Signe Asmussen, lead vocals: Signe graduated i 2001 from the soloist class of the venerable classical conservatoire, and is one of the few who moves effortlessly from popular to classical music. Signe sings with the vocal ensemble Ars Nova and with The Tolkien Ensemble. She has sung Wagner's Mastersingers at the Danish Royal Theatre and has appeared as soloist with the Aalborg Symphony Orcestra and the Danish Radio Pops Orchestra and on several recordings. And yet, if you ask the Cubans here they'll tell you: "Esa rubia tiene tumbao"! For them she is a singing, dancing Salsa machine of amazing authenticity and power. She also appears when time allows, with Picason, a popular Salsa big band from Switzerland. Visit her (classical) home page.

Tonny Pedersen, maracas/coro/webmaster: Tonny was an integrated part of the Danish cult funk band The Confetti All Stars, and has recorded with hit dance act Sound of Seduction as percussionist. Tonny often teaches Salsa dance prior to the concerts, and occationally lectures in Salsa dance and its interplay with rhythm. He also overheats those laser lenses as Salsa DJ Antonio Petz. Tonny and Signe are the frontline in Salsa Loca and deliver plenty af fancy moves and infectious party spirit to the audience in the course of an evening. Read more about Salsa Loca and Tonny in an exclusive interview at HiFiSalsa (in Danish only). Tonny as well acts as one of the bookers for the band and is the webmaster .

 

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The horns

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Maria Carelse, tenor sax/coro: Maria has her musical roots in a whole host of Danish World music constellations including Los Rumberos, and gigs with the samba funk band Agora Brazil. Maria is chairperson of World Music Denmark and has for a number of years had a vital role in the organisation of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Maria acts as well as one of the bookers for the band .

Randy Holum, trumpet/coro (photo: Vibeke Heckmann): Randi graduated from the classical conservatoire in Trondheim, Norway, but soon replaced the Haydn trumpet concierto with rhythmic music, especially jazz. Randi plays Big Band Jazz with Niels Jørgen Steens Monday Night Big Band, she has a trio playing Norwegian and Italian folk songs in jazz arrangements, and she has her own Bebop quintet, Randi Holum Quintet. Randi also plays in the Nordlys Quartet, that excels in Free Improvisational Music, and Randi plays Funk and Soul - and Entertainment music with Jytte Abildstrøm. Randi frequently composes, too. Read more about Randi at www.holum.dk and www.schriver.dk/holum/.

Rasmus Tobiesen, trumpet/coro: El Hunk is the horn section's principal dancer and the originator of the choreography that makes the horn section fun to watch. And yes, he studied trumpet in Cuba (plus undoubtedly a few other things) from whence came his authentic, extrovert and very Cuban stage vibe . Rasmus (and Jakob) are also serious Capoiera freaks.

Rolf Mandix, trombone/coro: (Soon to be translated to English) Rolf er en meget travl og efterspurgt trombonist - og alsidig. Rolf spiller salsa med Salsa Loca, big band jazz med Ib Glindemanns Orkester og med New Music Orchestra (NMO), New Orleans-jazz med The New Orleaners, Latin-swing med Latin Swing Orkester, pågående receptions-jazz med Kvartet, og tyrolermusik for fuld udblæsning med Cantus. Derudover er Rolf kapelmester for Danmarks Radios DRAM Bigband og for Nivå Big Band. Og så giver Rolf jævnligt kirkekoncerter for orgel og trombone - til gudstjenester og højmesser, bland andet i Frederiksberg Slotskirke, hvor han har været tilknyttet flere år. Rolf assisterer jævnligt i andre professionelle orkestre, herunder tidligere med Tivolis Promenadeorkester, Sjællandske Livregiments Musikkorps og Niels Jørgen Steens Monday Night Big Band. Læs mere om Rolf på mandixmusic.dk.

 

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The rhythm section

Per Kincaid, bas: Per studied at the Royal College in London, Bristol University, ISA in Cuba and at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory where he also teaches bass, songwriting and ensembles. Per has played with Salsa bands Salsa Na Ma & Havana Express, with the Danish Radio Pops Orchestra and Henrik Krogsgaard (in the Danish heat of the Eurovision Song Contest - he doesn't mind us telling you). Per writes and arranges as well, amongst others for Salsa Loca and Brand New Heavies, where his brother is the drummer. Per holds the record for the greatest number of trips to Cuba (and girlfriends). Per can also be found at myspace.com: Visit www.myspace.com/persounds.

Jacob Rahbek, guitar/tres/coro: Serene, pipe-loving Jacob - the band's 'grand old man' - is one of the country's most respected cavaquinho and tres players. He also plays Jazz, Latin Soul, Rock and Samba. He has taught Salsa ensembles at Rytmisk Center for a number of years. Jacob has two very talented musical sons, the youngest of whom is the drummer in the acclaimed rock band D.A.D.

Sten Holme Larsen, piano: Sten is well known on the Salsa scene for his previous work with Orquesta Llego la Hora, Salsa Con Ganas and Confusion Latina. And it is not hard to see why given his refined solos and swinging tumbaos. Listen out for Steen's own new compositions on the band repertoire.

Jesper Nørløv, congas: Jesper is a much in-demand percussionist. On his session roster are Maria Montell, Me, She & Her, Daniel, as well as party band Night Fever and the power-fusion band Gone Fishin'. Jesper also plays football on a serious level and can bend any beat like Beckham...

Rodrigo Labarca, timbales (photo: Ralf Bölke): Rodrigo is one Denmark's most in-demand Latin percussionists - especially when the theme is Cuban music. Rodrigo came from Chile to Denmark in 1974, and has earlier played with New Jungle Orchestra, Zebra, Chango, Los Rumberos, Ahmadu Jarr and others. At the moment, he can be heard in Salsa Na Ma, Salsa Libre, Sax Pack - and in Salsa Loca. Rodrigo teaches percussion at Rytmisk Center in Copenhagen and at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. (Rodrigo replaced Tira Skamby in Aug. 2004)