Home Autos Real Estate Jobs Classifieds Apps Place an Ad Buy Pictures Buy Tickets Deal of the Day Login Register

LatinoSITE BLOGS DISCUSSIONS WEB Search powered by

SEARCH

RELATED NEWS

ARTICLESLatin events in Nueva York, Feb. 2-8New laughts for beloved comic

Big Band sound fuels Gregorio Uribe'sbig dreamBY JOSE MANUEL SIMIAN

Wednesday, February 2nd 2011, 4:00 AM

Camilo Andres Plazas, María Paula Correa and 146 othersrecommend this. Undo

Alvarez/NewsBandleader Gregorio Uribe at his home in Astoria, Queens.

Gregorio Uribe, a mild-mannered 25-yearold from Bogotá, Colombia, manages tostrike a rare balance between youthfulenergy and the authority of a self-mademusic impresario.

"Just like every other musician, at first, Iwanted to be a rock star: to have an electricguitar and a drum set," he says in Spanishwith a soft Colombian accent.

But he ended up playing the accordion, living in Astoria and leading a 16-piece orchestrathat has given a big band sound to the traditional African-influenced rhythms of theColombian coast.

The Gregorio Uribe Big Band, in its third year, tomorrow kicks off a first-Thursday-of-the-month residency at Zinc Bar, 82 W. Third St., in the West Village.

"When I was around 9, I wrote a song called 'The Bar': 'I went to the bar and I took her outto dance!'" he laughs, recalling the lyrics. "I had this idea of being a grownup."

As an adolescent, Uribe discovered the more traditional sounds of his country - garabato,pulla and fandango - influenced by the breakthrough success his countryman CarlosVives was having with vallenato.

Distance also helped, after his father was sent for work to Australia for two years."Between the nostalgia and the albums that my friends would send me, I started to writesongs for the accordion."

Back in Colombia, he finished high school and went on a six-month backpacking/musictrip with two friends - from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego and back through Peru.

They took "an accordion, a guitar, a pair of maracas and a Cuban tres," he recalled. "Weplayed in bars, streets, pumpkin fields. ... That trip had a huge influence on my music."

After the journey, Uribe moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. It wasthere that the vision of the Gregorio Uribe Big Band was born.

"I was studying drumming and composition, which made me interested in big bands. Atthe same time, being away from Colombia helped me appreciate its musical legacy evenmore."

In 2008, he moved to New York City, a relocation followed by many fellow Berkleestudents that had been part of his band experiments there.

"It was a very organic thing," Uribe says about the birth of the group. "We already kneweach other. We were friends."

"Caribe Contigo," their first single and video, released last September, showcases theirstyle. A standard pop song with touches of Latin jazz explodes into a choir of thepercussion-driven Colombian tambora genre, seasoned by jazz horns and African drums.

New York Mom Invests $97 &Makes $6795New York mom shares secret on howshe makes up to $298/Day from home!

New York: Do NOT Buy CarInsurance!Your Auto Insurer Hates This. 1 trick toget extremely cheap rates!

E-Cigarettes ExposedThe E-Cigarette craze is sweeping thecountry. Is it really that good?

EDITORS' PICKS

Married GOP congressman inhot water over Craigslistcome-hither pic

NY Rep. Christopher Leeaccused of seeking out a loveaffair with topless pic.

Bristol bites back! RipsKathy Griffin over fat joke

Political progeny on comic, whocalled her fat: "She's hadbotched liposuction..."

Little league coach chargedwith molesting three teenageboys on his team

Collapses in court has he'scharged with molesting boys.

PHOTOS: Katy Perry'simpressive body of work

Singer defies laws of gravity,physics and fashion with oneshocking outfit.

'Sopranos' actor pleads guiltyrole mob beating

Actor Anthony Borgese pleads toextorting a debtor who wasbeaten by mob goons.

Lindsay Lohan - jail bait toinmate?

Ex-child star accused of swiping$2,500 necklace - if convictedshe could be sent to prison.

BEST OF NYDN.COM

Go!

Broadway Concerts

Go!

Broadway Concerts

Go!

