Home
Music
Forum
Log in
Sign up
Contact us
Dark mode

Mais Que Samba

 
Mais Que Samba

Samba Classics, Axé Hits, and Weird Instrumentals!

1 top 50
3 songs
1.2K plays
1
Picture for song 'Live Samba-Reggae jam' by artist 'Mais Que Samba'

Live Samba-Reggae jam

Jammin' on some Samba-Reggae beats... Olodum-style, live at Cozmic Pizza, Eugene, OR.
free
2
Picture for song 'Efe Zula Batucada, Part 1' by artist 'Mais Que Samba'

Efe Zula Batucada, Part 1

An original paradinha, followed by regular batucada, but with a very small group, and part 1 of a very long tamborim design
free
3
Picture for song 'Budge (Shinobue Demo)' by artist 'Mais Que Samba'

Budge (Shinobue Demo)

Built on a samba-based surdo line, ornamented with authentic Japanese fue, this is a percussion arrangement featuring a bit of Turkish poetry.
MQS has created a form of music in which percussion instruments take on the melodic roles commonly associated with non-percussive instruments such as strings and wind instruments. In our arrangements, bass lines, keyboard parts, horn stabs and other melodic elements are creatively mapped to drums and other percussion. These mappings do not always involve a one-to-one correspondence between the original melodies and the resulting ones. Instead, the timbral characteristics of the drums used and the requirements of the song are paramount. In this fashion, we have adapted funk bass lines and hard-rock guitar riffs to surdos, keyboard licks to hand drums, horn stabs to cymbals and rhythm guitar parts to multiple samba bells. We also compose original pieces inspired by everything from Candomblé to Balkan folk dances. Our purpose in this is primarily to have as much fun as possible while creating new music, and secondly, to expose audiences to the riches of the percussion family of instruments. Finally, we sing a number of Brazilian songs, classic and recent, simply because we love them and we believe somebody must bring these sounds to our Portland audiences.
Band/artist history
The members of Mais Que Samba are all long-time participants of the West-Coast (US) samba scene. The group began when the founding member and artistic director, Memo, was asked to provide live music for an event celebrating Brazilian culture in Portland, Oregon. He had recently sung a Bahian axé hit and a "samba de enredo" (samba theme) from the 1999 Rio Carnaval at an informal gathering, accompanying himself on a variety of samba percussion. The Brazilians in attendance showed great appreciation, and soon asked him if he could arrange a similar performance with a full band. When Memo called a few of his friends from Portland's internationally renowned bateria and bloco, Lions of Batucada, his idea of a full band was somewhat of a departure from the common perception of the term. The group (initially named Sambalada because of their common love of the band Timbalada) was always meant to be a percussion ensemble. Mais Que Samba (MQS) has developed an unusual approach to mimicking melodic instruments using only vocals and percussion. With multiple composers and arrangers in the group, MQS uses congas, surdos, agogôs, cymbals and other percussion instruments to rhythmify the roles that keyboards, guitars, basses and horns would play in similar compositions, or in the original songs.
Have you performed in front of an audience?
We love playing live, and have been doing it off and on since 2002. Our three best live experiences were: 1. Cozmic Pizza in Eugene, OR, where we had the pleasure of working with the world's nicest, most accommodating soundman 2. Private party where we opened for Smash Mouth and got very good comments from the audience 3. Imbibe restaurant in Portland
Your musical influences
* Olodum, Timbalada, Ilê Aiyê, Funk’n Lata, Monobloco * Daniela Mercury, Caetano Veloso * Terra Samba, Gang do Samba, Bom Balanço, Cheiro de Amor, Banda Eva * Mad Professor, Queen, James Brown, Björk, Jethro Tull * Carlinhos Brown/Sergio Mendes, Ivete Sangalo, Netinho, Sivuca * Hermeto Pascoal, Airto, Okay Temiz * Mozaik, Sezen Aksu, Yavuz Çetin * G.R.E.S. Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel * G.R.E.S. Estação Primeira de Mangueira * G.R.E.S. Império Serrano, G.R.E.S. Unidos do Viradouro * G.R.E.S. Beija-Flor do Nilôpolis, G.R.E.S. Imperatriz Leopoldinense * Dengakuza, Ondekoza, Wadaiko Hiryu * Tama Walo, Doudou N’Diaye Rose, Selva Ganesh, Kafana Klub * Lions of Batucada, Trilok Gurtu, Oregon, Eberhard Weber
What equipment do you use?
microphones and traditional Brazilian percussion
Anything else?
We play Samba Classics, Axé Hits, Original Arrangements, Batucada and Percussion-Ensemble Pieces; primarily in the Brazilian idiom with significant influences from Cuban, Indian, Japanese, Senegalese, Bulgarian and Turkish rhythms.
READ MORE
READ LESS

Contact

Sorry, this artist currently doesn't accept email messages.

Comments (1)

Please sign up or log in to post a comment.
Promoted Not related to artist
Promo
GREEDY *BUY 1 GET 4 FREE* Asap Ferg, Banger, Trap
Promo
HOLY
Promo
MERCY OF GOD (MEEK MILL X LIL BABY)
Promo
New Head 150bpm @SauceManKeys
About us/Contact DMCA/Copyrights Privacy Legal
1997-2024 SoundClick Inc, all rights reserved. SoundClick and The SoundClick Logo are registered trademarks.
PLAY
FOLLOW
SHARE
free
Buy
Playlist