History Music / Puya

+ Music/{{Rush}}

Though before they were a metal band with vocals, they started off as a instrumental Prog Rock combo named Whisker Biscuit influenced by bands like Music/{{Rush}}. With their shift to a Metal/Salsa/Jazz band, however, Puya added a backup horn section and percussionists, giving their live shows a large cast of musicians rivaling Music/TransSiberianOrchestra, although, officially, the band only has three musicians and a singer. Vocalist Sergio Curbelo performed on Puya's 1995 album, but was not officially a member of the band until 1996, thusly the "band" from 1991 until 1995 only consisted of two members--guitarist Ramon Ortiz and composer/bassist Harold Hopkins Miranda, the band's [[LeadBassist founder and leader]].

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Tours live with a huge horn section and dozens of Latin percussionists. Session jazz musicians play these parts on their albums. Music/TitoPuente was supposed to play guest percussion parts on the ''Union'' album but died before he could work with the band.

Puya is a Puerto Rican {{Jazz}} ProgressiveMetal Salsa band. Their music usually involves a [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly blend of several different styles at once]] or a GenreRoulette shifting from different types of music. They would be best described as a jazz fusion or "metal jazz" band, but are usually called "ProgressiveMetal" because "jazz metal" really isn't a thing.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Various. E.g. "Bembele", which shifts from salsa to ThrashMetal to ProgressiveRock, "Keep It Simple", which is a jazz fusion track mixing Latin jazz instrumentation (flutes, acoustic flamenco-style guitar and Latin percussion) with HipHop-style beats, rap verses in English and a verse sung in Spanish, and "Ahorake", which in live concerts is accompanied by extended salsa jamming and onstage salsa dancing by salsa dancers.
** Subverted on ''Areyto'', which mostly featured Prog Metal tracks, but even there, "La Muralla" was a song that started off as prog-metal and then threw in guest rap verses out of nowhere.

* ''Pa Ti En Vivo'' (2010, filmed in 2002), the band's live concert DVD , showcasing their live improvisation. Also features interviews woth fans and Puerto-Rican locals, as well as the music video for "Pa Ti Pa Mí". Includes live performances of songs from all of their albums and the ''Whisker Biscuit'' demo.

* GenreRoulette: The band shifts between various different styles of metal, jazz and Latin music, as well as ProgressiveRock and occasionally RapMetal, in an attempt to bring together different communities of music lovers.

* GenreRoulette: The band shifts between various different styles of metal, jazz and Latin music, as well as ProgressiveRock, in an attempt to bring together different communities of music lovers.

Though before they were a metal band with vocals, they started off as a instrumental Prog Rock combo influenced by bands like Music/{{Rush}}. With their shift to a Metal/Salsa/Jazz band, however, Puya added a backup horn section and percussionists, giving their live shows a large cast of musicians rivaling Music/TransSiberianOrchestra, although, officially, the band only has three musicians and a singer. Vocalist Sergio Curbelo performed on Puya's 1995 album, but was not officially a member of the band until 1996, thusly the "band" from 1991 until 1995 only consisted of two members--guitarist Ramon Ortiz and composer/bassist Harold Hopkins Miranda, the band's [[LeadBassist founder and leader]].

* ''Whisker Biscuit'' demo (1994) (has never been officially sold by the band; torrents of the demo often cut the last minute or two of the song "La Raza" for some reason. Recording and mixing quality is inconsistent, but it's a must-hear for fans of the band.)

* ''Whisker Biscuit'' demo (1994) (has never been officially sold by the band; torrents of the demo often cut the last minute or two of the song "La Raza" for some reason)

Though before they were a metal band with vocals, they started off as a instrumental Prog Rock combo influenced by bands like Music/{{Rush}}. With their shift to a Metal/Salsa/Jazz band, however, Puya added a backup horn section and percussionists, giving their live shows a large cast of musicians rivaling Music/TransSiberianOrchestra, although, officially, the band only has three musicians and a singer. Vocalist Sergio Curbelo performed on Puya's 1995 album, but was not officially a member of the band until 1996, thusly the "band" from 1991 until 1995 only consisted of two members--guitarist Ramon Ortiz and composer/bassist Harold Hopkins Miranda, the band's founder and leader.

* ThemeSong: "Oasis", Puya's tribute to Puerto Rico, typically ends the band's concerts, and is one of their most popular songs.

Puya is a Puerto Rican {{Jazz}} ProgressiveMetal Salsa band. Their music usually involves a [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly blend of several different styles at once]] or a GenreRoulette shifting from different types of music. They would be best described as a jazz fusion or "metal jazz" band, but are usually called "ProgressiveMetal" because "jazz metal" really isn't a thing. The "original fusion from the island Borinquen" as they say, Puya first made a name for themselves in Florida, where a lot of the other jazz-metal bands like Music/{{Atheist}} and Music/{{Cynic}} popped up. Puya differentiated themselves from the other jazz-metal acts (who were typically TechnicalDeathMetal bands) by:

* ProgressiveMetal - what the band is more often called.