Gary Nunez does not consider himself a musical ambassador or statesman or anything so weighty.

He's merely fortunate.

For a decade he's been the bandleader of Puerto Rico's Plena Libre, traveling the world, sharing the music of his homeland, doing what he considers his obligation to his culture.

"That's one of the wonderful things that happen to me as a musician," Nunez said from San Juan. "I get to share this secret, the music of Puerto Rico."

The band makes four of five trips a year to the United States.

Last year was its debut in Canada.

It has been to Europe a half dozen times and will soon return to Asia.

"It's been a long road," Nunez said. "We did five albums in Puerto Rico and then started to work with a company in New York and were able to get our recordings outside Puerto Rico."

Fusing contemporary dance sounds with traditional folk music and Cuban guanaco, samba, calypso and salsa has earned Plena Libre two Latin Grammy nominations.

The Afro/Puerto Rican plena/roots fusion masters come to the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, 50 N. George St. in York, Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $29 and $24. Call 846-1111 for more information.

From its earliest days Plena Libre made its mark by first bringing folklore music onto local commercial radio stations alongside traditional tropical pop genres like salsa and merengue.

While it was still a young band, recognition of its cultural and musical impact spread rather quickly with awards from the Puerto Rican House of Representatives, the Rafael Cepeda Foundation and the City of Loza.

By 1996 Plena Libre was playing mainstream venues such as Puerto Rico's University Theater and Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Invitations to music festivals in the States, Latin America, Europe and Asia soon followed, and Plena Libre was off and running.

"It's been a lot of traveling, a lot of performing, a lot of will and faith," Nunez said.

What has made Plena Libre unique, and popular, is its blending of traditional and current styles.

"There's an established way of doing folk and it's my right and duty to take that folklore a step further," Nunez said. "When we started we agreed we would not be purists. Youhave to dare yourself to go places you haven't been before. Some [ideas] will work, some will not. But you don't stand still."

Obviously what Nunez refers to his as his "schemes" have worked more often than not. The band's 10th album, "We're Having A Ball," will be released in May or June.

"I've been a lucky person" he said. "I learned I would be a musician early in life and would investigate and develop the music of my country and play so many styles."

Nunez began playing the piano at age 5. He's been in rock and pop bands and studied classical music.

"In my early 20s I realized there was a wonderful world inside Puerto Rican music," he said. "So rich to be explored, so beautiful. There's a very big rainbow of Puerto Rican music, so many colors. That's what my spirit is all about, all those colors." BARRY FOX: 255-8225 or bfox@patriot-news.com INFOBOX: DETAILS Plena Libre, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, York. Tickets $29, $24. Call 846-1111.

-Barry Fox