Que Pasa?: Tell us a little about what the band have been doing lately…

Guido: Sonando have been touring France and Switzerland. Most of the time there were 9 of us plus our sound engineer Antony Bedez . He knows the band’s music very well.

Que Pasa?: What sort of venues do you enjoy playing most? / What makes a good gig for you?

Guido: We definitely prefer venues where we are close to the audience. Then we have a better understanding of their reaction. A nice welcome and a good atmosphere are really important when we arrive at a gig. Traveling to gigs can take a long time and I feel it if the band is stressed after the trip. As the leader, I have to be able to calm things down if necessary. It’s also important to have an efficient team of technicians. A sound check that lasts too long loses valuable time and burns a lot of energy!

Que Pasa?: What is the biggest audience you have ever played to? Guido: The Freiburg University Jubilee was packed with 40.000 people! Que Pasa?: You perform in different sized formations; 6tet, 7tet, 8tet & 10tet. Do any of these formations have any advantages over the others?

Guido: Different versions of the band are needed. Sometimes, budget is a limitation, and also it's just not possible to play with 11 musicians. We re-work the arrangement to be able to play a whole set with 7 to 9 musicians. This works fine, but of course, the band sound so much better when we're a full band! "Salsa Dura" or “Timba” is meant to be played with a minimum of 4 or 5 horns , 3 percussionists and at least 3 or 4 singers. "Son Cubano" is another story. Let's say that our 9 piece version with a light technician and a sound engineer is a very good compromise. We always have a lot of good feedback in this configuration, and it gives us the freedom to choose the best songs to play.
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Que Pasa?: What is your most memorable performance to date?

Guido: The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Freiburg German University Jubilee are memorable. Big stages, warm audiences and an efficient team of technicians raised the band to another level.

Que Pasa?: How has your sound changed since you made your first recording in 1998?

Guido: Definitely the arrival of our new two new singers, Osvlado Fajardo (Cuba) and Javier Plaza (Venezuela). They brought their unique experience and charisma. Their talent has been renowned in Europe for a longtime now! Their presence on stage has also brought a lift to the whole band. The horn section is now filled by Humberto Zaldivar (trumpet player from Cuba) and Laurent Wolf (Sax player from France). Both of them have also brought a new energy and a great security to the section. The whole band works together, which is very important to maintain a good atmosphere! But also, the basis of Sonando (Gregorio Ott, Francky Bedez, RoKuijpers, Pascalito Beck and I, Guy Brogle ) is still strong today. We keep the faith and the band couldn't exist without us. We are solid as a rock!

Que Pasa?: What is the band’s proudest achievement to date?

Guido: It’s probably the recording of our new album "El Montuno". There are 10 tracks on the album, 9 of which are original songs composed by the band. We produced the whole album by ourselves, with no record company. I think we have reached our goal! The result is a CD which demonstrates the great spirit of the band these days and has got us some of our best ever reviews across Europe and Latin America .

Que Pasa?: Looking back on all 5 albums, which is your favourite and why?

Guido: Our best album is "El Montuno" for all the reasons above.

Que Pasa?: How do you feel about crossing the channel to take part in the forthcoming UK world open championship event in July?

Guido: We're really happy and proud! It's fantastic to have been chosen to share our music in your country, we were actually waiting to come and play in UK for a long time.

Que Pasa?: What are your expectations of playing to a UK audience?

Guido: We hope to meet a warm audience, great dancers, and also great listeners of this style of music.

Que Pasa?: What else does Que Pasa need to know about Sonando?

Guido: Salsa music is our day job of course but first it's our passion! We work hard to be at our best at every gig and we hope to be able to make you dance and to get great feedback from you!

See you on the dancer floor!

With love
Guido Band leader

(For further information on concerts, check out Sonando’s website on www.sonando.fr)
info@sonando.fr

© Interview by Bryony Green February 13, 2008
bryonygreen@hotmail.com

For Sonando CD review please click here

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