O-SN
Orquestra Swing Natural
After six years in hiatus, “They’re Back”.
The well known merengue/tropical band, originally named Grupo Swing was formed in 1996. The group started with just 7 musicians, as the intention of the group was to play in small local venues, but after just one year of successful performances, the fan base grew, the larger venues started taking notice and the demand to expand set in.
In early 1997, The Group expanded to 13 musicians and rebranded themselves as Grupo Swing Natural. The reason behind adding “Natural” came from the fans and club owners, as every time they finished their performance, everyone would comment on the excellent show they put on and how natural they all looked while performing. The “Natural” comments caught on, and it stood that way for the next 10 years.
For the next several years Grupo Swing Natural, either starred or opened up for larger acts in many venues across the Northeastern parts of the United States, maintaining themselves as one of the most booked bands of their genre, playing up to 160 gigs a year without the benefit of ever recording a whole CD, although their songs are mostly originals.
The group had formed a bond, maintaining the same musicians throughout their years, they had become much more than musicians, they became brothers. But in 2006, they decided it was time for a break and decided to go their separate ways. For the next several years everyone worked on their own separate projects, some of them even moving out of state, but all the while maintaining communication amongst each other.
Now, after six years in hiatus, “They’re Back”.
In May 2011, Refocused and Recharged they decided it was time to reform the band and reclaim their position as one of the top live performing bands. Led by owner/pianist Luis Colon Jr., they are rebranding themselves once again, aggressively fusing all of the new styles of today’s tropical music and making it their own. They are working harder than ever before, knowing they just can’t come back the same, but stronger.
