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Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
An evening of Bomba, Plena and Caribbean hip-hop at the bandshell
The pairing of Puerto Rican 15-piece bomba and plena big band El Laberinto del Coco and Miami-born and raised rapper Marti at the Miami Beach Bandshell Saturday, July 19, at 8 p.m. is a meeting of evolving old and new traditions. Led by percussionist and composer Hector 'Coco' Barez, the 14-piece band El Laberinto del Coco updates the sound of Afro-Puerto Rican bomba and plena with elements of jazz, R&B, rock, hip hop, and global influences from the Americas. Mario Obregon, a.k.a. Rapper Marti, embodies Miami's multiculturalism, performing in both English and Spanish over a sound that seamlessly blends elements of rhythm and blues, NuSoul, and Caribbean grooves. The show is presented by The Rhythm Foundation and Live Arts Miami's MUNDO Series. 'The name El Laberinto del Coco (Coco's Maze) has to do with my entire career,' says Barez in a phone interview conducted in Spanish. 'I worked with William Cepeda (trombonist, bandleader and grandson of folklorist Rafael Cepeda 'The Patriarch of the Bomba and Plena'), I played with Bacilos, a group from Miami, with Calle 13, with (rapper and reggaeton performer) Don Omar, with the Areyto National Folkloric Ballet of Puerto Rico, and all these experiences gave me a certain vision. I kept asking, 'Why can't I hear my music played on the radio or in places where there's salsa, or merengue? This community music has been stigmatized,' he says. Looking for answers 'was like being in a maze.' Barez recorded his first album, 'El Laberinto del Coco,' in 2017, in part due to a grant from the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute. At the time, he had 'five unfinished songs and was playing with Bacilos. I had to go out and get musicians,' he says. 'There was no band.' And yet, the result, firmly anchored on bomba and plena rhythms, is an astonishing mix of driving powerhouse drumming, daring horns and brass arrangements drawing from jazz and R&B, rock guitars, and strong vocals. There had been few attempts at exploring the possibilities of the genre with a large ensemble more ambitious or successful. A generation of Puerto Rican jazz artists including Cepeda, saxophonist and MacArthur fellow Miguel Zenon, and saxophonist David Sanchez have called attention, each in his style, to the riches in traditional Puerto Rican music. But Barez´s 'El Laberinto de Coco' evokes the sound and vision of percussionist and bandleader Rafael Cortijo's 1973 masterwork, 'Cortijo y Su Máquina del Tiempo' ('Cortijo and His Time Machine'). Historians date the African-rooted bomba to the 15th century. It emerged along the coastal region and sugar cane fields of Puerto Rico. It features a call-and-response between the lead singer and the group, and a musical conversation between the lead dancer and the lead drummer. The quintessential instruments are the barriles de bomba (the bomba barrels), built from rum storage barrels topped with a goatskin head. The lead drum, called primo or subidor, dialogues with the dancer; one or two buleador drums, which keep the steady pulse, and the cuá, a small, hollow wooden barrel open at both ends, played with wooden sticks, that plays complementary rhythms. Plena, another major Afro-Puerto Rican genre, originated in the early 20th century as work songs. It features prominently three tambourines, and because of the storytelling in its lyrics, it has been described as 'a sung newspaper.' But despite their power and depth, these Puerto Rican genres were long overshadowed in the popular music marketplace by Afro-Cuban music in its various manifestations, including salsa. 'The initial spark for me was not hearing Bomba on the radio,' says Barez. 'Why don't people dare to make a whole Bomba album? So, we did. We wanted to show this music's roots and its evolution, to what it can be.' While Barez is working his innovations within an old tradition, rapper Marti is giving hip hop a Miami accent. He calls his music Caribbean hip-hop. Born in Miami into a Cuban immigrant family, Obregon grew up 'listening to all sorts of music, but just gravitated to hip hop. I just fell in love with it.' He was especially moved by Tupac Shakur. 'I was young, I didn't know about the specific issues and things he was talking about, but I just felt something, and at that age, it's just about feelings.' He had heard his parents' and his grandfather's stories about Cuba, 'and Tupac's was a completely different story. Still, it was just a perfect blend of the hip-hop that I loved, plus stories of what was going on in his neighborhood, with his people, and bringing it to people like me who had no idea what they go through.' The leap to adapting the approach to the stories he knew was crucial as he started writing his songs. 'I learned that the majority of people are going through the same things,' he says. 'Even if it's not the exact same way, and they gravitate towards something real, not made-up stories.' He studied classical piano, then bass, and freestyling for fun with his friend Christian Martinez, an audio engineering student, led to creating a band. 'A drunk night led to an obsession that I can't get rid of,' he jokes with mock frustration. That group became Problem Kids, which was very active in the Miami live music scene and released two albums. Then COVID hit. 'It kind of forced us to do music on our own — and that's when my solo project started taking off.' Since then, the rapper has released the EPs 'Whispers From a Muse,' (2024) and 'Luck Is for Losers,' (2025), several singles, and created the successful 'Break Bread' music video series, featuring freestyle performances at local eateries such as Miami's Tropical Chinese, Versailles on Calle Ocho, and the upscale eatery in Coconut Grove, Ariete. 'My music was born from what I was raised on, and it just morphed into what it is today,' he says. 'It's Miami, with many different types of sounds and rhythms and the storytelling of hip hop.' If you go: WHAT: The Rhythm Foundation and Live Arts Miami's MUNDO Series Present El Laberinto del Coco and Marti WHERE: Miami Beach Bandshell, 7275 Collins Ave., Miami Beach WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday, July 19 COST: $27 INFORMATION: (786) 453-2897 and is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don't miss a story at
