Buyepongo’s Infectious Rhythm Takes on Artbound Studio A

Originally published at The Hollywood Times: https://www.thehollywoodtimes.today/buyepongos-infectious-rhythm-takes-on-artbound-studio-a/

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“We want to give our folks a proper dance floor, a proper place where they can be themselves; where there is no borders, no race, no age, it’s intergenerational, gender neutral, everything like that. It’s about the human spirit, that pulsing feel that we feel.” Last night the group Buyepongo took the stage of Artbound Studio A. The name Buyepongo means “to cause a ruckus” which is exactly what happens on the dance floor when this group takes the stage. Their eccentric sound, using only their voices, the accordion, trumpet, bass, different kinds of drums, and a cowbell, separates their sound and music from all other artists.  These 5 men seem to have blast every time they perform; “We’ve all been homies for well over 10, 15 years…the music kinda reflects that.” Their set list included “Musica Allegra”, “Maestros”, “Solo Yo”, and “Sin Para”. Their music has infectious rhythms that absorb the genres of funk, jazz, punk, and hip-hop. Their almost tropical sound makes their music impossible to not dance to. When there is infectious rhythm, there is infectious joy and dancing.  Buyepongo started out by playing on the street and at parks in their community. Their community is central to who they are as a band; “At our shows, at our performances, the interaction with the community, to us, is pretty much the most important thing we want to be able to ignite.” Even 15 years later, they want to have the same effect on their community as when they first started.  To be able to give the people a little step, or an extra feeling, is how they give back to the community. They want to spread good vibes and promote social interaction between each other through their music; “We plant the seed, it’s gonna harvest, and then down the line, more trees will grow all stemming from our music.”

“Artbound Presents Studio A” airs nationwide on Link TV (https://www.linktv.org/) starting Sept. 19 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes will also be streamed online every Tuesday here (http://kcet.org/StudioA).