Spellbound

Official Biography (courtesy of Spellbound)

Latin rhythms ... hip-shaking urban beats ...multi-cultural performers...tropical grooves ... Spanglish lyrics ... male and female voices ... surprise guest stars ... critical accolades ... a style all their own. These are some of the hallmarks of Spellbound, a long-standing L.A. indie band with a remarkable track record.

On stage live they are multi-instrumentalist Paul Thomas, singer/songwriter Bobby Moon, virtuoso trombone player Mike Daigeau, with new band mates Rudy Mangual (congas & percussion),  Michael Turre (saxophone) & guest vocalist Candi Sosa. Beginning with Spellbound in 1996 (which contains the Latin-tinged favorite "Good Company"), the band has released a succession of nationally-distributed CDs. They include 1999's Funqueros (dubbed a "jewel of magnanimous proportions" by Campus Circle Magazine), 2001's Respete El Pasado/Respect The Past, and Tropicalifornia (One of 2002's Editor's Top Ten Picks in Latin Beat Magazine). The band also made a timely entrance into the internet music revolution, scoring three #1 songs on the tropical charts during MP3.com's glory days (and the downloads continue now through Apple iTunes and other internet music services).

Also throughout their recordings, Spellbound has enjoyed the participation of diverse musical guests, from legendary singer Question Mark (of ? & The Mysterians and "96 Tears" fame) to Asdru Sierra of trend-setting band Ozomatli. Live, they continue to amaze and are constant crowd pleasers with shows in local clubs and occasional concert venues, including the Hollywood Bowl in 2002 (for the African Hearts & Latin Soul concert with headliners Eddie Palmieri & Hugh Maskela). In 2007 Spellbound established their myspace page, along with a new CD Poolside Fiesta, and their first-ever video, "Hot Sauce." Without stopping for breath, the prolific band has returned in 2008 with their latest recording, Brighter Days Ahead, featuring guest appearances by renowned salsa bandleader Johnny Polanco and veteran L.A. saxophonist Plas Johnson.