BUDA, Texas — For 22 years, Grupo Fantasma guitarists and co-founders Beto Martinez and Greg Gonzalez have been uniting Texans through their love of music.

"Greg and I being from the border, we straddled two languages and two cultures,” Martinez said. “Maybe not feeling 100% on one side or the other, but I think that resonated with a lot of people, how we were able to do it."

Gonzales agreed, adding, "It's great to know that what we've created is integral for their memories and associations."

Growing up on the Laredo-Mexico border, the band combines influences from their Hispanic and American roots such as Latin funk, cumbia and rock and roll. (Spectrum News 1/Dylan Scott)

It’s a journey that has taken the group from Laredo to Austin, where the band formed back in 2000, to across the United States and the world. 

“We’ve been as many as 12 people at one point, with a power horn section, percussion, two singers, timbales, congas, guitar,” Martinez said. “It's an exciting show and it's dance music so it's undeniable in a lot of ways.”

A truly unique sound, the band credits their diverse background and eclectic taste in music for helping form a style that won them a Grammy Award in 2011.

"We wrote songs originally about people we knew and it was a combination of our musical heritage,” Gonzalez said. “Whether it was the cumbia and Latin music we heard on the border, or the rock ’n’ roll, funk and hip hop we listened to as teenagers. Of course, over the years we've developed our own sound and added to that. It got more sophisticated.”

Grupo Fantasma features anywhere from a nine-to-12 piece band, and for more than two decades, the group has played across Texas and the United States. (Spectrum News 1/ Dylan Scott)

While most bands come and go, Grupo Fantasma has kept a large core of their musicians through the years. They’ve had plenty of brushes with fame and notable collaborations with artists such as Prince.

"Greg and I are the two original dudes that played at the first show, but many of the members of the band have been here for 10 years or more,” Martinez said. “That has been huge.”

The group won a Grammy Award in 2011 and has also played with famous musicians such as Prince. (Courtesy: Grupo Fantasma)

With the COVID-19 pandemic lessening, the group has begun to tour again and is currently working on several projects. While most have families and no longer dream of life on the road, there’s still an energy and excitement to produce new material.

"It's like an onion. You peel it and there's another layer you didn't know was there,” Gonzalez said. “The closer you get to the middle, the funkier it gets.”

With deep ties to the United States, Mexico and parts of Central America, Grupo Fantasma has enjoyed creating long-lasting music and delving deep into their Hispanic and American heritages.

"We definitely take pride in being able to find common ground with people in our music,” Martinez said. “Hopefully that's something we can carry on in our legacy, for lack of a better term."