Harold Hopkins Miranda

Harold Hopkins Miranda is a Puerto Rican bass player, composer, director and founder of one of Latin America's most noticeable rock fusion bands, Puya.^[1][2] Hopkins Miranda is largely responsible for creating Puya's original 'Latin Metal' fusion style. Hopkins Miranda, along with Ramon Ortiz (guitar) are the composers (music & lyrics) of Puya's repertoire. In actuality he is also a developing music producer and plays, composes and directs other musical projects as well.

History

Harold was born in San Juan (Santurce), Puerto Rico, in 1971, from mother Margarita Miranda (Corozal, Puerto Rico) and father Harold E. Hopkins Jr. (Stanwood, Michigan). He was raised in Puerto Rico. He started on classical piano following the example of his older sister, pianist Brenda Hopkins, at an early age. At age 18, he moved to the bass. He had some garage band experience (AC/DC, GNR, Led Zeppelin). His first live gig on bass was with Gilberto Alomar (Puerto Rico's underground rock guitar legend), deceased Pedro Candelario (main vocal and guitar) and Rocco Torres (drums) on a John Lennon tribute band playing mostly Paul McCartney's bass lines. After that he formed part of a power trio, The Evidence, along with the Alomar brothers, Gilberto (guitar and main vocal) and Hugo Alomar (drums), playing rock from the 60's and 70's, some originals by Gilberto, and a lot of Jimi Hendrix. In 1990, got together with high school friend Ramon Ortiz (guitar) and founded Whisker Biscuit (original Latin/rock/funk-fusion). In 1992 the band moved to Ft. Lauderdale and changed the name to Puya.

Puya played the whole South Florida alternative/Latin/rock/hardcore music scene gaining good response from public. In 1993, recorded first indie 6 song cassette Puya-Whisker Biscuit and then in 1994-95 a CD Puya under Noiz Boiz Records and produced by Jeff Renza/Puya. Puya's original sound got to industry people's ears. In May 1996 the band realized their first show over seas in Bogota, Colombia at Rock Al Parque Festival where they played in front of 60,000 people being the only independent band on the bill. After that they started working some recordings in Los Angeles, California with top producer Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Pink Floyd) under the umbrella ALMO (Rondor Music) Publishing.^[3] This served as a music production school and at the same time a song writing and recording workshop. In 1997 he moved with the band to Los Angeles, CA and played the club scene. After a while the band got signed with multinational label MCA Records and recorded Fundamental CD produced by "rock en español" icon Gustavo Santaolalla (Juanes, Babel).^[4] That album won the recognition of Best Rock Fusion album of the year at the 2000 Billboard Latin Music Awards. That album, Fundamental, set the band on tour at the Ozzfest '99 tour. Puya has been the only full Latin band that has toured the Ozzfest playing in Spanish. After that was the Snocore (w/Incubus, System of a Down and Mike Patton's Mr. Bungle); They have been opening act for tours of bands such as Fear Factory; Iron Maiden; Red Hot Chili Peppers (So. American tour); Sepultura; Hatebreed; Slipknot; among many others. In 2001 Puya recorded a second 'Union' (MCA) produced by Garth Richardson and Andrew Murdock and co-produced by Puya. That album features the collaboration of world class Latin percussionists Angel 'Cachete' Maldonado and Anthony Carrillo as well a Brenda Hopkins Miranda on the piano on one song and deceased trumpet player Juancito Torres (Fania All Stars).

Puya took a break in 2004. After having spent some time in Granada, Spain, Harold formed, back in Puerto Rico, an even more Latin fused original band called Yeva and started producing. The self-titled three song Yeva EP was produced by Harold. Yeva played Coachellas Fest 2007^[5] (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Amy Winehouse, etc.) winning the best newcomer recognition according to the Chicago Tribune Newspaper.^[6] During that time he finished producing Puya's first live DVD "Puya Pa'ti- Live in Puerto Rico" under his own independent label Ahorake.^[7] He also worked as bass player for and toured with Tego Calderon, renowned hip hop artist from Puerto Rico, as a bass player on 'El Abayarde Contraataca World Tour' @ Spain, Panama, Chile, Arg, Peru, Venezuela, Miami, NY, NJ, LA, Colombia, PR... Puya made a come back in 2009. Played many festivals in PR and headlined one stage at Rock al Parque 2010 festival in Bogota, Colombia.^[8] That year they recorded a new, self produced, five song indie EP Areyto. 'Areyto' is a music/dance ritual of Puerto Rico's native Taino Indians. On that album Hopkins composed, arranged and produced two songs, one of which is a derivative work of Nicolas Guillen's "La Muralla" and which featured guest artists Tego Calderón, Tito Auger, Mimi Maura,^[9] and Antonio Cabán Vale "El Topo".

In 2011, Hopkins founded band Tambores Calientes with old friend Gilberto Alomar and master percussionist of Loiza, Puerto Rico, Marcos Peñalosa. This is a rock/blues/bomba fusion. Bomba is an African rooted music original from Puerto Rico played with three special bomba drums, a maraca, and repetitive vocal chants that contain also elements of Taino music and Spanish Gypsy (Gitano) melodies. Being the bomba a folkloric, underground sound, Tambores Calientes constitutes the first band with this unique combination of sounds. Hopkins Miranda has also worked with other artists as William Cepeda, Angel 'Cachete' Maldonado, Anthony Carrillo, Ismael Rivera (hijo), Jerry Gonzalez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Millo Torres, Tato Torres, Maria Isa Perez etc. Other works include Julio Voltio, Garcia Lopez, Antiheroes and Trafico Pesado. Harold is endorsed by D'Addario Strings.^[10] In Hopkins Miranda's own words "music never ceases to amaze and nurture the spirits on its ever evolving nature."

References

External links

• Harold Hopkins Miranda Facebook
• Yeva oficial
• Yeva Facebook
• Yeva Myspace
• Puya Myspace