KTEP's Charlize Mercado welcomes to the KTEP studios Mike Block, Christylez Bacon, and Patricia Ligia, from Biriba Union, a dynamic ensemble that blends original music with world fusion influences. They talk about their unique sound, performing in El Paso, and their special performance “Raices Latinas - The Biriba Union with Mike Block” at UTEP's Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall.
Biribá Union features Mike Block (cello, vocals), Christylez Bacon (beatbox, guitar, rhymes) and Patricia Ligia (electric bass, vocals). The trio met through Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop, initially bonding over their shared love of Brazilian music. They quickly began co-writing new music that draws on the freestyle theatrics of hip-hop and Go-go music; the effortless beauty of Brazilian forró and choro; the earthiness of American roots music, and the improvisational spontaneity of jazz.
Mike Block is a Grammy Award-winning cellist, singer and composer with a passion for cross-cultural collaboration.
Christylez Bacon is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, storyteller, rapper, beat-boxer and guitarist from southeast Washington, DC. With a tall antenna and wide curiosity, Bacon loves exploring music in different cultural contexts and has collaborated with Hindustani, Arabic and Brazilian musicians.
Patricia Ligia is an electric bass player and composer from Montevideo, Uruguay. In addition to playing in Colombian pop superstar Karol G's touring band. She is co-founder of Mestizas, a band that fuses flamenco and jazz with folkloric music from Latin American and the Caribbean.
Biriba Union will be perfoming March 21, at 7:30 at UTEP’s Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall.
Additional information
- Fore tickets and more information you can visit: https://www.elpasopromusica.org/shows/races-latinas-the-biriba-union-with-mike-block
- For more information about Biribá Union you can visit: https://www.biribaunion.com/
- You can also visit their social media:
- Instagram: @biribaunion
- Facebook: @BiribaUnion
Originally aired on March 20, 2026
