NEW SINGLE OUT :

Marc Sampson, Songlines Magazine

« “Samba from Berlin? Why not? There has been plenty of Choro coming from unexpected places recently, but not so much it seems of its generic successor. Specifically, this mixed-sex international ensemble based in the German capital take on the sub-genre of Samba de Raiz, or Roots Samba.»

A Panda do Sol is a Berlin-based ensemble composing, producing and performing original music since 2016.

The international members of the band weave together rich musical traditions: Brazilian Samba, French Chanson, Caribbean Beguine, New Orleans Brass, and Afro-Brazilian percussion.
Their sound, rooted in the vibrant multicultural spirit of Berlin, is a powerful encounter of voices, rhythms & jazz improvisation.

Their live performance is a captivating blend of strength and poetry, evoking the energy of a circus-like spectacle that breaks the boundaries between audience and musicians. Through this dynamic exchange, they explore new ways of communication, creating an immersive experience that bridges the past and present of trans-cultural music.

Their first EP Fôlego (2019) is created together with Brazilian singer and composer Natasha Simon Safir, and reflects their first creations, with lyrics reflecting universal topics such as nature, love and reincarnation. Their second release "Homenagem" (Sungroove Records, 2022) is an Homage to some of the Brazilian composers who gave birth to Samba music. For this project, the musicians worked on arranging the original Sambas in their opposite harmonic fields, transposing from minor to major and vice versa. Keeping all of the original lyrics, apart from the song "Emilia" which they sang to "Emilio", making it an hymn to modernity and feminism.

They are currently releasing their new album of original music "Nossa Poesia", in collaboration with Caê Rolfsen from ORI Lab in São Paulo (Riachão, Liniker e os Caramelows, Alessandra Leão) in both French and Portuguese together with Berlin and Malmö based record label AJABU!

The first single "Outra Amizade" is now available on all platforms.

Musicians:
Felix Huet : Lead Vocals & Acoustic Guitar

Helena Fontaine : Lead Vocals, Cavaquinho & Banjo Cavaquinho

Eldar Tsalikov / Oscar Ferdinand : Clarinet & Saxophone

Elena La Conte : Flute & Vocals

Juca Junior : Percussion

Aduni Guedes : Percussion

Pictures by Oliver Look

New single

“Otra Amizade” is the first single from the upcoming album of A Panda do Sol. The song is a spacious and root-infused samba, exploring the universal theme of friendship and partings. Driven by vibrant percussion and a “lalaya” that lingers in the mind, it is at once heartfelt and celebratory, a warm tribute to the enduring bonds that connect us all.

For this new release, A Panda do Sol is joining forces with the esteemed world music label Ajabu! to bring their music to an international audience.