Today we’d like to introduce you to Sol + The Tribu.
Sol, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
This is the story of the band and how we met:
Chapter 1
SOL “La Barbara Llego”
In the 4th Millenium when technology took over the world, Sol was born. She cried her first note, and the hospital was struck by lightning. That lightning bolt left el hospital en un apagon. In the darkness, the doctors scrambled trying to understand what occurred. Sol’s mother, in shock, held her newborn baby and rocked her to sleep singing “dos gardenias para ti.”
When she was 11, walking home after school in Normandy Isle on Miami Beach, the sun was blazing. Habia tremendo calor. She began her stroll singing along the sidewalk listening to music on her favorite vintage artifact, the Walkman. In the 3000’s it was common that the kids would time travel back in time and pick up souvenirs on their journeys through the wormholes. They would compare them at school and see who had cooler stuff. Sol, on her walk that day, was singing along to “Paradise City” when a huge gust of wind came and brought in una tormenta. At a certain part of the song, she sang a note, y con esa nota que ropio, she was struck by lightning. The sound carried so fast and so deep into the atmosphere that all the electric particles joined. She fainted on the sidewalk for a few minutes, and when she opened her eyes, there was the local “Hood Prophet” standing over her. He asked, “Sol, you alright?”. She replied, “I don’t know, estoy achicharra.” After this incident, she was never the same again. She was always strange, but this made her think very different. Outcasted by the kids and teachers at school she felt out of place.
Over time, she sat by the bay with the local mentor, The Hood Prophet who coached her strength. He would say, “Sol, focus your energy on the sky. Point your hands out, concentrate and sing like you do. You’ll see what happens. The power is in your voice.” Every day she would sing to the sky and create electrical charges. From the vibrations of her vocal cords, the sound would carry across the atmosphere at the speed of light. As she grew su poder cogio su fuerza. The earth’s surface would heat, creating steam. The steam rolls into the air and clouds of water drift in the sky. With her voice, she carried the electricity in the thunderstorms and lightning.
Chapter 2
Rey “Sugar”
As time passed so did Sol’s curiosity for understanding her roots. She listened to a lot of old records from the golden era of Cuba. Her favorite artist was Benny More. The 1930s is the decade she loved most. It was full of natural instrumentation and rich horn lines. But in the 3000’s music was very different. There was very little music in America that was played with acoustic instruments. Music was only digital and virtual. Nothing was real. Even singers were made through virtual software systems. There were no more live concerts. There was only 3D holograms of artists and 3D mappings of musical shows. In an instant you could be sitting on stage with your favorite artists, talking to them and getting up close and personal. And with everyone spoiled with endless possibilities, music lost its soul.
One day by the bay, Sol had a heart to heart with The Hood Prophet. She said “ I gotta get out of this computerized society of robotic cyberpunks. It’s really making me feel out of touch”. The Hood Prophet said “Sol, You gotta travel. You gotta go to Cuba and look for your roots. There, you’re gonna connect to something greater than yourself. You know how people say; sometimes you gotta go backward to move forward. That will make you understand who you are and find your divine purpose.”
Meanwhile, in Cuba technology did not progress. Everywhere in the world technology moves forward with its own influences and needs; in some places it even moves backward. As it did in the case of Cuba and other countries that failed to keep up with the fast computer age world around it. It moved towards a time no cars existed at all. It became a place that lived from the sugar industry once again. As if it went back to the 1880s. First, Sol decided to visit Oriente to study tres and the Son Cubano origins. She hopped over, and her first stop was in La Sierra Nevada, near Santiago de Cuba. She bought a mule to start her journey and took a beaten path down a gravel road. That road ended in a river. She crossed that river and arrived at a small village. It was a swampy area, just a small block in size, with tall sugar cane stalks that surrounded its tiny palm leaf huts. Children were playing soccer, shoeless in the mud, while the adults sat inside sheltered from the afternoon sun. As soon as she got there, the strong smell of pure sugar filled the air. A happy sensation came over her. As she walked through the village, the locals starred, as if they hadn’t seen an outsider in many years. Being that she is not the shy type, she waved to the locals like she belonged there and walked casually. Ahead, she spotted a guarapo stand. There, serving ice cold guarapo was un guajiro. Tenia mucho swag. He dressed in a peculiar way and had an afro. He sat there playing his guitar. While he played, the melody filled her ears and nose, traveling through the canals, all the way to her mouth, hitting her taste buds. Not only did she hear it, but she could taste it too. The notes gave her a sudden sugar rush con un sabor a caramelo. She walked over to el bohio and greeted him with her familiar wave and said “como ‘tamo compay, ponme un doblete por el jardin central.” As he served her the chilly guarapo, she asked, “como tu te llama?”