Zon Del Barrio - About Zon Del Barrio

Zon del Barrio: The Barrio ZON

Aurora Flores and David Fernandez

Bringing dance style classic Afro-Boricua music from the barrios, Aurora & Zon del Barrio bring its foot stomping, funk based classic salsa, plena, merengue, bomba & boogalu to the corners of the Barrios where Latinos live, work and play. Creative, musically diverse in taste while resourceful in survival, Latinos from the barrio zones have sophisticated tastes in music that is not relegated to one particular genre. Zon del Barrio emerges as one of the few orchestras to express the varied genres of Latin music from the African Diaspora and the urban streets of New York.
This group of veteran and young musicians is led by music journalist & historian, Aurora Flores with musical direction provided by David Fernandez, a multi-instrumentalist who defers to his almost encyclopedic knowledge of the classics for his creative arrangements.

With original tunes penned by Flores, Zon del Barrio introduces the
dynamic young vocals of Hector "Papote" Jimenez, an up and coming sonero
of the 21st Century who channels the spiritual voicings and phrases of
the great Latino singers such as Benny More Ismael Rivera and Hector LaVoe.

Wear your dancing shoes!

Aurora & Zon del Barrio (the Barrio Zon) …
Is old school mixed with a little new school flava expressing the musical soul of the barrios in the style of Puerto Rico's most popular exponent, Cortijo y su Combo. Cortijo's band broke through the color barrier in Puerto Rico in the late '50s and Zon del Barrio is a tribute to those efforts and a celebration of Afro-Puertorican music.

Parallel to Cortijo's band for diversity, Zon del Barrio updates the folklore while mixing the music with today's urban, bilingual and bicultural lifestyle. With Spanglish lyrics, a touch of funky hip-hop, and boogalu, this group stands out because of its creative, professional and distinctive arrangements, original tunes with substantive content and diverse repertoire.

Original songs such as "Mi Bandera," are nuyorican tributes to our roots
while living in the New York present. "Revolu" talks in Spanglish about
the changing roles of men and women and the rising tide of violence
against women with a funky back beat to the folkloric Puerto Rican bomba
rhythm. Reconciling the past with the hip new sounds of the present, Zon
del Barrio is East Harlem's hottest septet.

Zon del Barrio has opened for the following:

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

New York Knicks

La India

Oro Solido

Puerto Rican Power

Monchito Rivera

Sammy Ayala with Miliki’s Grupo Herencia

Willie Villegas y Entre Amigos

Papo Pepin & his Orchestra

Frankie Morales and his Orchestra.

Zon del Barrio has been joined by guest artists:

Yomo Toro - the King of the Cuatro

Angel Luis Torruellas - the King of the Plena

Sammy Ayala - singer/songwriter

Ralph Irizarry - Son Cafe, Timbalaye

Wilson "Chembo" Corniel - Congeuro, bandleader