Elbicho was one of Spain’s leading jam bands. The group was forged on the streets in the heart of Madrid. Their rapidly growing and loyal fan base raved about their live performances and eagerly spread the word (along with their first demo recording), to such an extent that it wasn’t long before they received offers from industry giants.
Their live acts, both energetic and addictive, hardly gave a moment’s rest conjugating and fusing flamenco bulerias and tanguillos with an array of diverse styles such as progressive rock, rap, blues, African rhythms and a touch of jazz Based in Madrid. Well known in Spain, but with little exposure outside the country, El Bicho put together a captivating show, appealing to musicians and non-musicians alike, and always bringing the house to its feet.
The band traced its origin to a music workshop directed by Guillermo McGill at the Escuela Popular de Musica, where lead singer Miguel Campello from Elche (eastern Spain) met Victor Iniesta (guitar) and in turn Carlos Tato (bass), Toni Mangas (drums) and David Amores (percussion) join the group forming El Combo Flamenco.
After a year of gigs and composing they recorded their demo Bichos which became a major sell out at their concerts. In 2002 Juan Carlos Aracil (flute) and Pepe Aracil (trumpet) joined the group, elevating the music yet another step, and contributing to establish their definitive sound.
Elbicho’s debut album includes major names in Spain’s Flamenco scene, such as Jorge Pardo, Carles Benavent, Tino di Geraldo, Tomasito, Eva Duran and Javier Alvarez. The record was produced by Tino di Geraldo and Guillermo Quero.
The most recent line-up included Miguel Campello Garzón on vocals, Victor Iniesta Iglesias on guitar, Carlos Tato Moreno on bass, Antonio Mangas Ovide on drums, David Cobo Amores on percussion, Juan Carlos Aracil Sala on flute, Mario Díaz Bermejo on keyboards, and José Andreu Garzón on trumpet.
Several of El Bicho’s members had side projects such as world music and jazz fusion band Candelaria.
On May 16th of 2008, elbicho recorded a live album in Madrid that includes two music CDs and a DVD with live concert footage. De Imaginar contains passionate flamenco rooted songs that are popular with the public as well as extensive instrumental jams where elbicho blends high energy Andalusian rock with Afro-Latin beats, jazz fusion and much more.
In June of 2010 the band announced that it was going to take a break and scheduled as farewell tour. As a farewell gift to the group’s fans, the DRO label released a boxed set To Junto that includes elbicho’s entire discography plus a bonus CD with demos and other unreleased material.
Discography
* Elbicho (Dro-East West, 2003)
* Elbicho II (Dro-East West, 2005)
* Elbicho VII (Dro-East West, 2007)
* Elbich8 De Imaginar (Dro-East West, 2009)
* To Junto (Dro-East West, 2010)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
