- Artist
- Date: May 2, 2025
- Stage: Union
Music is more than sound—it’s a heartbeat, a lifeline, a bridge between worlds. Plena, the
rhythm of resistance and celebration from Puerto Rico, has traveled the globe, carried by hands
that refuse to let its voice be silenced. This is the story of Plenazo Tribe, a band born from that
journey, a rhythm that found new life in the heart of Los Angeles.
It started with a young Puerto Rican, Gabriel J Montes from Carolina, Puerto Rico, who grew up
with Plena running through his veins. He played in the streets of Poland with Guamanique, to the
plazas of Madrid, where Los Pleneros del Exilio kept the rhythm alive, he carried his panderos
like sacred relics. When he arrived in California, he found a city full of music, yet empty of the
Plena he knew and loved. So, he played. He played at the writers’ and actors’ strike, his panderos
echoing like a call to arms. But there weren’t enough hands to answer.
That’s when necessity became innovation. Inspired by the legendary Tito Matos, he crafted a
bipandero, a new way to play two panderos at once—a symbol of resilience, of keeping the
tradition alive no matter the odds.
His older brother visited from Texas, and over a meal at a Puerto Rican restaurant, a new door
opened. There was no need for a waiter, but there was a need for Plena. The restaurant became a
stage. The last Friday of every month became a Plenazo, a gathering, a movement. And from
that movement, the Tribe was born.
Plenazo Tribe is more than a band—it’s a fusion of cultures, sounds, and dreams. With members
from Argentina, Ecuador, Cuba, France, Puerto Rico & USA, they blend their histories into
something bold and new. Their Plena pulses with the soul of Latin America, the groove of Afro-
Caribbean beats, the fire of modern music production. On October 8, 2024, they released their
first single, “”Ritmo de la Plena””, a declaration of their mission: to make Plena a powerful
contemporary genre that resonates across the world.
Now, they stand at the edge of something greater—recording new music, breaking new ground,
bringing the heartbeat of Plena to places it has never been before.
This is Plenazo Tribe. This is the sound of tradition reborn. The rhythm of a new generation.
The pulse of the world.
