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
Ritmo Sabroso
Plena Libre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coro
Traigo un ritmo sabroso
Traigo la plena de Puerto Rico,
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Ay Dios
Coro
Traigo un ritmo sabroso
Traigo la plena de Puerto Rico,
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Ay no tiene comparacion
Lo que es la plena de Puerto Rico
Porque traspasa fronteras
La del calor, la del frio
Coro
Asi lo bailan los pobres
Y asi lo bailan los ricos
Y disfrutan cada noche
La plena de Puerto rico
Ay Dios
Sentimiento y cultura
Que te da este ritmo
No me la dejes caer
La plena de Puerto Rico
Coro
El ritmo que yo te canto
Tiene un estilo bonito
Le gusta a mi gente
La gente de Puerto Rico.
Ay Dios
Coro
Con mi tumba y mi tumba
Bien bonito
La gente ya esta bailando
La plena de Puerto Rico
Coro
Panderos
No me la dejes caer
La rica plena de Puerto Rico
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Mi tumbao ya esta sabroso
tiene un estilo bonito
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Mis panderos estan sonando
Tumbador y mi quinto
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Y no me olvido de mi guirro
Que lleva ese ritmo
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
El sabor que yo te traigo es de Puerto Rico
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Porque no tiene comparacion
La plena de Puerto Rico
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Musica
Lo bailan en Panama,
En Colombia y Puerto Rico
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
En Chile y en Venezuela
Bailan mi ritmo
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
En Peru y las Antillas
Pero que bailan la plena rica
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
En todito el mundo entero
Estan gozando mi ritmo
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
-Y voy pa'lla con plena libre-
Coro
Traigo un ritmo sabroso
Traigo la plena de Puerto Rico
Sentimiento y cultura
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Traigo un ritmo sabroso
Traigo la plena de Puerto Rico
Sentimiento y
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
(Pita)
The lyrics to Plena Libre's song "Ritmo Sabroso" speak to the unique cultural significance and universal appeal of the Puerto Rican plena rhythm. The chorus emphasizes the richness of this particular musical style, which reflects the feelings and experiences of both rich and poor members of Puerto Rican society. The closing line of each verse, "Ay Dios," further emphasizes the emotional depth and spiritual quality of the plena.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that the plena transcends national borders, with references to countries like Panama, Chile, Venezuela, and Peru that have adopted this rhythm as their own. This speaks to the true universality and widespread impact of Puerto Rican music, which has gained global recognition not just for its sheer joyfulness but also for its cultural significance.
Overall, the song reflects the pride and joy felt by Puerto Ricans for their unique cultural heritage, and the significance that the plena holds not just for them but for music-lovers around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Traigo un ritmo sabroso
I bring a flavorful rhythm
Traigo la plena de Puerto Rico,
I bring the plena of Puerto Rico,
Sentimiento y cultura
Feelings and culture
Del hombre pobre y tambien del rico.
Of the poor man and also the rich one.
Ay Dios
Oh God
No tiene comparacion
There's no comparison
Lo que es la plena de Puerto Rico
To the Puerto Rican plena
Porque traspasa fronteras
Because it transcends borders
La del calor, la del frio
That of heat, that of cold
Asi lo bailan los pobres
Thus the poor dance it
Y asi lo bailan los ricos
And so do the rich
Y disfrutan cada noche
And they enjoy every night
La plena de Puerto rico
The Puerto Rican plena
Sentimiento y cultura
Feels and culture
Que te da este ritmo
That this rhythm gives you
No me la dejes caer
Don't let me lose it
El ritmo que yo te canto
The rhythm that I sing to you
Tiene un estilo bonito
It has a beautiful style
Le gusta a mi gente
My people like it
Con mi tumba y mi tumba
With my bass drum and my bass
Bien bonito
Very nicely
La gente ya esta bailando
People are already dancing
Panderos
Drums
Mi tumbao ya esta sabroso
My beat is already tasty
tiene un estilo bonito
It has a beautiful style
Mis panderos estan sonando
My drums are sounding
Tumbador y mi quinto
Bass drum and my fifth
Y no me olvido de mi guirro
And I'm not forgetting my güiro
Que lleva ese ritmo
That carries that rhythm
El sabor que yo te traigo es de Puerto Rico
The flavor that I bring to you is from Puerto Rico
Porque no tiene comparacion
Because there's no comparison
Musica
Music
Lo bailan en Panama,
They dance it in Panama,
En Colombia y Puerto Rico
In Colombia and Puerto Rico
En Chile y en Venezuela
In Chile and Venezuela
Bailan mi ritmo
They dance my rhythm
En Peru y las Antillas
In Peru and the Antilles
Pero que bailan la plena rica
But they dance the rich plena
En todito el mundo entero
In the whole world
Estan gozando mi ritmo
They're enjoying my rhythm
-Y voy pa'lla con plena libre-
-And I'm going there with Plena Libre-
Contributed by Olivia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.