Event Details: Grupo Fantasma

Garnering “Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album” for their latest album, El Existential, the band’s guitarist, Adrian Quesada says, “Considering the DIY and homegrown effort we’ve built over the last decade, including the immense undertaking and process of producing this album all by ourselves, it feels unbelievable to finally go home as winners. And with so many genres combined into this one category with such fierce competition, it’s even more of an honor and statement of our hard work over the last ten years.”

Released on Nat Geo Music, El Existential is being praised by critics including the Huffington Post who declared it “a sound done so right that you have to hand the crown to this group,” while Billboard states that by “tightly weaving Anglo, Afro and Latin musical genres, El Existential takes on an identity of its own.” Though this is Grupo Fantasma’s first Grammy, this was their second nomination, which they celebrated with a short tour of the Southwest.

Grupo Fantasma are widely known for their energetic live shows, which NPR declares “seamless…whenever and wherever they’re on stage.” The 10-piece orchestra has received praise from The Wall Street Journal, La Opinion, and by USA Today, calling the band “Latin-funk masters.”

Brought together by Austin’s bustling music scene, Grupo Fantasma formed in 2000 and is comprised of musicians with Latin American and Texan backgrounds. Praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre, the band draws from influences including cumbia, salsa, old-school funk, reggae and more.