SOUKAST

SOUKAST BIOGRAPHY

SOUKAST is a project of two brazilian drummers and percussionists, Simone Sou and Guilherme Kastrup, who developed during their percussion studies over the years a very particular brazilian music technique. It is based on the adaption of a vocabulary of various rhythms of traditional brazilian folklore and translated into techniques of drums, percussion and unconventional materials.

Simone Sou and Guilherme Kastrup got together in 2000, when they were touring with the brazilian Singer Chico Cesar. This tour happened in Europa and USA and was over a period of 3 months. During this tour and due to the time they worked together, the wish was realized to form a percussion/drummer duo. As many times as possible besides their other participations/side projects, they got together to work out a concept. Starting from this period of time they performed over the years in several places of Brasil and later in Europe. During the years they kept on working foremost with other musicians in form of live performances or productions. What started to be a side-project became a main project for Kastrup and Simone in 2007.

SOUKAST uses as references the several traditional genres of brazilian music, which does not only include "Samba" and "Baiao", the international most known genres, but also "Congados", "Mocambiques", "Jongos" and "Catupes", which are the result of the rich syncretism generated in Brazil by the mixture of african, european and brazilian natives cultures . SOUKAST music is the result of the adaptation and translation into their percussion and drum performance of all these influences added to electronic sounds.

They are a crossfade between two unique sounds engaged through the beats and experiences of life attracted by the challenge of drumming and percussions. The aim is to put together tradition and modern spirit and express with the mixture of drums and percussion in one set, which they call "Percuteria" (percussao e bateria). All this is added by electronic sounds. In this context they make use of samplers, drum kits, traditional brazilian drums, metal cans, tolls, glasses and more conventional or unconventional resources.

By this they create a universal music language which provides in the imagination of the audience moments full of colors, texts, rhythms and experiences. These images can be classified as landscapes of moments, which make their live presentation unique.

Some examples of their performances:

- In 2005 SOUKAST performed in collaboration with Marcos Suzano on the opening night of Panorama Percussivo Mundial Festival in Rio de Janeiro.

- In 2007 SOUKAST had its official premiere performed at the International Percussion Festival in Sao Paulo.

- During WOMEX in October 2009 they performed at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse.

- In 2010 SOUKAST realized concerts in Sao Paulo, at Centro Cultural Rio Verde, Teatro Coletivo and Centro Cultural de Diadema.

For more information: myspace.com/soukast1

GUILHERME KASTRUP BIOGRAPHY

Percussionist, drummer and producer Guilherme Kastrup was born in Rio de Janeiro and has been living in SĂƒÂŁo Paulo since 1993. He began his studies at Conservatorio Villa Lobos in 1985. In 1993 he made his Bachelor in percussion at Universidade Estacio de Sa in Sao Paulo.

He is a open mind musician that mixes influences, instruments and several musicians. In a rare and astonishing blend he is putting together tradition with contemporary, drums with toys, acoustic with electronic, creating a particular and unique sound, what brazilian singer Tom Ze called "Kastrupismo".

As an instrumentalist he participated in recordings of more than 90 albums. Kastrup has been working with some of the most expressive artists of brazilian Music, such as Chico Cesar, Arnaldo Antunes, Zizi Possi, Gal Costa, Adriana Calcanhoto, Vanessa da Mata, Zeca Baleiro, Ana Carolina, Elba Ramalho, Tom Ze as well as many international musicians such as Jorge Drexler (Uruguay), Roberto Fonseca (Cuba), Luis Pastor (Spain), Felipe Mukenga (Angola), Tokiko Kato (Japan) and Krishna Das (USA).

Hand in hand with this recording he also participated in many national and international live performances for most of these artists.

For example with Chico Cesar he played in several countries of the world like U.S.A. and Europe. This tour included festivals such as Jazz Heritage Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Womad.

From 2002 until 2005 he played with Zeca Baleiro, performing in Brazil and in Europe, like the Sfinks Festival (Antwerp), the Year of Brazil in France.

With Vanessa da Mata he toured from 2005 to 2006 in several countries in Europe.