MP3 Zodiac - Olá
Portuguese music with a twist of Latin, Rock, Merengue, Reggae, and Brazilian beats
10 MP3 Songs
LATIN: Merengue, LATIN: Latin Jazz
Details:
z o d i a c
https://www.tradebit.com
Our Story
In October of 1994, after playing with several Portuguese bands throughout California, Portugal and other parts of Europe, A.J. Canudo along with Sandro Costa & Manny Furtado decided to form a new band. Their intention was to write and perform original Portuguese music with a new and dynamic sound. Together the original seven, including current members Manny Furtado and Sandro Costa, began performing for the Portuguese community in Northern California. Together they worked to write and produce their first album that was completed in August of 1996 which combined Latin and Brazilian rhythms with traditional Portuguese sounds.
The album earned the attention of the East Coast Portuguese community, and in August of 1999 Zodiac was invited to perform at the annual Madeira Feast in New Bedford, Massachusetts (the largest Portuguese feast in the world). The band, having never performed on the East Coast before, was asked to perform on a smaller stage. The members were so enthusiastic to be on the East Coast that it didn''t matter to them where they performed as long as they had the opportunity to share their music with the community. However, upon hearing their music, the Entertainment Director was overwhelmed by their talent and apologized to the band for having had them perform on that stage. For the next three shows that followed, the band performed on the main stage. The band gained popularity after their debut performance on the East Coast, was invited to return in both 2000 and 2002.
In July of 2000, Zodiac completed their second album that was Number 1 on KSQQ''s top ten list (San Jose, California) and whose songs were in the "Top 10" on WJFD (New Bedford, Massachusetts). The band had also sparked the attention of Portuguese publications in both California and Massachusetts and in parts of Portugal, who ran articles on the band and its members. Most recently, the band was voted "The Most Popular Portuguese Band in California" in The Portuguese Tribune of San Jose, California for 2001. Their performances, coupled with their ability to write and produce original music, illustrate the band''s commitment to providing the Portuguese community with a renewed interest in their culture through music.
After seven years with the band, lead singer and seasoned performer, Norberto Arruda decided to retire. Understanding of Norberto''s need to spend more time with his family, the band quickly searched to find a new lead vocalist knowing, all the while, that replacing Norberto would not be an easy task. After six months of searching, the band received a response from a local female vocalist named Nina Vieira. Nina brought a wide range of style and great vocal ability but immediately the band recognized that it was going to take some hard work and getting use to "the new sound of Zodiac" before making their next appearance and album debut. During the next several months the band worked on new material so that a new album would be released with Nina as their Lead vocalist but throughout the 2 year course of that transition Zodiac lost one of their founding members as well as Nina due to musical differences. In December of 2003 Zodiac had already recorded 10 original songs but had no one as a lead vocalist and that''s when Sandro approached the band members and said to give it a shot. Sandro had recorded a few songs on previous albums but never as a full time lead vocalist. After a few sessions in the recording studio Zodiac had finished their latest album with Sandro as their lead vocalist, and so a new chapter had started for the band.
In early March of 2004 Zodiac released their 3rd album titled "Ola" and supported the album on a small California tour with International artist named Emanuel. Zodiac, now in their 10th year, continue to strive to maintain their position as being one of the most popular Portuguese bands in California. Throughout the years, the band has withstood many changes the replacement of their lead vocalists being one of the biggest. They recognize that the sound and style of the band''s music has changed and are excited to share their new music with the Portuguese communities throughout the United States and the world. They are in the process of writing new material for what will be their 4th album and are in hopes of releasing it to the public in 2006.