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    Brazza - (Hot Coal)

    Brazza means "hot coal" and that is just one description you can give to the band’s style which covers everything Latin, from Salsa, Bomba, Cumbia to Latin Jazz.

    Deb Welch, Station Manager, Radio 5UV describes their performances as throwing “fire into the crowd with their sizzling and infectious mix of traditional latin beats and tropical favourites - this band is hot hot hot !!! " And backing that up, Jane Costessi, The Rhythm Method, Radio 5MBS described their impact on crowds as “infectious…forcing you to dance everytime!"

    Brazza was established in May 1997 and has grown from six members to featuring ten of Adelaide’s finest Latin and jazz musicians, together they explode on stage to produce the most high calibre authentic Latin dance music in Australia. The band has four sections: singers, brass, harmonisation and percussion. Robert Dunstan, editor of rip it up magazine describes their mix as "percussive, driven, intoxicating, horn-laden" and Ben McEachen of The Advertiser, describes their music as “a sensual brew of grooves to send the body shaking”



    Brazza's Band Members


    HUGO SALCEDO
    Born: Cartagena, Colombia.
    Instruments: Percussionist; congas and bongos and dancer
    Career Highlights: Toured around the world with Latin Grammy nominated band ‘Toto La Momposina’ and Cuban Diva Celina Gonzales. Founded local Cuban style groups Mestizo, Fiesta de Tambores and Candela

    TOM KASSAI
    Born: Adelaide, Australia
    Instrument: piano
    Career Highlights: Musical career spans 22 years of teaching, musical directing and theatre including Me and my Girl, King and I, Big River and dancing Man. Musical director/ arranger for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix Ball 1990-1995. Currently teaching in the Jazz Department of the Adelaide University.

    NICK MULDER
    Born: Melbourne, Australia
    Instrument: Trombone
    Career Highlights: Performed in professional stage productions including Fame, The Boy from Oz, Chicago, A Chorus Line, The Moscow Circus, 42nd Street and performed with overseas artists including Ray Charles and Grace Knight. Presented as the ‘face’ of the 2000 Glenelg Jazz Festival.

    ROB CHENOWETH
    Instrument: Trumpet
    Career Highlights: Performed in professional stage productions including Hot Shoe Shuffle, Chicago and The Boy from Oz. He has also performed with various acts ranging from Jerry Lewis, Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

    BOB HOWER
    Born: USA
    Instruments: Trombone
    Career Highlights: Played with Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler, The Four Tops and The Temptations. Currently teaching in the Jazz Department of the Adelaide University.

    PAUL MONAGHAN
    Born: Australia
    Instruments: Trumpet
    Career Highlights: Has performed with Ray Charles and Stage productions Sinatra, A Chorus Line. Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Australian Youth Orchestra

    DALIA
    Born: El Salvador
    Instruments: Vocalist, hand percussion
    Career Highlights: Founding member of Adelaide based Latin groove band Serabanda. Dalia is the newest member to join Brazza and brings to the band a brilliant stage presence, a natural performer who has only been singing for 12 months and has already taken Adelaide by storm as a sensational salsa singer and dancer.

    GONZALO GUZMAN
    Born: El Salvador
    Instruments: Vocalist, hand percussion
    Career Highlights: Competed in The International Organisation of The Hispanoamerica Television (OTI). Sung with bands in El Salvador and other local Latin groups.

    JOSE ROSALES
    Born: El Salvador
    Instruments: Vocals, hand percussion and dancer
    Career Highlights: Performed in Central America with ‘Los Bravos del Ritmo’ and has fronted past local Latin bands Caramba and Clave Latina.

    CIRO JIMENEZ
    Born: El Salvador
    Instruments: Timbales
    Career Highlights: Played with local Latin groups Candela and Mestizo

    EMILIANO VERGARA
    Born: Mexico City, Mexico
    Instruments: Percussion, bongo and timbal
    Career Highlights: Toured overseas with Konalien and played with local Latin, Andean and Afro Cuban bands Candela, Fiesta de Tambores and Caliente, Calo Calo (womad) Harana, Bantaba Bindi and Tumi

    HERBERT JIMENEZ
    Born: El Salvador
    Instruments: Bass
    Career Highlights: Played with Internationally recognized Salvadorean Tropical band ‘Salsa Clave’ and local Latin Bands Tropical Sound and Clave Latina.

    For booking information please contact La Bomba Productions (Natalie Stansfield)
    Email: bombaproductions@lycos.com







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