Monsieur Periné is a Bogotá-based musical ensemble from Colombia with an Afro-Colombian sound that mixes Latin and European flavors.[1][2] Lead singer Catalina García sings in a mixture of Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese.[1][2] Other members include Santiago Prieto, who plays the charango, violin, and guitar; Eva Peroni on the bass; Jairo Alfonso on the winds (primarily saxophone and clarinet); Abstin Caviedes on the trombone and bugle; Miguel Guerra on percussion; and Darwin Paez on the drumset. Their style mixes elements of cumbia, tango, danzón, bolero and pop music, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.[3] At the Latin Grammy Awards, the ensemble was named best new artist of 2015.[4][5] Their debut album in 2012 won Colombia's national gold album award.[6] The group was formed in 2008.[6][2]
| Monsieur Periné | |
|---|---|
 Performing in Koblenz, Germany | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Floripondios |
| Origin | Bogotá, Colombia |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Members | ‡Catalina García, lead vocals ‡Santiago Prieto, strings Miguel Guerra, percussion Jairo Alfonso, woodwinds Abstin Caviedes, brass Darwin Páez, drumset Eva Peroni, bass |
| Past members | ‡Nicolás Junca, guitar ‡Camilo Parra, woodwinds Daniel Chebair, drumset Alejandro Giuliani, drumset David González, bass Fabián Peñaranda, bass Adinda Meertins, bass |
| Website | Official website |
| ‡ denotes founding members | |
History
editOrigin
editCatalina García, a native of Cali, Colombia, studied in the French international school Lycée Français Paul Valéry de Cali (Spanish: Liceo Francés Paul Valéry de Cali). She later moved with her parents to the United States for two years before returning to Colombia. At eighteen, García moved to Bogotá to study anthropology at Javeriana University.
The main members of the group played together for the first time during Holy Week in 2007, in Villa de Leyva, a small town near Bogotá. Later, García, Santiago Prieto, Nicolás Junca and Camilo Parra (an early member who would later quit), began getting together frequently to play songs from various Latin American genres as well as jazz, which eventually prompted them to begin searching for their own voice.
During 2009 and 2010, they began performing locally in Bogotá; in 2009, they performed in several local music festivals. At the end of 2010, the group began composing its own original songs, recording "Ton Silence" and "Swing with Me".
In 2010, motivated by performing at the Ibero-American Theater Festival, they began to include the work of designer Alejandra Rivas Ramirez. However, it wasn't until 2011, when the group received a national award which allowed them to perform at the Estéreo Picnic Festival, that they began to develop the visual image of Monsieur Periné. This included the use of clothing designed by Rivas, an image concept design by her, and the work of plastics artist José Arboleda.
The band released their first single, "La Muerte", recorded with Felipe Álvarez, who works with artists such as Shakira and Bomba Estéreo. The radio station Radiónica named the song "Song of the Year", which was key in the development of the band.
In 2012, the band released its first music video for their song "Suin Romanticon".
In 2015, Camilo Parra left the band to work on his new project, Astrolabio. In 2015, drummer Alejandro Giuliani left the band, citing disagreements. The last to leave the project was Rivas Ramirez, the designer of the band's image as well as all of its costumes between 2010 and 2015.
Name and beginnings
edit
The name of the group arose from Prieto's reading of Michel Houellebecq's The Elementary Particles, which discusses the périnée. The word became a joke among the group, and thus the original name was simply "Periné". García, who initially opposed the name, later added the word "Monsieur", referencing the idea that everything that is French is elegant and refined.
The group began with minor performances at weddings, corporate parties, and cocktail parties. They began to gain recognition in the auditorium of the Alianza Francesa, where they performed a cover of the movie The Triplets of Belleville, winning a competition focused on young talent. After this, David González and Miguel Guerra joined the group as double bassist and percussionist, respectively. They began performing at more major events at this time.
The first years of Monsieur Periné's existence served as an experimental period, during which the group sought to find their own style. They became more well-known among the public following wins in two competitions, that of the Urock de Universia and El Ensayadero de Red Bull, where they performed "Be Pop". With this triumph they received a place at the Estereo Picnic Festival, after which Daniel Chebeir joined the band; however, he left two years later, citing personal issues. This left a vacancy in the drummer role, which would be filled by Argentinian Alejandro Giuliani, who accompanied the group on their European tour.[7]
Hecho a Mano
editIn 2012, the band released its first album, entitled Hecho a Mano (English: Handmade). Hecho a Mano was certified gold in Colombia and was nominated for a number of categories in the Shock Awards (Spanish: Premios Shock), the largest music awards ceremony in Colombia, receiving two awards.[8]
The album was released independently in Colombia. It was subsequently released in Mexico, Germany, and Japan. It was followed by the band's first European tour, titled Huracán, in 2013.
Caja de Música
editIn 2015, the band released its second album, entitled Caja de Música (English: Music Box). It led to the group winning Best New Artist at the 16th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, as well as being nominated for Best Album.[9] It was released by Sony.
Encanto Tropical
editIn 2018, the band released its third album, entitled Encanto Tropical (English: Tropical Charm) Like Caja de Música, it was released by Sony and produced by Eduardo Cabra of the group Calle 13.[10]
Bolero Apocalíptico
editIn 2023, the band released its fourth album, entitled Bolero Apocalíptico.[11]
Discography
edit- Hecho a Mano (2012)
- Caja de Música (2015)
- Encanto Tropical (2018)
- Bolero Apocalíptico (2023)
Awards and nominations
editGrammy Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Caja de Música | Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album | Nominated |
| 2019 | Encanto Tropical | Nominated |
Latin Grammy Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Monsieur Periné | Best New Artist | Won |
| Caja de Música | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Encanto Tropical | Nominated | |
| Bailar Contigo | Record of the Year | Nominated | |
| Song of the Year | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b Rolland, David (February 14, 2017). "Nu Deco Ensemble Wants to Up the Classical Music Game". Miami New Times. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c Cota, Eddie (May 2, 2016). "Monsieur Perine's Sound Is So Unique, People Don't Realize They're Colombian". LA Weekly. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Varga, George (May 3, 2016). "Monsieur Periné set for San Diego debut". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Contreras, Felix (March 4, 2016). "Monsieur Periné". NPR. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Flores, Griselda (August 25, 2016). "Latin Connection Podcast: Monsieur Perine on Life After Winning Best New Artist at Latin Grammys, Plus Reik's Climb Up the Charts". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Newbery, Emma (February 27, 2017). "A theatrical anniversary with Monsieur Periné". The Bogota Post. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Lapislázuli, Fundación Artística y Cultural. "Entrevista Monsieur Perine - Lapislázuli Periódico". www.periodicolapislazuli.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2017-07-02.
- ^ "Monsieur Periné nominado a los Premios Shock 2012". losperines.blogspot.mx. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
- ^ "Latin Grammys 2015: See the Full Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
- ^ "Monsieur Periné's New Album Keeps It Tropical". PopMatters. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- ^ "Review: 'Bolero Apocalíptico' by Monsieur Periné". NPR. Retrieved 2023-05-17.