USA Today
15-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC Fight Night 254 video: Andre Lima dominates, finishes Daniel Barez
The UFC flyweight division best beware. Andre Lima is on the rise, as was evident by his dominant submission win over Daniel Barez on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 254 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Lima (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) tapped Barez (17-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a rear-naked choke at the 3:05 mark of Round 3 to remain undefeated as a professional. Andre Lima picks up his first career submission to stay undefeated 💪 #UFCVegas104 — ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 15, 2025 Lima now holds UFC wins over Igor Severino, Mitch Raposo and Felipe Dos Santos in addition to Barez. On the flip side, Barez reenters the loss column after a September win over Victor Altamirano. Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 254 results include: For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC's Daniel Barez sees Andre Lima as a more difficult rival than 'Lazy Boy' Rodriguez
Daniel Barez tried to pick a fight with Ronaldo Rodriguez, but instead got unbeaten prospect Andre Lima. Barez (17-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Lima (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) are set to clash this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 254 (ESPN+), which is set to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Spanish fighter thought he was a good matchup for "Lazy Boy" and doesn't know why Rodriguez ended up drawing Kevin Borjas instead of him for the UFC's return to Mexico City at the end of the month. "I wasn't told anything," Barez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "I kept sharing stuff on my social media in terms of wanting that fight, but it didn't happen. I took a shot to see if it would land, but that doesn't depend solely on me. And like I've always said, whoever they put on the contract, I'm signing because I want to be here, and I want to fight against the best, and I just want to fight people who are ahead of me." Although Barez didn't get what he wanted, he is pretty happy with his matchup against Lima. He thinks it's a more difficult fight, but one that could further his standing in the UFC flyweight division a lot. "On paper, yeah (it's more difficult)," Barez said. "On paper, I'd even say it's more complicated than the Victor Altamirano one. So yeah, this might be too on paper. However, sometimes a style doesn't go well with another one. "Altamirano was maybe not too difficult, and this one might be even easier or maybe even a lot harder. We won't know until the fight happens. But on paper, yeah, it's more difficult." Barez is determined to get his hand raised and get build off his decision win over Victor Altamirano last September. He also thinks the matchup lends itself for a $50,000 Fight Night bonus. "I think it's going to be a hard fight, but I see myself finishing the fight before the third round to not leave the fight on the hands of the judges," Barez said. "I also see myself, or both of us, winning a bonus because we're both good strikers with a lot of tools." Michael Bisping: It would be a 'massive market opportunity lost' if Islam Makhachev doesn't fight Ilia Topuria UFC Fight Night 254 loses one fight due to injury Alex Pereira's coaches think he beat Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, promise 'Poatan 2.0' in rematch For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 254. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC's Daniel Barez sees Andre Lima as a more difficult rival than 'Lazy Boy' Rodriguez
USA Today
14-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC's Daniel Barez sees Andre Lima as a more difficult rival than 'Lazy Boy' Rodriguez
Daniel Barez tried to pick a fight with Ronaldo Rodriguez, but instead got unbeaten prospect Andre Lima. Barez (17-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Lima (10-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) are set to clash this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 254 (ESPN+), which is set to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The Spanish fighter thought he was a good matchup for 'Lazy Boy' and doesn't know why Rodriguez ended up drawing Kevin Borjas instead of him for the UFC's return to Mexico City at the end of the month. 'I wasn't told anything,' Barez told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. 'I kept sharing stuff on my social media in terms of wanting that fight, but it didn't happen. I took a shot to see if it would land, but that doesn't depend solely on me. And like I've always said, whoever they put on the contract, I'm signing because I want to be here, and I want to fight against the best, and I just want to fight people who are ahead of me.' Although Barez didn't get what he wanted, he is pretty happy with his matchup against Lima. He thinks it's a more difficult fight, but one that could further his standing in the UFC flyweight division a lot. 'On paper, yeah (it's more difficult),' Barez said. 'On paper, I'd even say it's more complicated than the Victor Altamirano one. So yeah, this might be too on paper. However, sometimes a style doesn't go well with another one. 'Altamirano was maybe not too difficult, and this one might be even easier or maybe even a lot harder. We won't know until the fight happens. But on paper, yeah, it's more difficult.' Barez is determined to get his hand raised and get build off his decision win over Victor Altamirano last September. He also thinks the matchup lends itself for a $50,000 Fight Night bonus. 'I think it's going to be a hard fight, but I see myself finishing the fight before the third round to not leave the fight on the hands of the judges,' Barez said. 'I also see myself, or both of us, winning a bonus because we're both good strikers with a lot of tools.' For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.
