Bio Ritmo

Bio Ritmo began in 1991 as an experimental percussion ensemble in Virginia before evolving into a sextet devoted to dance-driven Latin sounds. The group’s propulsive mix of salsa and rhumba has carried them onto stages alongside Tito Puente, Burning Spear, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Taking its name from the 1970s biorhythm craze, the band was co-founded by Puerto Rico-born Jorge Negron and Jim Thomson to supply live accompaniment for IMAX films. Numerous lineup shifts followed; in 1995 Negron was succeeded by lead vocalist Rene Herrera, whose credits include fifteen years in the Cuban symphony and an arrival in the United States with his wife and daughter aboard a rowboat. Herrera also plays trombone, tres guitar, and percussion. The current roster comprises Charles Kirkpatrick on keyboards, Eddie Prendergast on bass, Gabo Tomasini on congas, Justin Riccio on timbales and percussion, and Bob Miller on trumpet. Produced by Jefferey Lesser, whose prior clients include the Chieftains and Barbra Streisand, the sextet’s third album, Rumba Baby Rumba, appeared in 1998. After an extended break the musicians reconvened in 2003 to cut a self-released, self-titled collection centered on salsa clásica and its layered lyricism; that disc reached stores in March 2004.