Plena Libre (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

     Now celebrating a history of more than 30+ years as San Juan’s torch-bearing and pioneering masters of plena, bomba, son and salsa – Plena Libre was founded by legendary Puerto Rican musician and band leader Gary Nuñez in 1994.    With over 15 lps, and 4x Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations under their belt,  Plena Libre is an unrivaled and hard-hitting Afro-Latin dance party that can’t be beat.  After Gary’s untimely passing in 2024, his son LuisGa Nuñez has taken over the directorial duties for this historic ensemble.

     Masters of the traditional plena and bomba styles, Plena Libre fuses well-loved traditions with modern Afro-Caribbean influences in Puerto Rican sofrito stew of mesmerizing hand drumming, raucous horns, and soaring three-part vocal harmonies that invites audience to the dance floor worldwide.

    The group’s latest recording Legado, for Puerto Ricos La Buena Fortuna label, is an homage to Gary’s legacy and features guest contributions from a wide array of the country’s most renown and Grammy-winning stars including  Elvis Crespo, La India, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ednita Nazario, Jeremy Bosch, David Rivera, Milly Quesada and producer/singer Norberto Vélez.

     Recipients of the Don Michael Randel Award, Plena Libre have been previously named an Artist-in-Residence many prestigious Univesities such as the University of Chicago, Millersville University in Pennsylvania, Trinity University in CT and many other institutions. In addition to their normal concerts the group is also adept at residency, school outreach and workshop activities for all ages and can be engaged for multi-night or weekly residency events in addition to their stand alone concerts.

Testimonials:

•  “I have been a fan of the band for years, and they seem to get better and better with age. The musicianship of the band never disappoints, and their set lists always deliver a danceable good time to a broad range of audiences. We’ve had the pleasure of engaging Plena Libre for our Carnegie Hall Citywide series, and they were a complete hit!”

      - Wendy Magro / Carnegie Hall Citywide Concert Series NYC

•  “I highly recommend the group to all.  The band’s performance last month at Caramoor was fantastic! We had a great audience of 500 people (exceeding our expectations), most of whom were up dancing the entire time. The band’s energy was infectious!

       -  Kathy Schuman / Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

• “Plena Libre put on an incredible show both times they’ve played our summer series in Reston.  Their performances are invigorating, full of energy, brilliant vocal harmonies and lively percussion. The dance floor was packed from the start - dozens waved Puerto Rican flags.  Each show is a magical, emotional event. They are master musicians spreading joy and culture to everyone who listens. We cannot wait to have them back!” 

     - Dana Talesnik / Reston Concerts on the Square - Virginia

Profile Venues List:

• Playboy Jazz Festival/Hollywood Bowl - Los Angeles
• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
• Lincoln Center - NYC
• Grand Performances - LA
• Carnegie Hall Citywide - NYC
• Chicago World Music Festival
• Montreal Jazz Festival
• Fes Festival - Morrocco
• Festival Latino - Belgium
• Mercat Musica Viva - Spain