Biribá Union Release Debut Album ‘Passing Go’ | Shares Video For “Rough Picture” Single
BIRIBÁ UNION RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM PASSING GO
VIA BRIGHT SHINY THINGS
NEW PROJECT FROM GRAMMY-WINNING CELLIST MIKE BLOCK, GRAMMY-NOMINATED BEATBOXER/GUITARIST CHRISTYLEZ BACON & ACCLAIMED BASSIST PATRICIA LIGIA BRINGS A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE & UNFETTERED JOY TO THEIR UNIQUE SOUND
Photo Credit: Titilayo Ayangade
New York, NY (July 10, 2026) – Today, Biribá Union releases their genre-melding debut album, Passing Go, via Bright Shiny Things, sharing a video for its latest single “Rough Picture.” Made up of GRAMMY-winning cellist and vocalist Mike Block, GRAMMY-nominated beatboxer and guitarist Christylez Bacon and acclaimed bassist and vocalist Patricia Ligia, each member brings their unique talents and perspectives to the band to create a sum that’s greater than its parts.
Discussing the single, Block notes it’s “a song expressing the commitment to following one’s personal artistic vision, despite what other people think, and despite the advice you may receive.”
Passing Go weaves together elements of Forró music from northeast Brazil, samba/Baiao rhythms, indie-pop songwriting, hip-hop and jazz improvisation to name a few. With Mike’s cello and vocals as the band’s primary melodic drivers, Patricia has free rein on the bass to explore different textures and rhythms while Christylez lets his beatbox magic and hip-hop stylings flow.
“In the studio when we’re collaborating, we’re in a deep state of flow where we don’t judge,” says Patricia, who has toured regularly with Karol G. “The three of us allow the music to happen because it’s so outside of the box, there are no rules.”
Each member brings their own musical identities and backgrounds to the mix to great effect. Mike – who grew up in Kansas with classical musician parents – studied classical music at The Julliard School, is a world-touring musician, music educator and earned a Grammy with Silk Road Ensemble. Christylez, who grew up in Washington, DC and taught himself to beatbox after hearing the hip-hop stylings of Doug E. Fresh, also brings his deep curiosity and experience performing with musicians from all over the world to Biribá Union. Meanwhile, Patricia’s unique background as a synchronized swimmer and her Uruguayan/Latina identity add another dimension.
The band members met at Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop, a week-long training led by Mike and conceived by Yo-Yo Ma that brings together artists from different countries for cross-cultural musical collaborations. “In 2022, Christylez and Patricia participated in it,” Mike recalls. “I was so captivated by both of them it became clear that these were people I was excited by and wanted to work with.”
Now, the joy and connection the trio creates shines through in everything they do, from their live shows to the songs on their debut album.
The album’s lead single, “Pompano,” incorporates Forró rhythms of Brazil and features a cello melody with a Middle Eastern flavor. “We’re combining our influences explicitly there,” Mike says of the catchy tune with danceable grooves that draws on all of their backgrounds.
Patricia, Christylez and Mike note that their improvisational and non-judgmental style creates an open environment where anything is possible.
“It’s very fertile ground musically speaking to allow things to happen and create with no judgment,” Patricia says.
“There’s a specific vibe that comes from having two very unique collaborators and their balance of ingredients,” Christylez agrees.
“Unlike other cross-cultural collaborations, Biribá Union has such a contemporary feel and flavor,” Mike adds. “People can hear us from the first moment and enjoy it. I know our music connects to people no matter where they’re coming from.”
Biribá Union has been previewing the album live already this year, from Boston and Bethesda to Wintergrass Festival in Washington, to most recently on a tour of Alaska. The trio has added a run of Florida dates to their autumn calendar, with more in the works.
Live Dates [Tickets]:
09/25 – Freemont, MI @ Dogwood Center
09/27 – Keene, NM @ The Colonial Showroom
10/07 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
11/17 – Sarasota, FL @ Selby Gardens
11/19 – Vero Beach, FL @ Community Church
11/20 – Lakeland, FL @ Union Hall
Passing Go track list:
01. Pompano
03. Reversing It All Wrong
04. Rough Picture
05. Force Within
06. Chillin For The WiFi
07. Ice Cream City
08. Lamentations
09. Sweet And Free
10. The Feelin
11. Passing Go
12. Night Fall
13. The Long Run
About Mike Block:
Mike Block is a Grammy Award-winning cellist, singer and composer with a passion for cross-cultural collaboration. Hailed as “one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene,” (Gramophone) he has been a member of the Silkroad Ensemble for nearly twenty years, and directs Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop. Yo-Yo Ma calls Block “the ideal musician for the 21st century,” saying, “I’m always struck by his unique perspective on the world and his relaxed and confident approach; he takes on new music and new things fearlessly.”
About Christylez Bacon:
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. He was the first hip-hop artist to be featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and has composed for and performed with the National Symphony Orchestra and Princeton Symphony Orchestra.
About Patricia Liga:
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 (with whom she has performed on Saturday Night Live, NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Today Show, and stadium shows around the world), Ligia is co-founder of Mestizas, a band that fuses flamenco and jazz with folkloric music from Latin American and the Caribbean. For her, Uruguayan culture makes it feel “easy to be alive, spread joy and share music.”