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TORA TORA BIG BAND

2nd album is out now

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MUSIC FROM OUR FIRST ALBUM "TORA TORA" :
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Try the BEST MySpace Editor at MySpace Toolbox ! ------------------------------------------------TORA TORA consists of 12 musicians who play music for dancing; one idea that has progressively disappeared since Big Band music was invented.Today most of the Big Bands concentrate on traditional music that has been heard many times. TORA TORA chose another way: The arrangements and original compositions of TORA TORA are in the style of the dance grooves of today. TORA TORA is dedicated to music that is connected to jazz, popular music and world music with particular accents on african rhythms. The arrangements are oriented with elements of Afro, Arabic, Funk, Trance, Reggae and Drum´n Bass. The jazz characteristics are maintained in the arrangements so the soloists can show their best. The variety of the music of TORA TORA is added to by the 6 different nationalities of the musicians. The concerts that they have had confirm the success of the project:Take the Big Band (further than jazzclubs and concert halls)where they were in the 30´s, in the dance halls(the discotheques of today), to the bars and the jazz music, popular music and world music festivals. Music with many horns to make the people dance, interpreted by musicians of a high professional level. A unique formation of musicians in Portugal.--------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- Os TORA TORA são 12 músicos que tocam música para dançar; uma ideia que tem vindo progressivamente a desaparecer na música BigBand desde que esta foi inventada.Hoje a maior parte das BigBands concentra-se em fazer música tradicional já tocada e ouvida inúmeras vezes. Os TORA TORA escolheram um outro caminho: Nos arranjos, que são na maior parte composições feitas por eles, pode-se ouvir os estilos e grooves que hoje se dança. Os TORA TORA dedicam-se a uma música ligada ao Jazz, à Música Popular e à Música do Mundo com particular ênfase nos ritmos africanos. Os arranjos orientam-se por elementos AFRO, ÁRABE, FUNK, TRANCE, REGGAE e DRUM´N BASS. A caraterística do Jazz mantém-se nos arranjos para que os esplendorosos solistas da banda possam brilhar. À variedade da música dos TORA TORA somam-se as 6 nacionalidades dos seus músicos.Os concertos já realizados confirmam o sucesso do projecto: Levar a BigBand para além dos Jazzclubs e salas de concertos também para onde se encontrava nos anos ´30, às salas de dança (as discotecas de hoje), aos bares de música e aos festivais de música jazz, música popular e música do mundo. Música com muitos sopros para fazer as pessoas dançarem, interpretada por músicos com nível profissional. Músicos que constituem uma formação única em Portugal.--------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------LOOK AT THESE FANTASTIC ORANGES OF THE ORANGE AGRICULTURE OF ELEPHANT´S CLAUS!!!!!! OUR FAN ANA OLIVEIRA DID THIS HEROIC WORK OF ART FOR US! TORA TORA SAYS "THANK YOU" ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------In the press…“It is the free circulation of ideas that fascinates someone who listens to the group(...) of which can result in a new era of the tradition of big bands cultivated beyond this side of the border. (...) there is in this hybrid language a serious capacity to spread “joie de vivre” to yours it returns (...) the structural solidity, the collective discipline, the melodic invention, the harmonic wealth and the freshness of the.....) they will give you a tempting fruit.” -------------------------------------------------- Ricardo Saló in “Expresso” ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------“The debut of the Tora Tora Big Band brings back an idea that is almost 100 years old. But with Cuba and Arabia. That is: Count Basie and Duke Ellington flirted with funk. Hot things. (...) faultless interpretation, tasteful arrangements, the variety of albums. This is a rare thing for this country, Tora Tora's world (...) a type of United Nations of groove.” -------------- João Bonifácio in “Y” ”--------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------- “(...) the 12 members created a sophisticated, vibrant atmosphere, a true dance party. The disk, until the end, is an elevated dose of vitamin C, full of energy and effervescence, with all the ingredients to loosen the feet of the inhibited (...) To the marvelous horn section which rises to the level of the historic big bands (...) in a cultural exchange that settles in this music”----------------- Sofia Freire in “Jornal de Letras” ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- “The premises of this project (...) the results had to be an excellent disk (...) disguised, in a case of total orange, it can be one of the best medicines to help you walk with good humor this Summer.” ------------------ Pedro Dias of Almeida in “Visão” ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ --- “(...) to say if it is or is not jazz that the group plays is to say little of the quality of its work, which is excellent (...) all the energy is vitamin enriched, able to infect any dance track (...) it is the swing that moves Tora Tora. And two things that remain after listening to this disk: a tired foot from beating the time and the appetite to taste their peeled orange live.” ------------------ João Pedro Oliveira in “Diário de Notícias” ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------

