Music Festival Favorites - Colombia’s Monsieur Periné comes to The Ridgefield Playhouse on June 6 with JOATA

They wowed audiences at Lollapalooza Chile this year and are headed for the Bonnaroo stage in June and the Rock in Rio stage this fall – don’t miss your chance to see festival favorites Monsieur Periné in an intimate theater when they come to The Playhouse stage on Thursday, June 6 at 8pm, part of their La Sombra World Tour. The Latin Grammy Award-winning, Bogotá-based musical ensemble sings in Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese and has won fans at music festivals around the globe with their signature mix of Latin and European flavors with an Afro-Colombian twist. Kicking off the night is Puerto Rican indie pop artist, JOATA. This show is part of the Bandsintown Emerging Artist Series, Moffly Media Evening of Art Wine & Jazz Series, and the World Music Series. Join us in the lobby before the show for a free tasting of Refresca – a new flavored malt beverage from Corona -- and an art exhibit by Rene Soto. Visit Southwest Cafe (109 Danbury Road, Ridgefield) for dinner before the show and enjoy a complimentary margarita with your entree when you show your ticket! Media partner for this event is Radio Cumbre 1450 AM.

According to WNYC Soundcheck, "Monsieur Periné has taken the Latin music world by storm... Their upbeat and lively arrangements are engaging, detailed, and above all such a joy to move to." Their Grammy Award-nominated new album Encanto Tropical culminates the evolution of Monsieur Periné’s sound from acoustic Django Reinhart-inspired Gypsy-Jazz to hybrid electronica Latin groove pop. Formed by singer Catalina García and principal collaborator Santiago Prieto in the Colombia colonial village of Villa de Leyva in 2007, the band originally played a small repertory of boleros and bossa nova tunes at weddings and parties. With Encanto Tropical, Monsieur Periné returned to the production genius of Eduardo Cabra aka ‘Visitante of Calle 13.’ The band and Cabra had worked together on their sophomore album Caja de Música, which was nominated for a 2015 Latin Grammy in the “Album of the Year” category. Monsieur Periné challenged themselves to grow by collaborating with legendary talents like Mexico’s Julieta Venegas on the song “Veneno,” and Argentina’s Vicentico (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs) on “La Tregua,” which Colombia’s own Juancho Valencia (who has worked with Calle 13) and ChocQuibTown, co-composed. The collaborations, as Prieto observed, “enriched” the band’s composing experience, but also allowed for a more fully realized way to express themselves.

“I grew up listening to a lot of Latin American trova because of my mom, especially Mercedes Sosa,” said García. “But I also connect with singers like Buika, Chavela Vargas, colleagues like Natalia Lafourcade or Andrea Echeverri. I’m also inspired by traditional singers like Toto la Momposina, Chavita Grande [and] Mayra Andrade. I like singers that express a story, that are not just perfectionists in their interpretation.” Encanto Tropical brilliantly succeeds in telling those kinds of stories. It’s an album that captures a band at their creative peak and is ready to take its place in the pantheon of contemporary Latin music greats.

JOATA is the moniker of Puerto Rican indie pop musician, Jose Oyola. Based in Brooklyn and originally from New Haven, Oyola blends hip hop and indie rock with Caribbean rhythms and writes anthemic bilingual songs about love, outer space and more.

For tickets ($39) call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.