Jarabe De Palo

The Latin rock group Jarabe de Palo (strictly translated as "wood syrup" in English) was formed in Barcelona in the early '90s by vocalist and guitarist Pau Donés with guitarist Jordi Mena, drummer Alex Tenas, percussionist Dani Forcada, and bassist Joan Gené. Donés, an early fan of the Beatles and Bob Marley, formed his first band with his brother, but found another lineup for the newly named Jarabe de Palo. The group's 1997 album, La Flaca, did well on the charts in the group's native land. De Vuelta y Vuelta was issued four years later and placed inside the Top 50 at Top Latin Albums. As Spain's appetite for various forms of Latin, African, and Anglo music increased, Jarabe de Palo accommodated them by creating original music where rock, funk, jazz, and blues were fused with flamenco, Afro-Caribbean, Cuban, and Brazilian styles. 2003's Bonito mixed them all up and offered a kaleidoscopic portrait of the band's sonic palette. In 2009 they formed their own label, Tronco, and christened it with the release of Orquesta Reciclando. In 2018 the band released the "Jarabe Filarmónico" album, a compilation of their greatest hits featuring the Costa Rica´s Philarmonic Orchestra. Two years later, in May 2020, Jarabe released the "Tragas o escupes" record, and on June 9th of that same year Pau Donés passed away of cancer.