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------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------- ------------PRESS QUOTES (CD “Tora Tora Cult” Maio 2007)------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ----- “Ao segundo disco, os doze indomáveis (…) fazem sentir (…) a vibração dos concertos. À frente os arranjos de metais, uma enorme variedade de géneros que vão da salsa ao samba e em fundo o “groove”. (...) no Santiago Alquimista, a apresentar (...) “Tora Tora Cult”: casa cheia, corpos em reacção imediata àquela música feita de percussões em ebulição e arranjos de metais perdidos desde os dias em que o jazz se fazia de Big Bands (…) é a definição da linhagem, o disco em que abrem as comportas e de lá de dentro saem todos os géneros que sempre quiseram incluir (…) em que se sente na rodela o suor dos concertos. “Tora Tora Cult” foi feito com mil cuidados para explodir em casa como a banda explode nos concertos” . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Y/PÚBLICO por João Bonifácio - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“Adão e Eva agitam a macieira. Têm ar de quem não o faz pela primeira vez. É sempre bom lembrar de onde vêm as coisas e de que (também) se fala quando se fala de ritmo. E o segundo álbum do colectivo transnacional (…) é o fruto dessa tomada de consciência e do pleno domínio de uma realidade complexa. (…) firmeza estrutural, linguagem concisa, intensidade rítmica, investimento cromático e expressão final liberta de ambiguidades (…) Que o discurso adquira redobrada fluência e a variedade cénica novo alcance, mostra como a orquestra se pode dar ao luxo de sonhar com um esperanto pelo qual circulem livremente códigos de jazz, afrobeat, salsa, samba, funk e demais efeitos da queda de um fruto na noite dos tempos.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - EXPRESSO por Ricardo Saló - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“ (…) uma surpreendente e boa novidade para ouvintes de música criativa, muito bem imaginada, realizada e gravada (…) vozes, sopros, ritmos diversos com notável influência de jazz (…) é música diferente e nova.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JAZZ PORTUGAL por José Duarte - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“A orquestra apresenta-se como um dos projectos musicais mais interessantes do actual panorama musical português, não só pela sua faceta multicultural como pela renovação do espírito da grande orquestra para bailar, num contexto urbano. Tora Tora Cult é o segundo disco do projecto mas aquele que melhor representa a orquestra como ela é hoje e se apresenta ao vivo. (…) A música da Tora Tora Big Band deve ser ouvida e vista em palco pelo menos uma vez. Não percam a oportunidade. “ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -DIF por Carla Isidoro- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“Os Tora Tora voltaram a arrombar as pistas de dança! Neste segundo registo (…) a energia continua efusiva e embriagante (…) evoca o torpor da terra e das raízes afro. Com a formação mais alargada, vozes muito expressivas e a recolha de sons da cidade, as composições (...) ganham o tom de uma história muito velha, mas contada com muito humor. Tão doce foi o pecado, tão forte foi o ritmo, que a serpente dançarina transpirou todo o veneno”.- - - - - - - - - JORNAL DE LETRAS por Sofia Freire - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “A Big Band mais divertida do momento está de volta, e desta vez não é só nas nacionalidades dos seus doze membros (..) que se percebem as múltiplas influências que os fazem mexer (…) juntam-se ao culto as vozes de Kika Santos, Sílvia (Hysteria Ibérica) e de André Cabaço. O projecto está, agora, mais sólido mas mantém a frescura inicial e o segredo do sucesso: está aberto a todos os géneros musicais.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VISÃO por Pedro Dias de Almeida - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“O primeiro disco foi um sucesso e este segundo mostra que a banda está ao rubro (...) Em palco são um espectáculo único e em disco são um vício, uma celebração ao jazz e à música.