“Mexico-via-Brooklyn combo Jarana Beat weaves intricate rhythms and delicate plucks with rich, yearning vocals to gorgeous and surprisingly jolly effect. Great stuff.” —Time Out New York
Jarana Beat is a New York-based world music band, which since 2007 has aimed to share the unknown sounds of Mexico. With an exciting interpretation of traditional music and a blend of folkloric mexican afro music with contemporary ideas, Jarana Beat has created an authentic sound. The music is conscious, all original and deeply rooted; a combination of where Mexico’s Afro-Amerindian music came from and where it stands today.
Having formed in Argentina and debuted as part of NYU’s 2007 Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics Encuentro, the band features a wide variety of traditional instruments, such as jaranas, leona, ayoyote shells and donkey jawbones. In addition, they feature two dancers, traditionally dressed, that interweave percussive footwork into the rhythms, creating dynamic performances in which, we promise, the public canNOT resist dancing.
Jarana Beat was featured on NPR’s Latino USA with Maria Hinojosa, in which reporter Willis Ryder Arnold graciously mentioned that: “The audience dances like they can'’t control themselves shuffling and rocking back and forth with grins plastered across their faces; Jarana Beat's music cuts across all age groups.” and, “Listening to Jarana Beat you feel like part of the community, no matter what your background.”
The rhythms of world music blending with the regional sounds of son jarocho from the Gulf Coast, son guerrerense from the Southern Pacific Coast, son huasteco from the Central & North-Eastern region, mexika from the Central, and norteña from the North, all converge into the point of departure for Sinuhé Padilla-Isunza, the musical director, composer, and arranger for Jarana Beat. Drawing on his extensive research and musical creativity, Sinuhé has led the band to an enticing environment that nourishes this unique musical amalgam.
In 2011 the band released its first album “¡Echapalante!” and in 2020 they have released the first two EP’s of their three-part album “Vibración Por Simpatía”. “Tze Ollin - Movimiento I” and “Ome Ollin - Movimiento II” have gained the media and the crowd’s attention, making them a double nominee at this year's Independent Music Awards (IMA’s) for Best World Beat Song and Best Animated Short Video.
Jarana Beat has toured throughout the East Coast of the US, Montreal, and Mexico, in cities such as Veracruz (San Andrés and Xalapa), Queretaro and Toluca. Jarana Beat’s unforgettable performance has graced stages like the Smithsonian Institute’s Folklife Festival, The Bowery Ballroom, Symphony Space, and Dollywood’s Festival of Nations. Their journey has harnessed the media and industry’s attention, landing an interview on NPR’s Tell Me More and an official showcase at SXSW 2012 in Austin. Jarana Beat has also shared the stage with world reknowned artists such as Dan Zanes, Mono Blanco, Los Vega and Lila Downs, weaving a truly colorful journey through the Afro-Amerindian culture of Mexico.
Aside from performing, Jarana Beat is also actively involved in educational projects and cultural outreach, leading traditional son jarocho fandango’s and teaching this genre in multiple spaces around NYC.
“Mexico via-Brooklyn combo Jarana Beat weaves intricate rhythms and delicate plucks with rich, yearning vocals to gorgeous and surprisingly jolly effect. The strong outfit includes dancers, who use their stomps and taps as percussion, and you’ll hear Native American, Gypsy and Afro-Mexican motifs in their music. Great stuff.” – Critic’s Pick, Time Out New York, 2012
With contagious charm and good vibes, this band is capable of getting any audience on its feet! Musical director Sinuhé Padilla-Isunza has mined the musical traditions of his native Mexico and other Latin American countries in an ongoing search for a distinct style with roots, resulting in the creation of this musical soundscape.