Bocatabú / Bocatabu

Dominican band Bocatabú freshen up the sound of their homeland by infusing their pop/rock sound with Caribbean rhythms, jazz, folk, and blues. Formed in capital city Santo Domingo in June 2007, the band — whose name is a portmanteau of the Spanish words for "mouth" and "taboo" — was founded by singer/songwriter Giorgio Siladi out of a desire to bring to life the stories in his head. Siladi was joined by drummer Miguel Abreu and pianist Oscar Patxot; violinist/percussionist Claudia Ponjuan (born in Cuba, the only member from outside of Santo Domingo) and guitarist Eduardo Fernández followed, and bassist Francisco Caamaño rounded out the lineup. Not wanting to be limited by genre trends or even by having a principal songwriter, Siladi sought contributions from the entire band, and by early 2008 debut single "Tempestad" arrived, later reaching number one on area radio charts. Its follow-up, "Bang Bang," reached Song of the Year status. The following year, the band enjoyed more success with the single "Sinfonías del Silencio" and on the Olympic Stage, where they opened for the Jonas Brothers' local tour date. Bocatabú's profile rose further in 2010 when they played the Festival Presidente, making way in 2011 for a spot on the Shakira-led POP Festival. On the awards front, the band won the 2010 Casandra Award for Best Rock/Pop Group and was nominated in the category again the following year. Their full-length debut, Historias Virgenes, arrived in the Caribbean in October 2009 and stateside in August 2011.