Kerubanda
Encyclopedia
Kerubanda, headed by accordion
ist Kerube Ortiz, is a Merengue Tipico band from the Dominican Republic
. They are known for their authentic Perico Ripiao
, their rendition of "Negro Cruz y Tono Colon", and rivalries with fellow musicians Geovanny Polanco
and, especially, El Prodigio
. Many within the group Kerubanda were originally members of the band headed by Krency Garcia (El Prodigio) but broke contract to play with Kerube Ortiz. This caused a lot of internal friction within the genre and bad blood between band leaders, but things worked themselves out eventually. Their band includes güira
, tambora
, accordion
, bass
, saxophone
, conga
, electric piano
, and 3 vocalists (each for different rhythms of the music).
in the Dominican Republic
. While growing up as a child, his father bought him his first accordion, which had 10 notes. With practice Kerube became a good player and performed at small parties and social gatherings. In the 1990s, Kerube formed Kerube Ortiz y su Cojunto Tipico in New York
, whose population of Dominican merengue tipico musicians was starting to boom. Later, he formed La Kerubanda and made his debut on June 9, 2004, on a TV show called El Show de Nelson. He made his first appearance live in Santiago Rodriguez
, Dominican republic
, on June 18, 2004. Growing up, his idols were famed merengue tipico accordionists El Ciego de Nagua and Tatico Henriquez
, who also influenced El Prodigio
.
Sometime during November 1–3 of 2008, Kerube Ortiz had a group meeting and decided to continue his music project on his own. All the musicians that were once with Kerubanda have now formed the REAL Banda. The group has picked a new accordionist, Berny Jhon.
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
ist Kerube Ortiz, is a Merengue Tipico band from the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. They are known for their authentic Perico Ripiao
Perico ripiao
Merengue típico is a musical genre of the Dominican Republic. Merengue tipico is the term preferred by most musicians as it is more respectful and emphasizes the music's traditional nature.-Introduction:Merengue típico is the oldest style of merengue still performed today Merengue típico (also...
, their rendition of "Negro Cruz y Tono Colon", and rivalries with fellow musicians Geovanny Polanco
Geovanny Polanco
Geovanny Polanco is a merengue tipico accordionist from Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Nagua, Dominican Republic...
and, especially, El Prodigio
El Prodigio
Krency Garcia, better known as El Prodigio, is a famous merengue tipico accordionist from Cabrera, Dominican Republic. He is known throughout the genre for his rapid instrumental solos, his origination of fusion in merengue tipico with genres like jazz, and his rivalry with fellow accordionists,...
. Many within the group Kerubanda were originally members of the band headed by Krency Garcia (El Prodigio) but broke contract to play with Kerube Ortiz. This caused a lot of internal friction within the genre and bad blood between band leaders, but things worked themselves out eventually. Their band includes güira
Güira
A güira is a percussion instrument from the Dominican Republic, generally used in merengue, bachata, and its subgenres, that sounds like a maraca or hi-hat but in fact is a sheet of metal—in practice, often from a five gallon oil can—evenly perforated with a nail, shaped into a cylinder or...
, tambora
Tambora
Tambora may refer to:* In music:**Tanpura, an instrument used in Indian classical music for continuous production of consonating reference notes **Tambora , an Afro-Caribbean percussion instrument...
, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, electric piano
Electric piano
An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, and 3 vocalists (each for different rhythms of the music).
History
Kerube Ortiz, the band's leader and accordionist, was born in Santiago RodriguezSantiago Rodríguez
Santiago Rodríguez is a province of the Dominican Republic. It was split from Monte Cristi in 1948.-Location:The Santiago Rodríguez province has the Monte Cristi and Valverde provinces to the north, the Santiago province to the east, the San Juan and Elías Piña provinces to the south and the...
in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. While growing up as a child, his father bought him his first accordion, which had 10 notes. With practice Kerube became a good player and performed at small parties and social gatherings. In the 1990s, Kerube formed Kerube Ortiz y su Cojunto Tipico in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, whose population of Dominican merengue tipico musicians was starting to boom. Later, he formed La Kerubanda and made his debut on June 9, 2004, on a TV show called El Show de Nelson. He made his first appearance live in Santiago Rodriguez
Santiago Rodríguez
Santiago Rodríguez is a province of the Dominican Republic. It was split from Monte Cristi in 1948.-Location:The Santiago Rodríguez province has the Monte Cristi and Valverde provinces to the north, the Santiago province to the east, the San Juan and Elías Piña provinces to the south and the...
, Dominican republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, on June 18, 2004. Growing up, his idols were famed merengue tipico accordionists El Ciego de Nagua and Tatico Henriquez
Tatico Henriquez
Tatico Henriquez , considered one of the best accordionists of merengue tipico,was born in Nagua, Dominican Republic. His career began in the 1960s and the early 1970s. He was known for his skill on the...
, who also influenced El Prodigio
El Prodigio
Krency Garcia, better known as El Prodigio, is a famous merengue tipico accordionist from Cabrera, Dominican Republic. He is known throughout the genre for his rapid instrumental solos, his origination of fusion in merengue tipico with genres like jazz, and his rivalry with fellow accordionists,...
.
Sometime during November 1–3 of 2008, Kerube Ortiz had a group meeting and decided to continue his music project on his own. All the musicians that were once with Kerubanda have now formed the REAL Banda. The group has picked a new accordionist, Berny Jhon.