About Me
The Banda Brothers......Respect. Admiration. In the highly demanding field of music, they're awarded to only a choice few…to outstanding creative forces like Ramon and Tony Banda.Brothers from a musical family, they are best known to audiences the world over for the 20 plus years of solid, uncompromising work they spent as the backbone and anchors of one of the worlds most celebrated music ensembles, the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band…Tony on bass, Ramon on drums & timbales.Ramon and Tony were born in 1954 & 1955 respectively and raised in Norwalk, California a suburb of Los Angeles. There was much music in the family home and surrounding neighborhood. By 1961 the brothers were performing on a regular basis all across Southern California, thus receiving invaluable "on the bandstand" experience at an unusually young age. It was during these formative years that the brother's love and appreciation for a wide variety of musical styles developed, especially Jazz / Latin / Rhythm & Blues.
The brothers have participated in countless tours, played every major music festivals around the globe and have recorded with a long list of world renown artist including Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Celia Cruz, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Smith, Ry Cooder, Kenny Burrell,Woody Herman, Ray Charles, Carmen McRae, Mongo Santamaria, Al Jarreau, Chick Correa, Bette Midler, Buddy Colette, Dianne Reeves, Joey DeFrancesco, Al McKibbon, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pesci, Francisco Aguabella, the Jazz Crusaders, Eddie Harris, Arturo O’Farrill, Terence Blanchard, Jackson Browne and the list goes on.
Playing with an energy and conviction that is soulful, relaxed and intensely swinging, Tony & Ramon sign all of their art that way, but never more so than when they now head up their own group "The Banda Brothers Sextet". Formed in 1996 with a powerful emphasis on straight-ahead Jazz as well as drawing from the rich Afro-Caribbean traditions.
They have assembled some of the most talented, young musicians working today, including Javier Vergara - Tenor sax, Chris Barron - Piano, Francisco Torres - Trombone, Joey De Leon - Percussion. The group has a unique talent for bringing insight and imagination to original material as well as covered classics, providing the perfect balance of accessibility and invention. Their 2004 debut release “Acting Up!†is on the WJ3 Label.
www.bandabros.com
