primmo's Channel

Mi “PRIMMO”



There’s broder, frend, pana, amigo, compa, paisa, hermano, blod and then there’s Primo! Add another M for individuality punctured with darts of funk, jazz, blues, rock, hip hop, and bossa-nova. Put that in a blender and you get a homemade recipe: an urban music mixture for the soul. PRIMMO is a band made in Guatemala, embracing every style, accepting all people and spreading a thought provoking lyrical content with their first album: “Project Jive.” The album was released in November of 2008 and has given PRIMMO the opportunity to play all over Guatemala, El Salvador, the first ever Istmo Rock Fest in Panama and even a showcase in the Latin Billboards Conference and Awards in Miami, Florida this year. Not bad for a group that’s been playing together for less than a year!



Man with the funk, vocalist, guitarist and composer Gian Paolo Perini started the project a couple years ago with over 60 songs. Cat with the pulse, Alejandro Calderon has been the drummer from the beginning. His roots in latin and reggae add some serious spunk to the group. Andres Ponciano, a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, plays the lead guitar and gives PRIMMO all the spicy jazz hands. Their Bass master Luis Pedro Gonzales, is a versatile music man that slaps just as hard as he walks. Trumpet and stage-dance choreographer Julio “el Checha” Micheo honks his horn reminiscent of Louis Armstrong.



PRIMMO’s 6th member and its most inspirational character is the Monkey. Why a monkey? Like the theory of evolution PRIMMO is taking music back to its roots. Music for the sake of music! The Monkey is the bands logo and everyone in Guatemala has either heard of it, seen it, drawn it, put it on their car or spray painted it. Part of a massive marketing campaign the monkey or “Micono” as commonly referred to, has been printed on t-shirts, stickers that you can see in a traffic jam, huge billboards, cut-outs in magazines, and stencils for spray painting. Guatemala has been bombarded by their promotional campaign and while some approve, some are offended. Lets face it though, good or bad publicity, the point is people are talking about PRIMMO. Maybe you should too! Check out their music, photos, gig dates and press releases on their website: www.primmoshow.com.



At the core of the matter, lies an eternal love for their country; Guatemala, as is shown in their last track, Mi Guatemaya. They are fighting for change, proving the power in their music and demonstrating that Guatemala has much more to offer to anyone who will just stop, pay attention and listen.