Mango Punch!

Artist Information

Biography

Six-time winner of Best Latin Pop Band in the Houston Press Music Awards, Mango Punch! lives up to that distinction. Among the honors they've received stands out a proclamation from the City of Houston making Sept 28, 2011 the day of "Walter Suhr & Mango Punch!" . The band was formed by Walter Suhr, an award-winning songwriter, with the purpose of integrating diverse cultures and age-groups through music.

Mango Punch! has performed in prominent concerts and events, like the world-renowned Super Bowl XXXVIII, (with Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, Aerosmith and Beyoncé). They're the only band in that performed at inaugural ceremony for both Major White (2002) and Major Parker (2008) of Houston.

As a songwriter, Walter Suhr has won a number of awards including: First place winner: 9th annual Billboard Songwriting Contest (Latin category); First Place Winner: Carnavalero de Oro in Tenerife, Spain (2006); Second Place Winner: Los Compositores (2010); Finalist: John Lennon Songwriting Contest (2005), Festival de las Islas Canarias (2005), Finalist: Unisong Top 20 (2007), Honorary Mention Winner: Billboard World Song Contest (2010), .

He’s written commercial jingles including the Spanish campaign song for Hillary Clinton in 2008. He also co-wrote and performed the national Christmas campaign for Wal-Mart "Navidad en Familia" for which he won an ADDY award.
Mango Punch! has shared the stage with a number of international artists including: Elvis Crespo, Kumbia Kings, Gloria Trevi and others. Mango Punch! was also chosen to perform at an intimate private gathering for latin superstar Luis Miguel.

Their TV performances include shows on all major Networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, Telemundo, Univisión, Galavisión and Televisa. The video of their song “Qué me pongo” was made famous internationally through heavy rotation on HTV, MTVs and VH Uno.

Walter Suhr's song ‘Nothing, nothing’, was chosen as the theme song for the movie ‘Love for Rent’ distributed by HBO Latino. His work creating Spanish adaptations of English songs is highly valued. He has collaborated with Karen Taylor-Good, a Grammy-nominated songwriter, in the Spanish version of her book On Angel’s Wings.

For more information contact:
Susana Trimmer, manager
281.556.6889
P.O. BOX 820325
Houston, TX 77282

Instrumentation

Walter Suhr - keyboards, Lead Vocal, Guitars and Percussion
Doris Ríos - Percussion., Lead and Background Vocals
Chris Houghton - Bass
Melki Avila - Lead Guitars and Vocals
JP Ríos - Drums
Adrián Marcelo Salgado - Congas and percussion

Discography

Mango Punch! has recorded 5 CDs of original music.

"Mango Punch!", self-titled debut album.

"Pop/Rock", contains the song ‘Valemos la pena’ which won first place in the latin category of the ninth annual Billboard Song Contest.

"¿Qué me pongo?" contains the song "Big dreams, grandes sueños" which won first place (Carnavalero de Oro) in the "Certamen Internacional de la Canción del Carnaval" in Tenerife, Spain.

"Desayuno de amor", contains the song "Que se lleve el viento mi dolor" which won Finalist in the "2005 John Lennon Songwriting Contest" and Honorary Mention in the "2005 Festival Internacional de las Islas Canarias" and "Nothing, nothing" from the movie "Love for Rent".

"Una Casita Blanca" which was included in the ballot for a Latin Grammy in the category of "Tropical Contemporáneo". The songs "Satisfecho" and "Una casita blanca" both won Honorary Mention in the Billboard World Song Contest.

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube

Audio

• MANGO PUNCH! DEMO (ENGLISH)
  Listen   Download
• MANGO PUNCH! DEMO (ESPAÑOL)
  Listen   Download
• Just do it (Spanglish)
  Listen   Download
• Una casita blanca
  Listen   Download
• Zapatos
  Listen   Download
• Dar y dar
  Listen   Download
• Nothing, nothing
  Listen   Download
• Big dreams, grandes sueños
  Listen   Download
• Tacaña
  Listen   Download
• Bésame
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Just do it (Spanglish)
• Una casita blanca
• Zapatos
• Dar y Dar
• Nothing, nothing
• Big dreams, grandes sueños
• Tacaña
• Fíjese
• Fun en español
• Me Muero
• Satisfecho

Video

Mango Punch! Video Demo (Live Performance)

Que se lleve el viento mi dolor (Music Video)

Photo Gallery

Press

• SIGLO XXI, GUATEMALA: UN SABROSO COCTEL SONORO [+ Show ]
  

