Watch out, Araka is coming!

© rumbum.com, Ted Pacelli

Araka at Board Up Miami 2009

The word Araka is Spanish slang for “watch out.” This is the best name for a group of talented musicians that want everyone to know they are coming to get the world. And there is no doubt about it, they are ready to conquer the music scene with their mash-up of reggae and Latin groove.

Each member of the band brings something different to the table with their diverse cultural backgrounds. The sextuplet includes Bruno Mendez, lead singer and bassist of Peruvian descent who loves all Latin music and is considered to be the one who supplies “el sabor,” the sassy Cuban chica, Vivian Fernandez who is the “ying” to Bruno’s “yang,” Mikey Campillo the bands high energy Cuban guitarist who’s band members describe as “the spirit of Jimi Hendrix with the balls of Tony Montana,” Numa Fernandez the Argentinean with attitude and banging out beats with “dangerous flare and style to spare,” Chris “el gringo” Richards the trumpet player blowing that brass and mixing it up with jazzy tunes and Boston trombone player, Greg Genova bringing the bone to the band.

This eclectic mix gives Araka that unique flavor that makes them a band to look out for. When asked to describe their style of music they said, “It’s hard to describe it, we do pretty much a little bit of everything. We use our backgrounds to bring that reggae mixed with a little bit of Ska and some Salsita.”

This great group of friends seems to have no problems when it comes to working together. “When we write music we don’t even think about it. There’s no formula to it. We come together and make magic.” To call them friends would be an understatement, they resemble a family as Vivian gives Mikey a playful hit on the shoulder, hugs him and calls him, “my brother.” Believe it or not, Araka was formed two years ago during a jam session on South Beach. Guitarist Mikey noticed that Bruno who at the time was a back-up singer for another band “was stealing the show.” Mikey encouraged Bruno to become lead singer, “you’re the front man, you have to be singer.” They started jamming together until everything eventually fell into place and they decided to start working and making music. Bruno adds, “We want everyone to enjoy our music and to start grooving with it and we definitely like to be with the people and do music for the people.”

The band will be featured on an upcoming reality show on Playboy’s Lifestyle TV scheduled to air by the end of August. The show, which is called “Recycled Blues”, follows the married couple, Numa and Vivian, as they manage their life, their band and their vintage clothing, store, Recycled Blues on Washington Ave. and 15th. The store has been named one of “South Beaches best local secrets.” The band is also finishing their EP, promoting and they plan to start touring soon. Although they are mainly Spanish right now, their music is so catchy it provides a groove and flavor everyone can enjoy. You can check them out on Myspace.com/arakamusic and keep an eye out for their EP, which will be available on iTunes in the next couple of months.