University presents Grammy-winner Grupo Fantasma Thursday night

From performing for the troops in Iraq and Kuwait, collaborating with musical icons like Prince to winning a Grammy, Grupo Fantasma will bring their Latin and funk tunes to the Artist-Lecture Series on Thursday, Jan. 31.

This ten-piece band, which was founded in 2000, is a melting pot of various sounds from funk to reggae to salsa.

The band was originally a side-project for many of the members, who were already in rock-funk or jazz-punk bands. Soon, all of these genres were combined to form what is now Grupo Fantasma.

Guitarist Beto Martinez said the band has never forcefully mashed two styles of music together to create something new.

“All of our novel style experiments have come about naturally throughout the writing process,” Martinez said. “To be clear, we’re not the first ones to ever do this, but I think we are very comfortable with this approach and it is a natural state of the band, not something we are trying as a gimmick.”

Martinez said he thinks that state of mind is what makes Grupo Fantasma unique.

Even though the members of the group come from different backgrounds and locations, their Austin roots heavily influence Grupo Fantasma’s music.

“Austin is an oasis in Texas for musicians and generally creative people of all types,” Martinez said. “All of us found the city and the lifestyle very accommodating to be a musician and this is reflected in the fact that such a diverse group of individuals with varying musical backgrounds were able to come together here and form this band.”

The group could have only come together in a city like Austin, Martinez said.

Although only three founding members remain, a large part of the group has been consistent for at least ten years.

“We all have and maintain friendships,” Martinez said. “This camaraderie has helped us to work through issues and resolve conflicts better than if we were a bunch of hired guns. Years of touring have also taught us how to work together and at the same time give each other space.”

Grupo Fantasma, who has had their music featured on television shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Ugly Betty” hopes to grab the attention of college students when it performs on Thursday night, Martinez said.

“[College students] are bombarded with all the new music and products and are in this very transitional phase of their life where they’re gaining new independence and realizing who and what they’ll become,” he said. “If you can get on board, it provides a good and well-connected network of fans all across the country. They’ll usually turn out and be enthusiastic for shows, which in turn makes the band enthusiastic to perform.”

After performing at the Artist-Lecture Series, the group will be showcasing another side of their artistry as they play at Iron Horse Pub as their alter-ego group, Brownout, which is largely instrumental.

“Grupo Fantasma, although incorporating a diverse array of influences, is firmly rooted in Latin styles of music such as cumbia and salsa and features two lead vocalists,” Martinez said. “Brownout also incorporates many styles, but is primarily rooted in funk. Both bands are a lot of fun and there is no musical or linguistic prerequisite to enjoy either.”

Touring and live shows are Grupo Fantasma’s bread and butter, according to Martinez. He said even though recording in the studio is a satisfying and creative place, he really enjoys playing live and hopes to be doing it for many more years.

“We’ve just wrapped up our sixth album with the immensely talented producer and saxophonist Steve Berlin of Los Lobos fame, among others,” he said. “We hope to get that all squared away and out sometime this year, hopefully early summer.”

Grupo Fantasma’s Artist-Lecture Series performance will start at 7 p.m. Thursday at Akin Auditorium. Admission is $20 to the general public and free to students with campus ID. Tickets are available at the Clark Student Information Desk.