  2010 Si bien es cierto que Suhr es percusionista, también toca el piano, la guitarra y canta. Lo ...2010
  
  Si bien es cierto que Suhr es percusionista, también toca el piano, la guitarra y canta. Lo que es evidente es su dote para escribir canciones. “Lo que sucede es que es donde verdaderamente me logro comunicar. Fácil no es. Es un proceso difícil. He leído libros. Es un arte que pulo, es un oficio de orfebre”. Quizá de ese trabajo de relojería no surjan canciones rabiosas, contestatarias o subversivas, sino que lo suyo se decanta por el amor y la reflexión, ambas salpicadas de humor. Pero tampoco son canciones sencillas, de lugares comunes y frases hechas, no. “En las canciones de amor trato de evitar las cosas trilladas. En una canción de amor no quiero decir: ‘Tu cinturita, tus besos, tus labios de rubí, o sea, esas cosas oídas tantas veces. Siempre busco un ángulo diferente. Por ejemplo, Desayuno de amor habla sobre hacer el amor en la mañana, una arista que no he escuchado en la radio. Entre las divertidas tengo Tacaña, que retrata qué es estar casado con una mujer avara, o Zapatos, que habla del calzado y las mujeres. Como ves, son cosas poco frecuentes, porque la vida es tan compleja, interesante y colorida. Entonces, ¿por qué siempre lo mismo?”.
  Sea como fuere, el sentimiento y las ideas expresadas corresponden mucho a su personalidad. Suhr se apresura a pedir: “Quisiera que el público que compre uno de mis discos vea el espectro completo. Que no me encasille, porque somos humanos muy complejos”.
  

• HOUSTON CHRONICLE: UNA CASITA BLANCA [+ Show ]
  

  June 2009 Una casita blanca: New album from Mango Punch! The veteran Houston group, led by Guate...June 2009
  
  Una casita blanca: New album from Mango Punch!
  The veteran Houston group, led by Guatemala-born Walter Suhr, has established itself with a festive mix of Latin-pop and tropical rhythms. Una casita blanca (A little white house) takes that sturdy framework and builds on it, incorporating merengue, vallenato and swoon-worthy love songs.
  Suhr has already taken Mango Punch! to impressive heights in its 15-year history. The group has recorded original tunes for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Houston Texans and performed at the 2004 Super Bowl pre-game show at Reliant Arena. That’s a far cry from humble beginnings at local Steak & Ale restaurants. (Remember those?)
  The new disc, No. 5 in the Punch! repertoire, should afford the six-member band more opportunities in Texas and beyond. Suhr is a versatile, charismatic singer and sounds at ease on most variations of his trademark sound. He nails the romantic vibe and vallenato rhythms of the title track, which boasts keyboards by JJ Friere, drummer for defunct Latin-pop group Bacilos.
  Suhr is also appropriately vulnerable during touching disc closer Unica. (“Magical and nothing typical/Girl, you are superb/You have opinions and conviction.”) It’s a lovely, understated display of emotion.
  Zapatos is a salsafied ode to shoes (and the women obsessed with them), and Dar y Dar pairs flamenco guitars with sweltering percussion. Think a more interesting spin on the Gipsy Kings.
  The rock-infused groove of Vete wouldn’t sound out of place on a Juanes album, and Suhr also gives the song an accessible, pop sensibility. There’s even some heartthrob sizzle during Bésame, whose bilingual lyrics recall the pop hits of Enrique Iglesias.
  Fijese rides a rapid-fire merengue-rock groove, aided by longtime Santana keyboardist Tom Coster. It’s a confident, creative standout. Just Do It is an English-language salsa that mines an up-with-people earnestness.
  Ultimately, Suhr’s biggest feat is taking so many sounds and styles but not coming across like a mere copycat. He stamps each song with his signature, making for a warm, welcoming casita.
  

• HOUSTON PRESS: LOCAL ALBUM OF THE WEEK [+ Show ]
  

  2009 Mango Punch's Walter Suhr is a great front man (as multiple Houston Press Music Awards wins ...2009
  
  Mango Punch's Walter Suhr is a great front man (as multiple Houston Press Music Awards wins prove), but his real talent lies in songwriting. His band Mango Punch's new CD, Una Casita Blanca (A Little White House), shows Suhr's considerable range as a writer with tunes that range stylistically from flamenco to sweet, simple pop and folk-tinged dance numbers, all of them radio-ready.
  
