MundoTribe!
!MundoTribe!
The Who, The What...
Brewing a vital concoction of Latin, Urban, Middle Eastern and Funk, MundoTribe formed in Houston in 2003 from the creative juices of Ben "bigB" Whittier (vocals/keys) and Mr. Hand (world percussion/keys). An unlikely duo, these two creative minds from either side of the Atlantic, met through the classifieds. Ben, stumbling on an ad from a world percussionist looking for a project to join, was more than a little surprised when he opened his front door to find the six foot plus, red bearded, and, obviously a hops enthusiast, "Mr. Hand". At first he thought the gentleman had simply rung the wrong doorbell, but tilting to one side to see beyond him, was a car full of hand percussion instruments parked outside. Without a doubt, this WAS the percussionist.
Since then, MundoTribe has been busy sculpting a varied, yet personal roster of songs. Notably, "Morena", an infectious Urban/Latin bilingual joint, finalist of the John Lennon Song Contest (World category), "No More Heroes", MundoTribe's 2003 anti-war reggae anthem that has garnered for the band a slew of loyal fans. "Dance Y'all", a World Percussion meets Urban fest that's got everything from digderidoo to Swahili. Or, the Bolero inspired, sentimentally bilingual, "Prisionero". Never a dull moment, MundoTribe is a true reflection of its eclectic founding members.
MundoTribe's collaboration with a never ending number of musicians of many different genres, has given the duo the opportunity to play along-side a long list of new and veteran musicians from the Houston music scene and beyond.
As headliner, MundoTribe has performed in venues ranging from the legendary "Elvia's" or "Last Concert Cafe", as well as, international level festivals such as "Via Colori", this year adding to the list, "Houston Reggae Fest", to the international beauty pageants "Miss Petite Internatiional" and "Hawaiin Tropic International"
MundoTribe is on a perpetual cultural adventure of embracing musical spices from around the world, promising to delight, enhance, and pamper your senses, whilst promoting world peace through mutual cultural awareness. Now it's your turn to savor the first musical delicacies of MundoTribe...enjoy.
Ben "bigB" Whittier - Lead Vocals/Keys/Writer/Producer
Ben "bigB" Whittier
Born in Los Angeles, California, around the corner from Tina Turner, two blocks away from Ray
Charles, just down the street from Nancy Wilson, and across the street from Smokey Robinson's bass player... let's just say music was his destiny. Ironically, though, as a child, he studied drama under the tutelage of the famed Lurene Tuttle, but wasn't intersted in music lessons. He Lived in L.A. until the age of 11 years, at which time he moved to Madrid Spain with his family.
While still a teenager, by chance of the house DJ failing to appear for two nights in a row, "bigB" was
offered the job, which led to several successful years as a club DJ throughout all of Spain, including Barcelona, Benidorm, Alicante, Valencia, and of course Madrid.
BigB's initial taste of the music recording industry came with the million selling hit "PARIS LATINO", with the Paris based, Francophile/Latin pop group "BANDOLERO" on Virgin Records France. Since then he has collaborated professionally with artists from such diverse countries as Spain, Morocco, France, Brazil, Argentina, England, and Equatorial Guinea, to name a few.
BigB returned to the US and studied music at Santa Monica College for a year before being offered a solo recording contract by Polygram Iberica (Spain). Subsequently, he continued his musical globetrotting, performing, and composing or co-composing over 45 titles released worldwide, mainly in the Spanish and French speaking markets, overall selling more than 3 million units, including his own 1990 hit "YOU'LL NEVER FALL" from his Polygram Iberica solo debut CD "BENJAMIN", as well as, with the mega Spanish language international hit "LOCOMIA" for the former WEA haute couture boy band of the same name.
Back in Madrid, during one of his TV promotions for the above mentioned solo artist single, BigB was offered the chance to host a new music program for teenagers on Television Española. In this new medium, as a television host/co-host for five years of such popular and loved music programs as 'PONTE LAS PILAS" and "LOS PRIMEROS", the Nikelodeon spin-off "ZONA DE JUEGO", or the Christmas specials "TELEPASIÓN", BigB was able to develop fully his on-camera personality. He also gained extensive international exposure in the Spanish speaking world as these programs were beamed worldwide via satellite on TVE Internacional (Televisión Española). BigB has also co-starred in musicals, DJ-ed for radio, appeared in dozens of TV sketches, and has extensive experience in voice-overs and lead vocals for advertising.
Presently, after many years abroad, and in addition to working on nationally syndicated shows such as Fox TV's JUDGE ALEX or CRISTINA'S COURT, and with both the English and Spanish speaking markets in his sights, BigB has returned to the US and is currently, composing and producing new material for his new band, "MundoTribe" ,(www.mundotribe.com), through which he strives to incorporate the cultural diversity that he has been exposed to over the last twenty years.
Mr. Hand - World Percussion/Keys/Didgeridoo/Duduk
Mr. Hand
Often said to have originated from the backwoods part of a twisted idea, The Texas Razorback, Mr. Hand, is a mental mystery- and that’s just the way he likes it! If you were to ask him a simple question, he would never give you the same answer twice. As co-founder & beloved instrumentalist of MundoTribe, he can finally put his plan into action… to take over the world! ::insert sinister laugh here::
Hailing from H-town in Texas, Mr. Hand had the up-bringing of a traditional Texas family. Bred straight into music, he often found enjoyment as a kid listening to his father play drums in a family-pieced Country & Western band. He found his own knack for music early on in his childhood with piano; then later, entering the adolescent years, saxophone & piano-keyboard. It wasn’t until a few years into being a young adult that Mr. Hand had begun to develop a real taste for worldly flavours. And now with an arsenal of wind instruments & ethnic hand percussion from around the world-- Didgeridoo’s from Australia; Djembe’s from West Africa, Darbukas from Morocco; the Armenian Duduk; a heavy Rai influence on keyboards, & Conga's to boot-- Mr. Hand is by far a most contrasting man to have the pleasure of knowing.
"Out of one element & into another" as he would say in describing how he lives his life & tackles his dreams. But just what other core facets were there in his development? Well...simple instruction & research. Upon first entry into the world of *world*, Mr. Hand's approach was a touch-&-go experience-- often blindly fitting himself into different fruits & fancies of the ethnically experimental. Upon his more developmental stages, he'd studied ethnic percussion under the instructions of Richie Gajate-Garcia, Jorge Bermudez, Kalani, Hossam Ramzy, & the awesome duo of Raul Rekow & Karl Perazzo of the immortal Santana band. His Didgeridoo-ing is a self-taught talent that came as natural as the indigenous instrument itself, & his piano-keyboarding is of familial influence dating back to birth. He picked up Duduk by simply observing a multi-array of classical Armenian musicians such as Djivan Gasparyan and Gevorg Dabaghyan. But even with all this under his belt, Mr. Hand, still, is not satisfied & continues to grow his arsenal like the art of war, without words.
But that isn't all there is to the Mastodon of MundoTribe. A self-written poet & philosopher, he spends a lot of his time deep in thought & theory. Having as minute a background as he carries behind his persona, it isn't easy to mistake or misunderstand his cold, empty gaze as farce or fathom. But away from the music, this good ol' country boy spends his time down on a family farm, appreciating the smaller things in life such as good company & great music. This is the element, & the development, of MundoTribe’s Mr. Hand...