Transatlantic Samba Brass Ensemble
A Panda Do Sol - Jarro Da Saudade | A Take Away Show
A PANDA DO SOL
Samba de Raiz / Brass ensemble
Sungroove Records
“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.
After a debut album of their own compositions, Homenagem constitutes an homage in eight songs to eight different composers linked with a musical tradition that was the catalyst for the outfit’s formation in 2016.(Musically and lurically, they remain true to the originals apart from a little inventive inversion, turning major key tunes into minor and vice versa. The instrumentation is samba-classic but with an emphasis on brass that gives the longest track, “Filosofia”, the loose and lusty feel of a new Orleans marching band. Trumpet, trombone, tenor sax and clarinet share the solo duties and lead vocals are divided between male and female voice, together lending colour and variety “
(...)
Review written by Mark Sampson
about the band's second Release "Homenagem" (2022)
Songlines Magazine, Aug/Sept 2022
A story of love for Samba music and soulful transatlantic rhythms.
A Panda do Sol was born in 2016 and founded by French composer, guitarist and vocalist Félix Huet. Joined in 2017 by French composer, cavaquinho player and vocalist Héléna Fontaine, the band gathers today eight women and men from Brazil, France, Colombia & Germany, and is based in Berlin.
The ensemble forecasts the instruments of the genre: cavaquinho, guitar, pandeiro, tamborim, and surdo, and blends them together with the sound of a New Orleans brass section: clarinet, trombone & trumpet, leaving a wonderful basis for strong solos & vocals.
The band's first EP "Fôlego"(2019) portrays the beginning of their musical path and forecasts compositions about nature, love, and death, in the image of the first Sambistas of the era, joining poetry and rhythm. It was recorded and composed with singer, lyricist and friend Natasha Simon Safir and was released independently in September 2019.
Their second project "Homenagem" (2022) is a direct homage to some of the composers who gave birth to the roots of Samba music.
Recorded in the winter of 2020, it was released on the label of Sungroove records in May 2022.
They are constantly composing new original music, slowly going beyond the Samba sphere and exploring new rhythms, as well as introducing compositions in French, the native language of the two lead vocalists.
A blend of Samba, Ciranda, Côco, Valse & Biguine, in the language of "A Panda do Sol".
Musicians:
Félix Huet: Vocals, Guitar
Héléna Fontaine: Vocals, Cavaquinho
Oscar Ferdinand: Clarinet, Vocals
Marlene Dahms : Trombone
Yannick Mäntele: Trumpet
Juca Junior : Pandeiro, Caixa
Camila Berrio: Tamborim, Agogô, Conga
Aduni Guedes : Surdo, Alfaia
UPCOMING SHOWS
A Panda do Sol hosts Mikro Hiejazz
Brazilian & Latin Roots Session
guests : FUXICO band
Grüner Salon, Volksbühne Berlin
16.12 cancelled
new date : 9.12