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ELLE por Isabel Lindim - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "This is an amazing 12-strong Lisbon-based band, which fuses jazz with African music & Brazilian rythms. They're young guys from all over Europe & the Americas, a little bit like some sort of a musical incarnation of the French movie, L'auberge espagnole. Theirs is the most dynamic, intelligent & innovative music I have heard so far this year"- - - - - -HENRI TOURNYOL DU- CLOS 4/2007, http://pataphysicalangst.blogspot.com- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“Lisboa’s Tora Tora Big Band is one of the most colourful and groovy bands I’ve listened to this year. This 12 people neo big band has revived the fun of the big bands from the last century in their own words (it feels nice to say last century!) and from the moment you hear the first brass note played, you understand that you’re in for a groovy and ass-shaking ride(…)Wildly fun and humorous music intended for dancefloors that are bored of the synthetic machine music and miss the old dancefloors of 30’s. I’m pretty sure they rock live, you can’t not rock when you have so many brass players in a band” - - - -Mersenne, http://www.undomondo.com/2006/10/tora-tora-big-band/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -“Just back from their Myspace site and Lars above was definitely not boasting, their recent work is even better. Actually, this is the most intelligent popular music I have heard this year so far. Elephants Run is a truly awesome track, really groundbreaking, and Velho Samba is an extraordinary bit of Brazilian fusion, gripping yet complex. Bravo!” comment by Henri on http://www.undomondo.com/2006/10/tora-tora-big-band/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laranja

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Member Since: 9/1/2006
Band Website: toratorabigband.org
Band Members: Miguel Gonçalves (Brazil)- lead trumpet ------------- Johannes Krieger (Germany) - trumpet/composer/arranger ------------- Ze Maria (Portugal) - alto and tenor sax --------------- Guto Lucena (Brazil) - tenor and baritone sax --------------- Lars Arens (Germany) - trombone/composer/arranger -------------- Claus Nymark (Denmark) - trombone ------------------ Peter Wetherill (USA) - trombone ----------------- Filipe Raposo (Portugal) - piano ---------------- Francesco Valente (Italy) - bass/presentation --------------- Hugo Menezes (Portugal) - percussion ---------------- André Pacheco "Junior" (Portugal) - percussion ----------------- Davide Rodrigues (Portugal) - drums------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------- Miguel Gonçalves (Brazil) -- lead trumpet-- For many years he was the owner of a bank in Brazil but he went bankrupt because of bad management. Miguel then emigrated to Portugal and bought a trumpet and since then he has gotten away with being a musician in Portugal. He really wanted to be a heavy metal singer but because of his age he couldn't find a producer to sponsor him. Now he uses his trumpet to channel his aggressive feelings. He is the only one to support a complicate situation: to play a strong high register while supporting the psychological stress created from the trombone section that doesn´t forgive any wrong note.//----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Johannes Krieger (Germany) - -trumpet/composer/arranger-- During his music studies in Holland, he was dedicated to terrorizing the other students and professors only playing wrong notes and finding that funny! In Portugal he changed his ideas and studies to raise his level of playing to match the level of his compositions and arrangements. But this he doesn´t do as a free choice. He does it to be able to escape to the trombone section´s terror, cause the trombones are more busy with counting Johannes mistakes rather than with playing their own music. But the quality of his solos are unquestionably divine. Johannes fights radically against any intellectual influences from the band. // ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Ze Maria (Portugal) -- alto and tenor sax--When he came in the band he overthrew percussionist "Junior" as the youngest member of the band, and he also claimed for the percussionists name. But the band didn´t accept that. Contrary to the other band members who have limited abilities, he has many to choose from. The other band members view him whith much jealousy and respect. He wants to study a serious and secure profession even though he is one of the most talented young musicians in Portugal.// ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Guto Lucena (Brazil) -- tenor and baritone sax-- When he arrived in Portugal he had all the opportunities to succeed. But during a concert of his quartet, the rhythmic section opted for a new accompaniment of the famous standard "Blue Trane", this was considered a scandal. He had found himself in a country choosy and critical of jazz unlike none other in Europe. He was cast as an outlaw. But because Portugal has few saxophonists that solo and play well together in groups, he was hired to play in the band of the program HERMAN SIC. His rights and duties as a citizen have now been returned to him, but in exchange he had to sign a contract with the television station for the rest of his life. He is now considering whether to go back to being an "outcast". In this case Tora Tora is available to play in public his arrangement of "Blue Trane".// ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Lars Arens (Germany) -- trombone/composer/arranger-- He is ashamed of his participation in some bad artistic projects in his past and now lives quietly and in secrecy as a specialist in the combat of fleas in his house. Along with this he is the musical director of the group and suffers spontaneous attacks of rage caused by impatience with the bands bad performance of songs. Because of this temperament the 2nd trombonist Claus once called him "Jumping Pulgas". Probably Lars is the one that studies the most in the brass section. Francesco was shocked when he found out that Lars left the house at 8:00am to go to practice all day. What he didn't know was that it had been the fleas that inspired him to leave the house so early in the morning.// ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Claus Nymark (Denmark) -- trombone-- Since his childhood Claus always dreamed of having a garden with oranges. To make this a reality he had to leave his country. He was successful in agriculture and passed the days as an orange merchant. One day he had to confiscate the property of a customer who could not pay, and thus became an owner of a trombone. He then realized that he had a talent for this instrument. He was so dedicated to practicing his trombone that he forgot the harvest and was drowning in oranges. To call for help he played his trombone at an incredible volume like had never been heard before. (After being saved he had to buy a four wheel drive jeep to be able to enter and leave his house.) This is how he got the nic name "Elephant's Claus". In Tora Tora he already has destroyed some sound systems. In contrast with other big bands, the saxophonists want to play behind the trombones when he plays. The microphone in front of him in the concerts is only a decoration, and is always turned off! // ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------- Peter Wetherill (USA) -- trombone-- Nobody could imagine it now, but in his native land he was a "southern states hippie". He was banished from his turf when he entered a supermarket barefoot which had a sign: "no bare feet allowed". He then decided to try his luck with his instrument in Europe. But since he doesn't have money for a ticket, he signed up to work on a cruise ship around Europe and play in the show band. But the roots of being a hippie run deep. He never learned to read notes! He always played free music. He continued smoking on board, even though the consumption of certain things is absolutely forbidden! He had to leave the boat in the first port in Europe. This was Lisbon. He then wanted to change his life. He quit smoking, and changed his attitude. He quickly learned to read notes and becomes an interesting musician for the band Tora Tora. // ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Filipe Raposo (Portugal) -- piano-- Filipe is an example of extreme changes of life. In his early years he went to mass three times per day. He already was thinking about living in a monastery, but faith alone was not enough to feed him. He is a good pianist and was obliged to accept work in television. He had a bad conscience for participating in such a secular activity, but little by little he starts to like doing this, "I really have a talent for this!" He then starts to create crazy sounds on his piano, dress in crazy clothes, even though all the members of the band must dress the same. He attracts the attention of the audience - and of the camera operators. When Filipe is there, nobody pays attention to the hosts of the show. This does not make them happy! Thus they have already ended many programs where he participated. Because of this behavior, Filipe gained the name "Crazy Guy". He is always well received in Tora Tora where he can act any way he wants.// ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Francesco Valente (Italy) -- bass/presentation-- He could have the first cello chair in the Milan orchestra, but instead he accepted an invitation to play in Portugal in a clowns orchestra called "orquestrinha da pena". This ruined his career in classic music in Italy. He then asked for artistic asylum in Portugal, because he couldn't return to Italy as a musician. As if this was not enough suffering he had to learn to play the bass to keep his job in the clowns orchestra. This meant that he had to move to the last line of the string section. He didn't feel good whit this situation and wanted to escape. He then heard of a big band where the trombones play in the front of the band. He knows that trombones and basses are natural allies, and have similar sufferings. In a "stroke of good luck" he was invited by the trombones to join Tora Tora. He banished the trumpet player, Johannes, from the first line to the last line, and became the presenter of the band and joined the trombones in the front row. He now has had many opportunities to get comfortable with this. As well as being a great bass player he has also become a great presenter. Like this has become the only irreplaceable member of the band. // ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Hugo Menezes (Portugal) -- percussion-- He had a difficult birth and soon became a freak and obviously learned to play percussion. But eventually he found out that almost all freaks play percussion instruments. It is very difficult for him to get established, and gets into playing with DJ's in fancy discos but gets tired of this quickly. He then joins Tora Tora and takes control of the rhythm section. Later he develops a talent for organizing shows better than anyone else in the band can. He learns how to organize and to sell shows, and knows how to negotiate. But as a result he paces around and is too busy to eat correctly (two pounds of pork chops per day), he suffers from a bad stomach and is stressed out. One day he received more than 100 e-mails and phone calls from Lars because he didn't answer him soon enough. He often runs away to destress, to a house in the country, far from everything, where he can only be contacted if he goes to the top of an enormous mountain so that his mobile phone has a signal. But soon he gets homesick for Tora Tora and returns to Lisbon, but never more than 4 days in a row. He deserves a lot of respect from the other band members on how much he has contributed as an excellent percussionist and organizer! // ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- André Pacheco "Junior" (Portugal) - percussion-- Nobody knows for certain of his origins. He is known as one of the members in a certain famous afro-reggae band along with Francesco and Davide. But do his colleagues known him really? Can his look be so obvious? Doesn´t it rather hide an other side of him? A person that sees him for the first time thinks: freak! With his singing and percussion playing he easily facinates everyone. But that one skill doesn't fill in the blanks. People circulate rumors that he has a double life. The fact is that some times before rehearsals and concerts of Tora Tora, a luxury limousine passes close by, but he always arrives in a beat up old car did he only get in and drive there just before he arrived? Well, Tora Tora wouldn't be surprised if one day he announced that he just inheri... Tora Tora is a band who has many members, and it would be practical somebody to buy an airplane to be easier to travel. Until then, the band is content with him as a strong reinforcement for the rhythmic section. // ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Davide Rodrigues (Portugal) -- drums-- He was born in Germany, a son of emigrants, but rejects his German nationality. As soon as he can he will return back to the country of his nationality. He has a certain accent that comes out when speaking Portuguese with Johannes and Lars. He even has a heavier accent than they do. He works very hard to be able to pay for drum lessons in the Hot Club of Portugal. He always has very little money for living expenses, and has to live in the bairro Cova da Moura in Amadora. He smokes very much there, but will seek medical help to quit only when his health is effected seriously. He still has many substances of this type remaining in his blood, "space cake", and this contributes to his relaxed and calm caricature. Also many times he feels the groove more laid back than Lars because of Larses high blood pressure, and he has to count off the tunes. When he isn't playing drums he is dedicated to fight against pollution and for the protection of animals, and sends millions of emails of protest to his friends in Tora Tora. Many e-mail mailboxes have been filled up, so the other eleven band members of Tora Tora hide their true e-mail addresses from him.
Influences: BOOKING Hugo Menezes +351 96 289 44 71 [email protected] WORK Cristina Carvalho +351 96 958 23 63 [email protected] [email protected]
Record Label: Music Mob
Type of Label: Indie

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Tora Tora at myspace.com

Abri o nosso espaço em myspace com.... Vamos ver se isso ajuda à nossa divulgação.... Lars
Posted by TORA TORA BIG BAND on Sat, 02 Sep 2006 04:25:00 PST