. El dijo, “Rey.” She said “Quieres descargar un ratico.” He said “claro, en eso estoy.” So she pulled out her bio fluorescent green glowing Guayo, and he plucked a golden pick from his afro. They started to jam. Suddenly all the children from the village ran over and began to dance. Before long, the adults came over to rock out too. With the guarapo flowing freely and the continuous jamming, everyone fell into a trance. It was as though the guarapo, like a magic potion, was making them fall deeper in love with the way they played. There was so much miraculous enchantment that afternoon they played till night fell and kept on till the crack of dawn. At the first canto de gallo, salio la mujer del guajiro Rey y grito, “Paren ya! hasta cuando caballero!” And he said, “Oye mija, coje lo suave con take it easy, toma un poco de este guarapo y no te pongas sala’. No ves que tenemos visita de la yuma. Tu sabes bien, en mi guateke, no me forme’ brete.” Meaning, drink this sugar cane juice, don’t get salty, chill out, and don’t kill the party. So, she sweeten up and joined in the festivities. They continued to play seven days straight. The first day, the dark of night came to light. The second day, the guarapo rained from the clouds, and the river turned into molasses. The third day, the sugar cane stalks grew high as the sky in abundance. The 4th day, Rey blew white granulated sugar into the heavens, and the grains began to twinkle like stars. The 5th day, all the birds and fish came for the sweet array of goodies. On the 6th day, so did all the other animals. Finally, on the 7th day, Sol said, “come on Rey, let’s go to the next village and play for the people. They need to hear this. It will make them feel so good, so bery nice.” Rey replied, “ta bien Sol, vamos pa’ ya. Es verdad, it’s time to spread the sweetness to the world.” So they straddled the mule and took off for the next village. Along the way, they jammed with every personaje and put all the town folks into a trance. They rode from La Punta Maisi, Guantanamo, Las Tunas, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Matanza, till eventually arriving at the jungle mountains of La Guinera. After only one night there, they fell in love with the landscape and wound up staying several months composing new tunes and relaxing. They made a cozy bohio out of royal palm fronds, grew a glorious luscious garden full of mangos and aguacates and raised a baby calf.
Chapter 3
Manny “Mr.Swag”
En las montañas de la Güinera, Rey y Sol salieron caminando to jam in the jungle un dia bien bonito. Sol iba con su glowing guayo and Rey tenia su guitarra encantada. They heard in the distant wilderness una campana. When they heard esa llamada, with a rhythmic metallic sound, they heard que tenia su toque. It was a very distinguished toque. Sol said to Rey, “What is that? What could that be? Let’s check it out. Sounds like they are descargando por alli.” From a distance, you could hear the laughter and celebration like there was a party going on. They walked through the trees and bushes to find a small child. Lo vieron, chiquitico descargando con su cowbell entertaining the animals of the forest. Se unieron a su sonido y metieron un super guateque con todos los animalitos del bosque de la Guinera. Todos salieron a formar parte de esa unión. La iguana bailaba con las lagartijas, la serpiente con el ratón, el gavilan con el tocororo, y el cocodrilo con la jutia. Se formo tremenda fiesta. Rey and Sol were overwhelmed at the power this wild child had and decided they would raise him.
They took him home, and he bonded con la vaca right away. It was there mutual love for the cowbell that love at first sight. The cow began nurturing the boy as if it were her child. She gave him her milk, and he began to grow very strong. With the milk, fruits from the garden y otros condimentos naturales de la tierra el se alimentó. Crecía una pulgada cada dia. Mientras que el iba creciendo, his cowbell tambien crecia at the same time. Impresionante, era como una planta que Sol y Rey habían regado. Not only did he grow in size but also in power. They knew he was the one to complete the triad. Sol said “He is the chosen one, the one of many. We shall call him Manny.” In a matter of months, he became a grown man. The three of them played every single day and each day that passed they noticed Manny had something very special. The cowbell would send vibrations, attracting beautiful, happy people. It would send signals through the air at very far distances. With just one hit of his cowbell, the vibrations would cleanse the entire village. They began to see it clearly, el espanta lo malo y atrae lo bueno a través de su sonido. The towns folk brought flowers and showered him with gifts for appreciation. Overtime, he started to played other instruments like the conga and la clave. He developed an incredible playing style, a certain swagger. Everyone that heard him said he was sent by the great Tata Guines to speak for the ancestors through his percussion instruments. He brought the soul of the past into the present. His playing had so much swagger; they named him Mr. Swag. Together they jammed out every single day and saw they had something del mas alla. They put their powers together for the betterment of mankind. Combining the past, present, and future to creating a triad of superhuman strength and unstoppable circus of fun.
