Grupo Pagán, POWER! Review

by Icrom Bigrad

For over two decades, Grupo Pagán has been moving dance floors and turning heads with their high-octane blend of Latin rhythms, jazz fusion, funk swagger, and blues grit. They’ve shared stages with everyone from Spyro Gyra and Bela Fleck to Lou Gramm and Stanley Turrentine, and that history of versatility and collaboration pulses through every bar of their latest release, POWER! Produced by four-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Haslip, the album is a 10-track program of Latin groove architecture with rhythm, harmony, and form connecting bodies to beats and spirits to melody.

The title track, “Power,” wastes no time setting the agenda. Edgar Pagán’s bass lines hit with authority and bounce, his lead vocal carried on a wave of syncopated percussion from Joshua Dekaney and Jimmy Branley, with Este’s hand drums and chants adding ceremonial fire. Bill DiCosimo’s keyboards and Rhonda Paduano’s backing vocals sweeten the attack, while the rhythm section locks in a pulse that feels danceable with Afro-Caribbean rhythms.

“Milagros” romantic mood and descending harmonic figure brings introspective energy without losing motion. Pagán’s vocals are earthy and personal, paired beautifully with Jimmy Haslip’s cuatro, a timbre that brings an intimate, folkloric quality to the tune. Jim O’Mahony’s guitar lines and DiCosimo’s warm keys add depth, while Dave Donley’s percussion keeps the undercurrent alive.

“Oye ese ritmo” lives up to its title, a pure rhythmic invitation. Pagán steps out on bass, guitar, and cajón, while Haslip’s keyboards shift the harmonic backdrop from earthy to urbane in texture. The track’s momentum is grounded in Latin rhythms, jazz fusion, and funk swagger. The way Grupo Pagán can keep people’s feet on the floor while lifting listeners out of their daily headspace is on display here.

“Sol” offers a composition of seamless fusions of Latin groove and jazz fusion sheen. Haslip’s synth textures create a wide sonic horizon, while Daniel Pardo’s flute lines float in melodic currents. Jose Varona’s drums and Donley’s percussion keep the earth element strong, anchoring Pagán’s vocal in a bed of movement. The result is airy yet substantial, providing a warm-weather track you can meditate and dance to.

Across the album, there’s an unshakable sense of ensemble chemistry. “Peace, Love, and Unity” distills Grupo Pagán’s mission statement into a single cut, the vocal interplay between Pagán and Jack Brown radiating sincerity over Haslip’s bass and keyboard work. “Give to Receive” turns Melissa Gardiner’s horns loose in the mix, their bright punches dancing around O’Mahony’s guitar and Dekaney’s drum work. Pagán’s vocals are colored perfectly by Rhonda Paduano. The lyrics are positive and upbeat. “Camila Vida Mia” closes with a composition that fuses Latin, groove, and funk. Irv Lyons Jr.’s guitar and backing vocals add just the right amount of heart to Pagán’s lead.

What makes POWER! resonate is the genre-melding fluency. Every player here serves the song first as Haslip’s production captures the core truth of Grupo Pagán. This is a band that understands groove as a conversation between cultures, instruments, and intentions. Whether you’re drawn to the deep percussion dialogues, the snap of the funk backbeat, or the way a vocalist can drift over a Timba pulse, this record delivers something vital and joyous.