40-piece rocking Brazilian samba and Nordestino rhythms fused with drum'n'bass, hip-hop and banghra, made in Glasgow. Samba bateria, brass section, rappers, dhol.

8 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Samba, HIP-HOP/RAP: Street Rap



Details:
BIO:

Now 10 years old, SambaYaBamba began in 1996 and has blossomed into something of a national legend. Over the years the group have gained an enviable reputation as a dynamic and innovative performing group playing the length and breadth of the UK, from Aberdeen to Brighton, and regular appearances in Germany and France.

With a girth of between 20 and 40 musicians, the group's repertoire of Brazilian percussion covers a variety of rhythms from Rio de Janeiro and the North East of Brazil through to contemporary crowd rockers with influences of Drum 'n' Bass, Hip Hop and Bhangra with a uniquely Glaswegian attitude. All beautifully overlayed and interspersed by an array of wonderful melodies from the glittering brass section; some traditional and some unashamedly designed to bring the house down!

The band continues to evolve, developing new ideas with original material and a unique style packed with an energy that leaves audiences in no doubt that they've experienced something very special indeed.

Review from September 06:
Alternative Nation
altnation.com

Published by Potatojunkie
01-10-2006

If you've never heard SambaYaBamba before, it may well explain why so many people look down on you with pity in their eyes. A percussion/brass troupe numbered in the dozens, SYB mix up their samba with not only other Brazilian influences but with hip-hop, drum'n'bass and pretty much everything else they can lay their hands on. The complex, multilayered rhythms they build up are absolutely dazzling, and the crowd responds accordingly. Drunken enthusiasm aside, it's clear that almost everyone is completely swept up in the proceedings, and little wonder. The Samba Ya Bamba version of The Final Countdown quite simply must be witnessed to be believed. They manage to leave the stage without causing a riot only by promising that they'll be back in an hour or so. By this point dj toast has come perilously close to exhausting his samba supply, resorting to Ricky Martin to keep the mood going. He also, quite by accident, does something faintly ridiculous which causes no amount of distress upstairs, but I promised not to get him in trouble, so I'll keep it under my hat.

The tide of freshers turns back to Qudos as Samba Ya Bamba reappear for their second performance. Here they outdo themselves, prompting outbreaks of ludicrous, terrible dancing. Samba beats are fast-paced and demanding, but those bass notes are just irresistible, forcing you to push on through the pain until you're ready to collapse. The band close their set with a jaw-dropping rendition of Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out, which they drop a call-and-response section into the middle of, spinning the whole thing out for a good eight minutes or so. People are left smitten.


http://www.altnation.com/forums/articles-columns/110087-freshers-cheesy-pop-mardi-gras-samba-ya-bamba.html

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Past performance highlights include:

Coburg International Samba Festival 2005 and 2006, Germany
Wicker Man Festival, Scotland, 2006
Samba Parade Marseille 2005, France
Les Feriades Festival 2005 Toulouse, France
Cardiff Samba Encontro Showcase 2005
Brighton Samba Encounter (2002, 2003, 2004)
T In The Park (2001 & 2003)
Nottingham Caribbean Festival (2003)
Glasgow International Jazz Festival (2004)
Brighton Samba Encounter Showcase
Drogheda Samba Festival, Eire
2001 UEFA Champions League Final, Hampden Park
Les Julliette Samba Parade, Pennautier, France
Jura Folk Festival
Glasgow's West End festival (last six years)
Tarbert Music Festival (last five years)
Most SFA Home Internationals, Hampden Park