Grupo Janeiro

Highlights
* Latin Jazz band - great as a backdrop to wedding receptions parties and dinners. The band will bring a sophisticated and cool Latin twist to your event.
* Female vocalist Sandra D'angelo specializing in Bossa-Nova available within trio set-up.
* Top guitarist Mike Georgiades and great percussionist Alan Pagan both of whom have worked with Alive Network for many years are in the line-up brnging professionalism and reliability guaranteed
* Also available with top flautist Mauricio Valez.
* The band have entertained many a happy client over the years including weddings private parties and corporate events
* Requests learnt for small charge and with ample notice
* Music between sets played on MP3 player FREE of charge
* Available UK wide

GRUPO Janeiro provide beautiful music for events across the UK. Fronted by virtuoso guitarist Mike Georgiades this music is an ideal accompaniment for parties dinners wedding receptions corporate functions and other such events.???

Music can be tailored to your tastes from the sophisticated ambience of swing jazz through to vibrant Latin styles inspired by South American composers such as Jobim Sergio Mendes, Almeida, and bands such as Buena Vista Social Club and Gypsy Kings.?

About the Band
Mike Georgiades – Classical Guitar
Mike is a guitarist, teacher and composer. He is an accomplished performer of many different guitar styles, namely Classical, Romantic, Spanish and Flamenco, through to Latin Jazz, Rock and Pop. He currently works with many UK agencies and performs regularly at the prestegious Four Seasons Hotel in Dogmersfield. He has worked with the likes of Henry Olsen (formerly of Primal Scream) and Tim Weller (drummer and brother of Paul). He is on the books for Purple City Records as a session guitarist.

Alan Pagan B.A. Hons – Drums and Percussion.
Alan is a London based professional musician, specialising in drums and percussion.
Alan is involved in many different band/theatre projects which require a wide range of styles. He also owns a professional 16 track recording/rehearsal studio which has been used by artists such as Tom Baxter (singer songwriter) and Alexis Smith (programmer for Moulin Rouge and David Gray)
Alan’s most notable ventures to date have been with Charlie Winston supporting Peter Gabriel in Germany & Monte Carlo, percussionist for the production of ‘Masque of the Red Death’ at the Battersea Arts Centre and percussionist for Filter Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night in Association with The Royal Shakespeare Company.

Neil Raymond – Bassist
Neil has a wealth of musical history, touring/writing with Australia's own 'Taxiride' (Warner Music) and 'CBD'
(Sony Music), supporting artists such as Tina Arena, Mark Lizzote(Diesel) and Jimmy Barnes to name but a few. ?In London he plays with Ola Onabule,The Real People, Noel Mc Coy, and various sessions. ?5-star Hotel residencies include Sheraton Walker-Hill in Seoul South Korea, Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Tateshina Private Resort in Nagano, Japan.

Mauricio Velez - Special guest flautist
Mauricio is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in Andean wind instruments and Afro-Cuban percussion. Born in Antioquia, Colombia,. He studied music at The Conservatoire of the University of Antioquia.
At the age of 17 Mauricio moved to London where he studied Advanced Jazz at the Performance Arts College. His tutors were Ian Carr, Tim Whitehead, Jack de Jonette and Julian Joseph. While at the PAC, Mauricio joined the London Fusion Orchestra, touring for 2 years and performing with the Positive Vibes Dance Company.In 1994 he formed a trio, fusing Andean sounds with Jazz. The trio made regular appearances at The Jazz Café, which lead to a collaboration with the Xacarra project alongside guitarist John Williams and composer Richard Harvey.Mauricio was also a member of the Hidden Cadence Band, winning the Guardian Jazz Awards in 1998,with a performance at the RNCM with Digby Fairweather.

Sandra D’Angelo – Special guest Vocals
Sandra D ‘Angelo was born in Cinecittà, Rome. Her family is of Italian-Brazilian descent. Sandra has graduated in Fine and Performing art at the academy of Brera and vocal jazz at music conservatory Giuseppe Verdi in Milan.

Sandra sings in equal parts Portuguese as English, Italian and French and has written and sung for independent labels such as Schema Records (Paolo Conte) In 2006 Major record labels caught onto the popularity of her new project for the teen Italian Star Walt Disney presenter-Singer Mafy. And she is now signed as songwriter and melodist to EMI VIRGIN Recordings. She is collaborating with the vibrant New Yorker Baile funk underground Scene for the one of Rio's biggest and most known Baile Funk sound systems in New York.

Recent projects include Spirit Talk Mbira with the Zimbabwean Musician Chartwell Dutiro and a collaborationwith the poet and singer Zena Edwards.

Your Event
Although every event is different and requires specific planning, there are a few general categories that can employ the GRUPO Janeiro...

Dinners ?- Eating, drinking and conversing can be enjoyed to the setting of beautiful, non-intrusive latin music. Subtle amplification is used to fill out any size of room, without stifling conversation.

Wedding Receptions -?An extremely popular choice, for when the party is underway! Songs can be arranged on request.

Parties - ?The choice of playing material can be chosen to reflect the mood - from rhythmic samba-style latin jazz, to relaxing classical/latin jazz pieces to create a certain sophisticated atmosphere or to wind down with at the end of the night.

What people have said about Grupo Janeiro

David and Jessica M (wedding couple) - September '07?-
"Thanks so much for entertaining us in the sunshine...it made our wedding day all the more special and many of our guests commented on how wonderful the music was..."

Mr Seamus P (bridegroom) - June'06 ?-
"Thanks for helping to make this the best day of our lives!"

Belinda Avery - September ‘08 -
“You were great!
Thanks so much for your excellent professional and enjoyable performance at our Anderson Family Social Evening. Several parents and staff have praised the band and thank you for playing for us within our budget.