Grupo Fantasma is an eleven-piece Latin funk orchestra from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2000 from the merger of two Austin acts, The Blue Noise Band and The Blimp, the band emerged with a sold out show at the former Empanada Parlour in Austin. The band is best known for their exuberant live shows and their recent association with Prince and his 3121 Club in Las Vegas. The band has backed Prince on numerous occasions, including his performance on the ALMA Awards in 2007, and often perform at his afterparty jam sessions. The ensemble has sold more than 20,000 albums independently. Grupo Fantasma has twice played the Austin City Limits Music Festival and taped an episode of the popular Austin City Limits TV Show on PBS, which first aired November 17, 2007. They have also performed at such festivals as the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Calgary Folk Music Festival and have headlined numerous SXSW showcases in their career. The also played at the inaugural South Padre International Music Festival in 2007. The band performs relentlessly, regularly doing over 150 performances a year. Their horn section has also made various appearances on worldwide releases and has recently been performing with indie rock band Spoon. Grupo Fantasma's music was featured prominently in the NYC Cable Access television show, The Unbelievable Show from 2001–2004. The group's album Sonidos Gold was nominated for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for the 51st Grammy Awards. Grupo Fantasma’s songs “Chocolate,” “Barretta” and “Perso Fra/Mesquites” were featured in Showtime’s “Weeds” season 6 premiere episode which debuted on August 16, 2010.