  Opener "Dar y Dar" (To Give and Give), may be Blanca's strongest tune. Driven by a flamenco-style guitar, it tells the story of a one-sided love - "Dar y dar y dar y dar y no recibir nada a cambio/ Hace que el amor se vaya acabando" (To give and give and give and give and receive nothing in exchange/ Finishes a love). Another highlight is the very danceable "Vete" (Go), a laid-back brush-off - "Vete pa que sepas lo que te ha querido" (Go, so that you can know how much I've loved you").
  
  Suhr's voice seems to have deepened over the last couple of years, not in key, but in depth. There are more layers to his vocals, and more dynamics and nuances. He continues to grow as an artist, never satisfied with "good enough," and likewise for Mango Punch's instrumentalists. If there's a shortcoming to Una Casita Blanca, it's its 38-minute running time - much too little of a good thing.
  

• LATIN POP WITH PUNCH! [+ Show ]
  

  Houston Chronicle It’s nearing midnight on a steamy Friday night, and as usual, Elvia’s Cantina i...Houston Chronicle
  
  It’s nearing midnight on a steamy Friday night, and as usual, Elvia’s Cantina is packed. Five nights a week, the west side bar and supper club transforms itself into a Latin dance hall. But it’s Walter Suhr & Mango Punch!, one of Houston’s top-drawing tropical dance bands, that claim Friday nights as their own.
  Mango Punch’s music is not traditional salsa. There are no horns and no battery of percussion instruments. It’s more like a stripped-down version of the Miami Sound Machine’s Latin-pop crossover approach.
  To watch Suhr jumping on the speaker cabinets, exhorting the dancers in Spanish, you’d never suspect that this party animal is a former classical vocal student (sic) and aspiring pop balladeer who would like nothing better than to be taken seriously as a lyricist.
  While local fans might require some re-education, Suhr’s songwriting skills have drawn attention nationally. One song from Pop/Rock, the salsa-flavored “Valemos la Pena”, won first place in the Latin category of the ninth annual Billboard Song Contest sponsored by Billboard magazine.
  The contest draws tens of thousands of entries in 12 categories, including rock, country, gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues. The winners go through several levels of judging, according to contest director Derrick Davis of Oklahoma City.
  “Generally, what the judges are looking for is that the song has good commercial appeal, and that the songs are strong in all areas of composition –lyrics, melody, changes, groove,” Davis said.
  

• SEMANA: THE MAN BEHIND THE PUNCH! [+ Show ]
  

  Bravo! Houston (Semana entertainment supplement) While most people recognize him as a high energy...Bravo! Houston (Semana entertainment supplement)
  
  While most people recognize him as a high energy singer and band leader, few know Walter Suhr is also a songwriter, producer and businessman that recognizes his responsibilities as a public persona.
  “From the very onset we decided we wanted Mango Punch! to be a crossover band. Even the name “Mango Punch!” we chose it because we wanted one word in Spanish and one word in English, something that both cultures could understand”.
  “We always wanted to include Anglos in our audience and make them feel welcome,” he continues. “If we play just Spanish songs all night, then there’s going to come a time when no matter how much people like the music if they don’t understand the words they start to feel left out. So we make sure each set has something for people who don’t speak Spanish, too.”
  “I really enjoy what I do,I love making people happy. And I want my audience to have a good time. All of the audience, the ones who speak Spanish and the ones who don’t. Everyone.”
  Thanks to a video of “¿Qué me pongo?” that has received airplay on VH1 and other music television channels, Suhr’s audience is international.
  
  

• BEST LATIN/TEJANO AWARD [+ Show ]
  

  It’s a bit misleading to label Mango Punch! a mere salsa band. Suhr… has maintained close ties to cl...It’s a bit misleading to label Mango Punch! a mere salsa band. Suhr… has maintained close ties to classic rock with Punch. If his band isn’t pounding out a salsa rhythm for the folks at Elvia’s Cantina, then it’s cranking out Top 40 tunes, Spanish rock and R&B covers for festivals and corporate parties. It’s all part of Suhr’s vision to make Mango Punch accessible to Houston’s multicultural population, a la Selena.

• CD REVIEWS MANGO PUNCH! [+ Show ]
  

  A Houston-based salsa band, Mango Punch! incorporates the Hispanic sounds and rhythms of the Latin w...A Houston-based salsa band, Mango Punch! incorporates the Hispanic sounds and rhythms of the Latin world beyond Mexico. As more Anglo-American folks discover the exciting rhythms of salsa –and how great the music is for dancing and romance- they are discovering that the Houston music scene has some first class practitioners of more than country and metal. Mango Punch! is a first class salsa band. Seek this album out if you want to add salsa to your next party!

