Snarky Puppy / Nate Smith

The Botanical Garden at the Complutense University (Alfonso XIII Royal Botanical Garden) will host a concert by Snarky Puppy from Texas, an instrumental ensemble led by the bass player, Michael League​, and the percussionist, composer and producer from Virginia, Nate Smith, ​​​​​​on 4 July as part of the programme of the Nights at the Botanical festival.

Founded in Texas (United States) in 2004,  Snarky Puppy is an ensemble led by the bass player, Michael League, which stands out for combining jazz, rock, funk and diverse music styles from around the world. Boasting an extensive discography of more than a dozen albums, its most recent albums include Live at GroundUP Music Festival, a live performance released this year, and Empire Central, a jazz, funk, and world fusion album.

The group has performed with a variety of artists, such as Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg or David Crosby, and has won four Grammy Awards: Best R&B Performance for Something in 2013 and three awards for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in 2015 for Sylva, in 2016 for Culcha Vulcha and in 2021 for Live At The Royal Albert Hall.

In his albums at the helm of the KINKFOLK project, the percussionist, composer and producer, Nate Smith, has proven that his acclaimed blend of jazz fusion, soul and hip hop deserves its own place on today’s music scene.

Originally from Virginia and nominated for a Grammy three times, he has played a key role in the revitalisation of the international music scene with his visceral, instinctive and deeply rooted drumming style. He was influenced by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers’ Album Of The Year (1981), as well as by rock, which has been reflected in his numerous collaborations, in the soundtracks he composes for Discovery Channel documentaries, in all kinds of commissions (he was one of the contributors to Michael Jackson’s Heaven Can Wait), and in his own work.

He boasts an extensive and diverse curriculum, which includes working with renowned jazz figures, such as Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, José James, John Patitucci, Ravi Coltrane and Somi, among many others. His debut album KINFOLK: Postcards From Everywhere (2017), in which Smith combined modern jazz compositions with hip hop, pop and R&B, was nominated for two Grammy awards, followed by an impressive NPR Tiny Desk.