Monsieur Periné is a Bogotá-based musical ensemble from Colombia with an Afro-Colombian sound that mixes Latin and European flavors. Lead singer Catalina García sings in a mixture of Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese. Other members include Nicolás Junca on the guitar; Santiago Prieto, who plays the charango, violin, and guitar; Adinda Meertins on the double bass; Jairo Alfonso on the winds ; Abstin Caviedes on the trombone and bugle; Miguel Guerra on percussion; and Darwin Baez on the drums. Their style mixes elements of cumbia, tango, danzón, bolero and pop music, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. At the Latin Grammy Awards, the ensemble was named best new artist of 2015. Their debut album in 2012 won Colombia's national gold album award. The group was formed in 2008.
History
Origin
, a native of Cali, Colombia, studied in the French international school Paul Valery She later moved with her parents to the United States for two years before returning to Colombia. At eighteen, García moved to Bogotá to study anthropology at Javeriana University. The main members of the group played together for the first time during Holy Week in 2007, in Villa de Leyva, a small town near Bogotá. Later, García, Prieto, Junca and Camilo Parra, began getting together frequently to play songs from various Latin American genres as well as jazz, which eventually prompted them to begin searching for their own voice. In 2009-10, they began performing locally in Bogotá; in 2009, they performed in several local music festivals. At the end of 2010, the group began composing its own original songs, recording Ton Silence and Swing With Me. In 2010, motivated by performing at the Ibero-American Theatre Festival, they began to include the work of designer Alejandra Rivas Ramirez. However, it wasn't until 2011, when the group received a national award- which allowed them to perform at the Estéreo Picnic Festival- that they began to develop the visual image of Monsieur Periné. This included the usage of clothing designed by Rivas, an image concept design by her, and the work of plastics artist José Arboleda. The band released their first single, "La Muerte", recorded with Felipe Álvarez, who works with artists such as Shakira and Bomba Estéreo. The radio station Radiónica named the song "Song of the Year", which was key in the development of the band. In 2012, the band released its first music video for their song 'Suin Romanticon'. In 2014, Camilo Parra left the band to work on his new project, Astrolabio. In 2015, drummer Alejandro Guliani left the band, citing disagreements. The last to leave the project was Alejandra Rivas Ramirez, the designer of the band's image as well as all of its costumes between 2010 and its most recent show, "Caja de Música" .
Name and Beginnings
The name of the group arose from Prieto's reading of Michel Houellebecq's "The Elementary Particles", which discusses the périnée. The word became a joke among the group, and thus the original name was simply 'Periné. García, who initially opposed the name, later added the word Monsieur, referencing the idea that everything that is French is elegant and refined. The group began with minor performances at weddings, corporate parties, and cocktail parties. They began to gain recognition in the auditorium of the Alianza Francesa, where they performed a cover of the movie Les Triplettes de Belleville, winning a competition focused on young talent. After this, David González and Miguel Guerra joined the group as double bassist and percussionist, respectively. They began performing at more major events at this time. The first years of Monsieur Periné's existence served as an experimental period, during which the group sought to find their own style. They became more well-known among the public following wins in two competitions, that of the Urock de Universia and El Ensayadero de Red Bull, where they performed Be Pop. With this triumph they received a place the Estereo Picnic Festival, after which Daniel Chebeir joined the band; however, he left two years later, citing personal issues. This left a vacancy in the drummer role, which would be filled by Argentinian Alejandro Giuliani, who accompanied the group on their European tour.
Hecho a Mano
In 2012, the band released its first album, entitled 'Hecho a Mano'. 'Hecho a Mano' was certified gold and was nominated for a number of categories in the Shock Awards, the largest music awards ceremony in Colombia, receiving two awards. The album was released independently in Colombia. It was subsequently released in Mexico, Germany, and Japan.
Huracán
"Huracán" was the name of the band's first European tour, which took place in 2013.
In 2015, the band released its second album, entitled 'Caja de Música'.'' It led to the group winning Best New Artist at the 16th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, as well as being nominated for Best Album. It was released by Sony.
Encanto Tropical
In 2018, the band released its third album, entitled 'Encanto Tropical' Like Caja de Música, it was released by Sony and produced by Eduardo Cabra.
Discography
Hecho a Mano
Hecho a Mano, released in 2012, was the band's debut album and the first to be certified gold.
Caja de Música
In April 2015, the group released "Nuestra Canción", the first single of its second album Caja de Música. The entire album was released in June 2015.
Encanto Tropical
On May 18th, 2018 the band released Encanto Tropical, with single "Bailar Contigo" being released the 20th of April.
