The Latin band Grupo Fantasma comes from Austin, Texas. With an eleven-man line-up that includes two guitarists, four percussionists and three horn players, the band has a massive sound that can also be subtle and refined. Stylistically, their music is hard to pin down and can just as easily be termed urban or Afro or Latin. Two years ago, they performed a tribute to James Brown at the North Sea Jazz Festival which raised the roof! The band owes its popularity in part to the revival of cumbia, a rhythmically quite complex blend of Spanish and African music that has its roots in Colombia. Sonidos Gold was nominated for a Grammy. On their fifth CD El Existential, that has just been released, the band presses on with its tasteful blend of tradition and innovation. Grupo Fantasma’s socially engaged lyrics are a unique aspect of a band that is best known for its exciting, steamy dance music.