• El SUPERBOWL ABRIRA CON EL ELIXIR LATINO DE MANGO PUNCH! [+ Show ]
  

  HOUSTON (Texas)-- El grupo houstoniano de música tropical latina, Walter Suhr y Mango Punch, represe...HOUSTON (Texas)-- El grupo houstoniano de música tropical latina, Walter Suhr y Mango Punch, representará la cultura hispana ante 130 millones de espectadores junto a Aerosmith, Toby Keith y Willie Nelson, en la apertura del Super Bowl de fútbol americano el próximo 1 de febrero.
  Walter Suhr y Mango Punch es para Texas algo así como lo fue Miami Sound Machine para Miami, y su paso hacia el estrellato contará con el impulso de ser vistos nacionalmente por los 130 millones de espectadores del Super Bowl.
  "Para mí es un gran orgullo, no sólo en lo personal, sino como latino", dijo a EFE Walter Suhr, líder del grupo.
  Su grupo es, además, uno de los pocos latinos que han sido invitados para un show de apertura en los 38 años de historia del Super Bowl, junto con Santana, Los Del Río y Sergio Méndez. Otros artistas de origen hispano que han participado en espectáculos de intermedio del Súper Tazón han sido Gloria Estefan --en dos oportunidades--, Arturo Sandoval, Miami Sound Machine, Enrique Iglesias y Cristina Aguilera.
  Para el Super Bowl se enfrentará con el reto de tener que cantar temas reconocibles por la mayoría de cerca del 92 por ciento de los espectadores del evento que no son de Houston, y que por tanto no están familiarizados con el grupo y sus temas originales.
  Walter Suhr y Mango Punch tocará, a pedido de los productores del show, Hot, hot, hot, La Bamba y La Copa de la Vida, aunque en versiones completamente diferentes y que llevarán el sello del grupo.
  

• FAN EMAIL [+ Show ]
  

  “… You played at our wedding at Vargo's on August 19th, 2000. Frank's family is Puerto Rican, and th...“… You played at our wedding at Vargo's on August 19th, 2000. Frank's family is Puerto Rican, and they love to dance. Everyone there, of every age group, danced all night. We still get compliments on our wedding. Many people tell us it was the best wedding they ever attended, and that yours was the best live performance they had ever seen. Naturally, when we started watching The Connection, we were surprised by how many excellent bands there are in Houston, and that made us think of you. So, the next thing you know, I had emailed the staff at the show and told them to check you out. I am so glad that they asked you to be on the show and that it went so well. I hope it brings you lots of great publicity. You truly deserve it.
  Congratulations!”
  

• FAN EMAIL [+ Show ]
  

  SILMARA GRENTZ: “Wow, tremenda celebracion de mis 40 anos ! Mis amigas, sus hijas y yo la pasamos ...SILMARA GRENTZ:
  “Wow, tremenda celebracion de mis 40 anos ! Mis amigas, sus hijas y yo la pasamos super divino. Todo superperfecto - el ambiente, la musica, el lugar, la comida. Mejor imposible. Comimos en el Aquarium en el balconcito que da al mar y aunque no los veiamos pudimos escuchar la musica y formar nuestro bailoteo mientras comiamos.Como vivimos tan lejos de Kemah rentamos una limosina asi que nos divertimos e hicimos tremendo reventon sin tener preocuparnos de manejar. Yo tenia otros planes pero me entere a principio de esta semana que iban a tocar en Kemah y lo cambie todo y super valio la pena ! Gracias por todos estos anos de buena diversion a traves de tu musica !!
  

Setlist

MANGO PUNCH! SETLIST

Here's a sample of our repertoire varied enough to play:

A. A full evening of music in English
B. A full evening of music in Spanish
C. A combination of both.

Given enough time, we will also add your requested songs to our repertoire if these are suitable to our ensemble.