Chapter 4
Joining forces – Miami 3050
They played music endlessly in the mountains of La Guinera. The super guatekes continued till one night Sol had a dream. In her dream, she saw a pyramid from which a river flowed, and a crescent moon hung above it. Sitting a top of the pyramid was Sol balancing on the tip with an alligator around her neck. She had a third eye and many arms. In each hand, there was a symbol for different art forms: art, dance, music, literature, and theatre. Here, the voice of The Hood Prophet emitted from the sky, “Sol, you gotta go back into the past with your brothers. You gotta go back to the origins of music to save the future. Travel to the pivotal moments in time put together those influences and then go to the year 2020 Miami to create the New Miami Sound. You and your brothers are a tribe. A trinity that’s bond will save the future. Miami is now the capital of the world, and your influence will change its sound forever. People need something organic. Music no longer has a soul, and the only way to fix it is by going to the past to change it for the future. You are the barbarian! You are La Barbara! You are Chango! Go! Wake up now and tell your brothers. Y’all are ready to make the world a better place. Do it for your children’s, childrens, childrens, children.” In an instant, she bolted up from her bed and rushed to wake up Rey and Manny. She said, “Oye guys, we have to travel back in time to alter the future, so real music survives! We’ll go to the most important moments in music history and mix together those influences to create a new sound! It is up to us to save the future for the betterment of mankind.” They looked at her and said “Oh yea baby … let’s rock n’ roll.”
So, they packed their instruments and traveled through a quantum wormhole. First, they went to the beginnings of man in Africa, where they joined in with the original tributarios. They learned their language and communicated with their ancestors. From there they went to 16th century Florence, Italy in search of Jacopo Peri to auditioned for the first opera ever. They got the main roles and became a huge hit in europe. Then, They traveled to the early 1900s to learn the origins of the blues in the delta and went into Storyville in New Orleans to pick up some chops in the new jazz craze. After that, they hoped on a ferry and went to havana to join Benny More in his Banda Gigante. Sol was already an amazing guiro player, but after this experience, she ripped up a guiro solo like no one on the island. Her and Benny danced in the shows, and they even had a love affair. They all played in the band together, but since that was the golden era of music, there was a lot going on. It was a lively time and easy to get whisked away in the Havana nocturne. Manny went off playing with Tata Guines, and Rey played with Manuel Galban from the Zafiros. After all that, they flew into the rock-n-roll era, where music was really breaking the mold. They found Chuck Berry and Little Richard and tag along on their tours. They were in the audience at the Deauville for The Ed Sullivan Show in Miami Beach when The Beatles hit airwaves for the first time in the US. They were in The Sargent Peppers Lonely Heart Clubs photo session and met Phil Spector to see how he made the famous “wall of sound.” They went to Electric Ladyland studios to hang out with El Jimi Hendrix himself. Jimi loved them right off the spot and asked them to go to Woodstock open up the show. Then they went into the audience to see MJ do the first Moondance and were in Nirvana’s Smells like Teen Spirit music video. In the beginnings of Hip Hop they met with Sugar Hill Gang and in Panama, they worked with El General on the emerging reggaeton rhythm. They also collaborated at the studio with the Fugees while recording The Score and were in a couple of OutKast music videos.
Their journey was finally over, and they flew to Miami year 2020. They collected their influences and put them together to create their sound. Their purpose was to change the future, so they needed a good 1000 years in between to really change its course. They got their start playing around town at all the local venues, and their sound grew. They brought everyone together by spreading positive vibrations, cleansing the body and soul of its sadness and sorrow. The music was an orb of prosperity, defeating darkness and combating evil. Their purpose was to change the future of the Miami Sound for their children’s, childrens, childrens, children and beyond.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Sol + The Tribu is a project born in Miami by Cuban musicians, Sol La Barbara (Vocals/Guitar/Keyboard), Rey Sugar (Vocals/Guitar) and Manny Mr. Swag (Vocals/Percussion). Their unique Miami sound is a blend of Electronic music with Afro-Cuban rhythms, Cumbia, Reggaeton, Funk, Blues, and Hip hop. As a reflection of the place where they create, they sing in Spanglish, taking their influences from Benny More, Orishas, Fugees, Black Eyed Peas creating a rhythmic landscape that blends the traditions and cultures around them.
Their debut album, Miami 3050, is based on the story of 3 superheroes from the year 3050, coming from the future to the present day to change the Miami sound for the next generations. Combining past influences with modern technology, their calling was to spread positive vibrations, cleansing the body and soul of the people on earth of their sadness and sorrow. Sol “La Barbara,” creates energy with bolts of lighting. Manny “Mr. Swag,” attracts the positive and deflects the negative vibes with his cowbell, Rey “Sugar,” sprays Guarapo infused notes out of his guitar, making the world a sweeter place. Together their music is an orb of prosperity, defeating darkness and combating evil.
The tribu’s purpose is to save the future of the miami sound for your children’s children’s children.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
Everything can be viewed as political, that is up to the audience to interpret. But the true message an artist needs to spread is one of love and understanding. The events that happen around us will effect us all but we have to stay true to a message of love no matter how messed up things can be on either side. Our role should be to give an example to what is right and true and what spreads joy and light through art.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
The new album Miami 3050 can be downloaded or listen to on digital platforms. Spotify deezer youtube etc.
This link will take you there.
Contact Info:
- Address: The link I shared on other page is good.
- Website: Www.solthetribu.com
- Email: solthetribu@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solthetribu/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/Solthetribu
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Solthetribu
- Other: https://linktr.ee/solthetribu
Image Credit:
Designs by Alfredo Goodyear
Photos by Michael Campina
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