The crowd broke into rapturous applause at the Posthof Theatre on Friday. The new
group SANMERA was striking up: thoroughly enjoyable salsa-performances. The Cuban in
exile is the first singer - a position that she well deserves - of the 10-piece-band
SANMERA led by comandante Klaus Bräuer. The woman who perfectly conciles spirit and
musical prowess has been one of the driving forces behind the quick liaison between
salsa and the Austrian players. Since the sixties, the term salsa is used for the hot, fast
and danceable latin music genre between the New York ghetto "El Barrio" and the
Caribbean. The percussionists were forcefully beating bongos, congas, timbales, cow
bells. The three wind musicians were playing piercing riffs and belt out their solos. And
Milagros Pinera, passionately singing her parts, was energetically stiring the hot "sauce".
Robert Urmann, Oberösterreichische Nachrichten
Salsa night with SANMERA
Saturday evening, the visitors of the concert in Nüziders in Vorarlberg had the chance to
experience for themselves that salsa was more than the Spanish word for sauce, but a
synonym for wonderful, lively music. SANMERA - yes, there are definitely more than one
- is certainly the best salsa and jazz formation that Austria can offer these days. The 10-
piece-band around the brilliant saxophonist and the Cuban singer and percussionist
Milagros Pinera - well-known for being the star guest at the opening of the Vienna
Festival 2003 - excited the audience with their magnificent arrangements and
interpretations. The pulsating rhythms, breath-taking solistics, hot sequences of the wind
players and of course the unique voice and performance of Milagros Pinera made this
musical journey to the Caribbean a precious memory.
Vorarlberger Nachrichten
The Cuban-Austrian group SANMERA made visitors feel the heat of the Caribbean at this
year's opening of the Snow-Jazzfestival in the Casino at Bad Gastein. At the Caribbean
night, the ten-headed formation masterly excited jazz friends and passionate dancers
with explosive rhythms.
Salzburger Nachrichten, Rauscher
One could feel the heat of the Caribbean at the opening of the Snow-Jazz-Festival in Bad
Gastein. The group Sanmera with its singer Milagros Pinera enthused jazz fans as well as
passionate dancers in the local Casino.
The voice of Cuba (La voz de Cuba ) - 1995 No.1 in the US-Billboard-Latincharts and therefore well known all over the world.
KLAUS BRÄUER
Saxophone, Flute, Leader
Freelance musician, music teacher, studied jazz and popular music at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, Austria. He graduated with a distinction and took part in workshops directed by Dave Liebman, Bobby Watson, Reggie Workman, Peter Herbholzheimer and others. In 2002, he made a study trip to Havana/Cuba.
RUDI PILZ
Trumpet
He studied instrumental and music education at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, from which he graduated with a distinction. He participated in workshops and followed lessons with Ingrid Jensen, Franz Weyerer, Hannes Kottek, Peter Herbholzheimer and others. Since 1989, he has worked as a music teacher.
WERNER WURM
Trombone
Hot Pants Road Club Nouvelle Cuisine Sigi Finkel@African Heart Mamadou Diabate&Bekadiya Lungau Big Band Concert Jazz Orchestra Vienna Afro Caribe Mad Schuh Big Band Swingtime Big Band Alexander Goebel Band Andy Lee Lang Big Band
GOTTFRIED ANGERER
Electric bass, Electric Upright
Freelance musician, music teacher/ born in 1963/ studied jazz and popular music at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz - he graduated with a distinction, studied violin and viola at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz.
WERNER RADZIG
Piano
JACQUELINE CARBONELL
Coro, Percussion
ENDRINA ROSALES RODRIGUEZ
Coro, Percussion
ANDRES LOAIZA-ESPINOSA
Congas
ist in Cali, Kolumbien geboren und entdeckte früh sein Interesse für die Perkussion. Er studierte am Institute for the Popular Culture und begann im Alter von 14 Jahren bei verschiedenen Gruppen in seiner Heimat zu spielen. Er verfeinerte sein Handwerk bei bekannten Percussionisten wie Tomas "Tomasito" Cruz, Saturnino Pernell, Miguel "Anga" Diaz, Jorge Luis "Papiosco" Torres, Joel "Pibo" Marquez, Carlos Soto, sowie durch die Teilnahme an diversen Meisterklassen in Kuba und Kolumbien. Andres Loaiza wohnt seit 2000 in Linz, Österreich.
CHRISTIAN MARTINEK
Timbales, Vocals
He owes his ear for Latin American music to his mother who comes from Venezuela. At the age of 16, he started performing as a percussionist in various bands. He took privat lessons with musicians from Venezuela, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
LUISON
In 1990ties one of the most known singers in Cuba, working with Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo, famous for his impulsive voice and staggering performance.
