Bocatabú

Dominican outfit Bocatabú updates its country’s musical landscape by blending pop and rock foundations with Caribbean grooves, jazz phrasing, folk textures, and blues inflections. The group assembled in Santo Domingo during June 2007 when singer and songwriter Giorgio Siladi established the project to translate his inner narratives into sound; the name itself fuses the Spanish terms for “mouth” and “taboo.” Drummer Miguel Abreu and pianist Oscar Patxot came aboard first, after which violinist and percussionist Claudia Ponjuan—born in Cuba and the sole non–Santo Domingo native—joined alongside guitarist Eduardo Fernández, with bassist Francisco Caamaño completing the roster. Siladi deliberately avoided confining the music to prevailing styles or centering composition around a single writer, instead inviting input from every member. Early 2008 brought the debut single “Tempestad,” which later topped regional radio playlists, while its successor “Bang Bang” earned Song of the Year recognition. Further momentum arrived the next year through the single “Sinfonías del Silencio” and a support slot for the Jonas Brothers on the Olympic Stage during their local engagement. Visibility climbed again in 2010 with an appearance at Festival Presidente, paving the way for a 2011 performance at the Shakira-curated POP Festival. Accolades followed as the band captured the 2010 Casandra Award for Best Rock/Pop Group and earned another nomination in the same category twelve months later. Their first full-length album, Historias Virgenes, reached Caribbean listeners in October 2009 before surfacing in the United States in August 2011.