Plena Libre

Plena Libre is something of a national institution in their native Puerto Rico - veteran, and eminently exportable, exponents of the plena rhythm that is indigenous to Puerto Rico. The plena is cousin to salsa and mambo, but Plena Libre cast a wider net than that, drawing from dance styles spanning the entire Caribbean region, from cumbias and merengues to reggae and calypso. High energy and often quite infectious, Plena Libre resonates quite strongly with Afro-Cuban jazz traditions, and much of Mas Libre draws from a palpable jazz energy, but a lot of what drives Plena Libre will be lost on you if you don't speak Spanish. Fortunately, they come out of traditions where dance music is not divorced from political and social engagement and their messages have a way of getting around linguistic barriers.