Captivating and moving audiences over the course of a 24-year, 14-album career, this fine-tuned Puerto Rican-based ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age, as evidenced by their four recent Grammy nominations and world-wide touring schedule.
Led by founder and bassist Gary Nuñez, Plena Libre is recognized for taking the once dormant, Puerto Rican plena style of music and reclaiming it for a new generation of listeners to enjoy. The group became instantly popular in Puerto Rico, with National Geographic crediting Plena Libre among other Puerto Rican acts in “spearheading the Latin invasion of American popular music. Plena Libre features three vocalists singing in captivating three and four-part harmonies which complement the group’s danceable, Afro-Rican compositions. The group’s use of call-and-response, percussion and polyrhythms keeps each show feeling groovy and fresh.
With an aggressive, tight, yet sensitive style, which balances the traditional with the contemporary, the global and the local, Plena Libre creates a brand of music and live performance that is both profoundly Puerto Rican and universally appealing. Filtering the sounds of various Afro-Caribbean forms like merengue and cumbia, and Afro-Cuban like mambo and yes, salsa if you ask nicely through a unique set of artistic sensibilities, this versatile collection of expert performers create a celebratory spectacle and engaging sonic ecstasy. Thrilling audiences around the world, from the Fez Festival (in Morocco) to the Playboy Jazz Festival, Plena Libre is a train that just keeps picking up steam as it charges ahead in unexpected and exciting directions.
Plena Libre Members
Gary Nuñez - Music Director, Bassist and Founder
Emanuel Santana - Singer/Hand Drums
Victor Velez - Singer/Hand Drums
Luisga Nuñez - Chorus/Percussion
Rafael Falu - Requinto
Luis rivera - Singer/Percussion
Mi Plena Es Libre
Plena Libre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
como no te voy a querer
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
como no te voy a querer
como no te voy a querer
si ya te aguanté un descenso
te llevo en la sangre
te llevo en la piel
The lyrics to Plena Libre's song "Mi Plena Es Libre" express a deep love and appreciation for plena music, a genre of traditional Puerto Rican music that originated in the 19th century. The repetition of the phrase "como no te voy a querer" (how could I not love you) emphasizes the singer's strong emotional connection to the music and the culture it represents. The lines "te llevo en la sangre" (I carry you in my blood) and "te llevo en la piel" (I carry you in my skin) further emphasize this connection, suggesting that plena music is an integral part of the singer's identity.
The reference to "te aguanté un descenso" (I endured a decline with you) may be a nod to the history of plena music, which experienced a decline in popularity in the mid-20th century before experiencing a resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s. Despite this decline, the singer's love for plena has endured, as evidenced by the repeated refrain of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
como no te voy a querer
How could I not love you?
te llevo en la sangre
You're in my blood.
te llevo en la piel
You're in my skin.
si ya te aguanté un descenso
If I already endured a downfall with you.
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.