Search by Artist or Event Top Events:

Search by Artist or Event Top Events:

Search by Artist or Event Top Events:

News Sports Gossip Entertainment Events Local Opinion Life & Style Photos More Sections +

ShareArticle Comments Find Tickets

Find Tickets

Bronx Brooklyn Queens Education Weather Traffic Directions Lottery Death Notices Latino Photos Columnists

Share 148 0 13 retweet

EMAIL PRINT

0 comments

BE THE FIRST ONE TO COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

You may also be interested in:

When all the elements are blended together, the final touch arrives: Uribe's signatureaccordion solo.

More tracks will be released as money to record them is raised through performances anddonations, he says. But in the meantime, there's a more urgent matter: how to pay the 16musicians behind the big sound.

"The best answer to how I fund the Big Band is, I believe, with love," he says.

jmsimian@gmail.com

Ads by Yahoo!Save 40% on Peru ToursEscorted Peru tours are up to 40% less than traveling independently.(TourVacationsToGo.com)Free Chile Fact SheetFor people considering Visiting, Retiring or Living in Chile.(www.InternationalLiving.com/Chile)$74/Hr Job - 117 OpeningsCan You Type Earn $74+/hr From Home. Seen On CNN & FOX News.(www.FinancialTimesNY.com)

CLICK HERE TO COMMENT

Go!

Broadway Concerts Sports

Rockers Ashlee Simpson &Pete Wentz split up...

Singers to divorce after 3 yearsof marriage. They have a 2-year-old son, Bronx.

...As do Jude Law and SiennaMiller - PHOTOS...

The Ex-Files! Check out withother A-list celebrity coupleshave called it quits.

...And so do 'BasketballWives' star & NBA hubby

NOT a good day for celebmarriages. Jennifer & EricWilliams dunked after 3 years.

Prison break foiled as thuggets stuck in ceiling

Man discovered on top ofventilation duct in KendallCounty Jail four days after hisincarceration.

Giffords' latest medicalmiracle: Asking for toast

The small request shows howrapidly the Congresswoman isprogressing, say doctors.

PHOTOS: 'Blaxploitation':Where are the stars now?

Find out what Pam Grier, RichardRoundtree and other stars of1970s "blaxploitation" films areup to.

Up in smoke! Banker babebusted laundering $50K thatreeked of pot

Smooth operator arrested,accused of laundering $50,000in drug money.

PHOTOS: Bombshell actressand wild animal separated atbirth

"Modern Family" star SofiaVergara bears strikingresemblance to this wild dog.

Again?! White House partycrashers busted in owner'sbox at Super Bowl

Michaele & Tareq Salahi justdon't believe in guest lists.

Most Discussed Most Emailed

MOST POPULAR

1. Dominican-style 'Barbería' comes alive in newplay

2. Latino events in New York, Feb. 9-153. Life of Tito Puente now on record4. 'Grey's' Sara Ramírez talks romance5. Harvard abre sus puertas a alumnos sin

recursos6. Jencarlos Canela, estrella en ascenso7. Carnival 2009 in Latin America8. NBA star Carmelo Anthony treasures his

heritage9. Colombia marches for peace

10. 'Biutiful' day for Bardem

Search by Artist or Event Top Events:Lil WayneNew York KnicksWicked

Broadway Concerts

Media Kit RSS Home Delivery Mobile Newsletters Place an Ad About our Ads Contact Us Archives FAQ's Site Map

BACK TO TOP

Queens Historical Society set to unveil new exhibit on being raised in borough (NY DailyNews - Local News)New laughs for beloved Dominican comic Freddy Beras Goico (Latino - NY Daily News)It's the write borough Site to launch literary salon (NY Daily News - Local News)One last serving of hot salsa at Gonzalez y Gonzalez (Latino - NY Daily News)

Selected for you by our sponsor:Even Prince Can't Resist Kim Kardashian Powers (The Stir By CafeMom)DKNY Scarf Trend Spring 2011 (Vogue)

Most Read

Find Tickets

Find Tickets

News

NationalWorldPoliticsCrime

Sports

MLBNFLNBANHL

Entertainment

MoviesGossipCoffee BreakMusic & Arts

Lifestyle

EatsFashionHealthHoroscopes

Get Home Delivery

Take advantage of this special offerand save 70% off the newsstandprice. Go Now

Advertise with the NYDaily News!

View our Media Kit andlearn all about how to advertise with us.Go Now

Use of this website signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. © Copyright 2011 NYDailyNews.com. All rights reserved.