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Rick "The Rev" Holeman
(September 2005 Issue)
Spicy Sonic Magic They
would either "Make magic together" or become "The biggest train wreck
Austin, Texas has ever heard."
That was what multi-percussionist Rick
"The Rev" Holeman (pictured) told drummer/percussionist Mike Zeoli when
the two
teamed up in Del Castillo, an Austin sextet that blends joyous
Latin music - including dueling nylon-string guitar-enriched
flamenco
sections - with spirited rock. As it turns out, spicy sonic "Magic" is
precisely what Zeoli and Holeman create in Del
Castillo.
The band has cooked up quite a stir across the US, thanks especially to their second album,
Vida.
In fact, the sextet has scored more awards in Austin than can fit here.
Some of those include Best Latin
Contemporary Band, Best Band Of The
Year, Album Of The Year, and Drummer Of The Year. Del Castillo have
also hit the big
screen with the song "Dias De Los Angeles," which is
featured in the film Once Upon A Time In Mexico. The
flick's
New York premiere bash featured the group jamming with stars Antonio
Banderas, Cheech Marin, and director
Robert Rodriguez.
Speaking
of jamming, it's certainly a part of Del Castillo. "There isn't a lot
of
improvisation in the drums and percussion, but the brothers
improvise with their guitar solos," Holeman says. He cites Santana
as a
key influence. And like "The Santana guys," Holeman and Zeoli display
"high energy" and a lot of odd
phrasing.
Equipped with a Tama Granstar kit, which was acquired in '89, Zeoli
usually lays down foundations
and Holeman fills in and accentuates, but
that's not set in stone. "There's one song on our first album, Brothers Of
The Castle,
where I'm on congas," says Holeman, who plays a Latin Percussion setup.
"I strive to bring rhythms,
textures, and layers with hand instruments
or whatever on top of what Mike's doing. Being open-minded allows us
to
really create magic with our grooves."
Jeff Perlah
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