro Caribbean roots.  Mostly Afro-Cuban, Afro-Colombian mixed with American funk.  That’s the root of our music to help us construct new music.”

Who are your musical influences? (people wise)

“Los Muñequitos de Matanzas (Cuban band), George Clinton and the Funkadelic, Michael Jackson and Petrona Marinez (Colombian singer).”

What’s the difference between your Spanish speaking fans say in Colombia and your non-Spanish speaking fans in the U.S?

“It seems like the Colombian (Spanish-speaking) fans embrace the lyrics. They seem to reflect more and it becomes more emotion. U.S fans (non-Spanish speaking), they embrace the music (sounds).  They may be unfamiliar with the language but they feel the energy and they usually tell us “It makes me want to dance.”

What do you love most about Philly?

“The music.  We find it amazing the diversity like soul and jazz. The diversity of the music is amazing.”

 If you would like to check out the sounds of El Caribefunk at their upcoming show at the Penn Museum you can purchase your tickets here.  We’ll see you there!