COVERS IN ENGLISH:

Dance:

Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
Moves like Jagger, Maroon 5
Born this way, Lady Gaga
Cupid Shuffle, Cupid
I gotta feeling, The Black-Eyed Peas
(The) Lazy Song, Bruno Mars
I'm yours, Jason Mraz
Brick House, Commodores
Brown-eyed girl, Van Morrison
California Sun, The Rivieras
Celebration, Kool and the Gang
Conga, Gloria Estefán
Fun en español, Mango Punch!
Hot, hot, hot, Buster Poindexter
I feel good, James Brown
I'm a believer, Smashmouth
I need to know, Marc Anthony
I will survive, Gloria Gaynor
Jailhouse Rock, Elvis Presley
Jump, jive 'n wail, Brian Setzer Orchestra
Keep your hands to yourself, Georgia Satellites
Love Shack, B-52s
Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffet
Mustang Sally, The Commitments
Play that funky music, Wild Cherry
Proud Mary, Ike & Tina Turner
Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
She loves you, The Beatles
Shout, Isley Brothers
Smooth, Santana
Superstition, Stevie Wonder
That’s the way I like it, K.C & the Sunshine Band
Tubthumpin', Chumbawamba
What I like about you, The Romantics
Wooly Bully, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs
YMCA, The Village People
You really got me, Van Halen



Standards and Ballads:

Everything, Michael Buble
At last, Etta James
Can’t help falling in love with you, Elvis Presley
Easy, Commodores
My girl, Temptations
Let it be, The Beatles
Levon, Elton John
My Romance Rogers & Hart
New York, New York, Frank Sinatra
Rocket Man, Elton John
Shower the people, James Taylor
The Way you look tonight, Frank Sinatra
Unforgettable, Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole
What a wonderful world, Louis Armstrong
You are so beautiful, Joe Cocker
Your song, Elton John
You’ve got a friend, Carole King


COVERS EN ESPAÑOL:

Salsa y Merengue:

¿Qué me pongo?, Mango Punch!
A pedir su mano, Juan Luis Guerra y 440
Big dreams, grandes sueños, Mango Punch!
Es mentiroso, Olga Tañón
Fruta Fresca, Carlos Vives
La dueña del swing, Hermanos Rosario
La vida es un carnaval, Celia Cruz
Oye, July Mateo
Qué bueno baila Ud., Oscar de León
Que tengo que hacer, Omega
Rebelión, Joe Arroyo
Salsa de Mango, Mango Punch!
Suavemente, Elvis Crespo
Tacaña, Mango Punch!
Tan Buena, Son de Cali
Tu amor me hace bien, Marc Anthony
Tu sonrisa, Elvis Crespo

Tropical, Cumbia y Reggae:

Danza Kuduro, Don Omar & Lucenzo
A Dios le pido, Juanes
Bamboleo, Gipsy Kings
Corazón espinado, Santana with Maná
El Amor, Tito "El Bambino"
Gasolina (reggaeton Medley), Daddy Yankee
Guantanamera, Traditional
I know you want me, Pitbull
Juana la Cubana, Fito Olivares
La Canoa Ranchá, Grupo Niche
La camisa negra, Juanes
La gota fría, Carlos Vives
La negra tiene tumbao, Celia Cruz
La negra Tomasa, Caifanes
Mayonesa, Chocolate
Mi dulce niña, Kumbia Kings
Ríe y Llora, Celia Cruz
Stand by me, Prince Royce
Shhh.... Kumbia Kings
Yo no fuí, Pedro Fernández

Baladas, Bachata y Boleros:

Bendita tu luz, Maná con Juan Luis Guerra
Como han pasado los años, Rocío Dúrcal
Como yo te amé, Luis Miguel
Cuando me enamoro, Enrique Iglesias y Juan Luis Guerra
Fotografía, Juanes
Mi niña bonita, Juan Legido
Sabor a mí, Luis Miguel
Somos Novios, Luis Miguel
Stand by me, Prince Royce
Valemos la pena, Mango Punch!

Mariachi y Tejano:

Como la flor, Baila, La Carcacha, Selena
El golpe traidor, Ranchera
El Rey, Mariachi
La Charanga, Fandango USA
No rompas mi corazón, Caballo Dorado
Si nos dejan, Luis Miguel
Viva el amor, Control
Volver, volver, Mariachi

Rock en español:

Así es la vida, Elefante
Matador, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Me vale, MANA
Oye mi amor, MANA
Persiana americana, Soda Stereo




INSTRUMENTAL:

Blue bossa, Kenny Dorham
Girl From Ipanema Antonio Carlos Jobim


CONCERT SETLIST

ORIGINAL MUSIC:

¿Qué me pongo?
Salsa de Mango
Me Convenciste
Ella se deja llevar
Big dreams, grandes sueños
Valemos la pena
Novia por computadora
Si me dejas
Aquí
Tacaña
Despacito
Qué se lleve el viento mi dolor
Nothing, nothing
Fun en español
I love thinking about you
Dar y dar
Una casita blanca
Just do it
Satisfecho
Me quedo contigo
Unica
Besame

Basic Requirements

Calendar