Barrabas

by Andy KellmanBarrabas was a Spanish group formed in the early '70s by former Los Brincos leader Fernando Arbex. At its formation, Barrabas was a six-piece including Tito Duarte, Miguel Morales, Ricky Morales, Ignacio Egana, and Joao Vidal. (Members changed occasionally; the most significant change occurred when vocalist Jose Luis Tejada was added to the lineup.) The Madrid-based group was equally influenced by funk and psychedelic rock, and they certainly took a cue from Santana. Throughout their career, they flirted with jazz-funk and disco; a handful of singles become club favorites in several countries. Their first album, 1972's Wild Safari, spawned "Woman," their biggest hit. After a self-titled 1977 album, the group disbanded. Arbex resurrected the group in the early '80s with a slightly revamped lineup; that group released another pair of albums before finally dissolving for good. Beware: two "compilations" released under the name Barrabas -- Grandes Exitos and Vive -- feature no original members of the group and are fraudulent.