SANTOS LATIF GONZÁLEZ TRIO
Santos Latif González Trio is a group dedicated to contemporary instrumental music from Brazil, departing from the tradition of choro. Our members are Tiago Santos (10-string mandolin), Nelson Latif (7-string guitar) and Mariano González (percussion). As a group, we promote the style of contemporary choro and música instrumental brasileira showcasing our original compositions and exploring new possibilities of the instruments we play, which are highly attached to the Brazilian choro tradition, but also in constant transformation.
Tiago Santos Mandolinist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and musicologist from Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. PhD candidate and member of the UNESCO Chair on Transcultural Music Studies at "Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT" in Weimar, Germany. Tiago has been performing concerts and giving courses and workshops worldwide with performances, compositions, studies, and research for mandolin that mix different backgrounds and elements of Brazilian, Latin American, and other classical musical genres. He has recorded five albums: “Ludicamente” (2023), “Afinidades” (2022), “O Bandolim Polifônico de 10 cordas” (2019), “Nosso Tempo” (2017), and “Chorobossambando” (2013).
https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/artist/0RiJuS8iDl1NpQec6GeZD2?si=uWCezMWGQd2XRNIpdmGreg
https://www.tiagosantos.mus.br/
Cavaquinho and acoustic guitar player Nelson Latif formed his musical identity in the legendary jazz scene of 1980's São Paulo. With roots in choro and jazz, Latif merges Brazilian styles and a classical guitar technique with diverse musical influences. In his melodic phrasing one hears bebop and Brazilian syncopations. As cultural promoter, Nelson Latif has been coordinating educational projects for universities and cultural institutions around the world.
https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/artist/0zaH41rdJncnNnh6MDLG51?si=mAwLbQZUQd239Bg4YWysFQ
Mariano González is a multi-instrumentalist and musicologist from of São Paulo, Brazil, currently pursuing a PhD in musicology and linguistics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, focusing on the drum languages of the Yoruba in Nigeria. Throughout his diverse study trips to Brazil, Cuba, Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique and Kenya, Mariano developed a unique style that seeks to respect key spiritual and musical African heritage elements in contemporary settings. As a lecturer, Mariano has worked at the UNESCO Chair on Transcultural Music Studies at the FRANZ-LISZT University of Music in Weimar (Germany) and the Utrecht Conservatory HKU (Netherlands).