Zuco 103

Zuco 103

International trio that successfully combines Latin, jazz and drum'n'bass.
Full biography

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Members

Sjam Sjamsoedin   draaitafels
Lesly Kuhr   basgitaar
Stefan Kruger   drums
Stefan Schmid   toetsinstrumenten
Claus Tofft   percussie
Lilian Vieira   zang
Full list... Summarized list

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Former members

Andro Biswane   gitaar
Ana Beck   achtergrondzang
Jacob Otten   draaitafels
DJ Git Hyper   draaitafels
Has Bangert   basgitaar
Hassie Dune   basgitaar
Full list... Summarized list

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News archive

Izaline Calister, Julya Lo'ko en Lilian Vieira samen in theater (7/14/11) 
ZUCO 103 op de Olympische Spelen in Vancouver (2/15/10) 
Zuid-Amerikaanse sprankeling bij talkshow THE MIX (11/3/09) 
Tweede talkshow THE MIX bij MCN (10/22/09) 
Video Dutch Blend Meeting nu online (3/4/09) 
In A Cabin With naar Mexico (2/24/09) 
Uitreiking Music Managers Award (11/25/08) 
More results Less results

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Biography Zuco 103

International trio that successfully combines Latin, jazz and drum'n'bass.

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1989 - 1997

Brazilian singer Vieira comes to The Netherlands in 1989 to study at the Rotterdam Music Academy. During these years she plays in bands like Bacán, Musica Brasileira, and Treme Terra. Keyboard player Stefan Schmid is from Munich, Germany, and has been living in the Netherlands for several years. He plays in jazz band Martinez Move and also in the New Cool Collective. Drummer in those bands is Stefan Kruger (also a former student of the Rotterdam Music Academy). Kruger is also a successful session musician and a member of SfeQ.

Bacán Female Factory Martinez Move Musica Brasileira New Cool Collective SFeQ Stefan Kruger Treme Terra

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1998

In 1998 Vieira meets up with keyboard player Stefan Schmid and drummer Stefan Kruger when they work together on the SFeQ-album SFeQ United Volume 2. Under the name Rec.a they record the first version of Outro Lado, which is released on the compilation album Brasil 2mil (Ziriquiboom, a Crammed Discs sub label), and gets good reviews.

SFeQ

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1999

The album Outro Lado is released on Ziriquiboom. Initially, interest in the musical style, that combines Brazilian, Cuban and African music with jazz, funk and break beats, initially comes only from abroad. Zuco sells ten thousand copies of Outro Lado in the US only. The band plays at festivals like Cabaret Sauvage and Transmusicales de Rennes in France.

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2000

Zuco finally gets its well-deserved recognition from the Dutch media in 2000, the same year in which the band is asked to play, as the only Dutch act, at the renowned Drum Rhythm Festival, which is held in Amsterdam each year. When playing live Zuco 103 is joined by bass player Has B. (who is also drummer/percussionist in Afrika Sabu Njouma, Fote Caba and Groovie Dune Brothers), percussionist Claus Tofft, backing vocalist Anna Beck and a DJ (usually DJ Git Hyper a.k.a. Erwin Zimmerman from SFeQ). In June and July the band goes on an extensive tour of Europe and also plays at the Summerstage Festival in Central Park, New York, where they share the stage with Nile Rogers from Chic. In November Zuco 103 is awarded with the Heineken Crossover Award.

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2001

Despite Vieira's fear of flying, Zuco 103 travels the country by helicopter to play at the various Liberation Day festivals in May. In June the band is one of the highlights at this year's Drum Rhythm Festival. Git Hyper (Erwin Zimmerman) is replaced by Jacob 'Kid Sublime' Otten.

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2002

In May the second album Tales Of High Fever comes out. In September Lesly Kühr takes over the bass and DJ SJAM takes place behind the turntables. Guitarist Andro Biswane joins Zuco for several shows. In the autumn the group (Kruger, Schmid, Vieira and Toft) tours with a sound system.

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2003

In the first two weeks of February Zuco plays twelve shows at the Blue Note Club in Yokohama, Japan. After that the group goes to Brazil (in support of Queen Beatrix's visit to Sao Paolo), Spain and Italy. The album Tales Of High Fever is nominated for an Edison Music Award in the category World. The band plays the Pinkpop festival. Zuco's third studio album is recorded live in the studio and released in September. During the Midsummer Jazz Gala in July Zuco 103 is awarded the Edison public's award.

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2004

Zuco 103 is nominated for a BBC Radio 3 Award For World Music in the category Club Global, but the award goes to DJ Dolores and Orchestra Santa Massa from Brazil. Lilian Vieira performs with Lilian Vieira's Samba Soul a band that plays acoustic funky Brazilian music from the '70s. The band also includes José Lopretti (keyboards), Enrique Firpi (drums), Jura Gomes (bass), Ed Verhoef (guitar) and Aloar Soares (percussion). During the European Championships Football in June Zuco 103 releases football single Futebol. It is the temporary theme song to daily talk show Barend & Van Dorp on commercial outlet RTL. On June 7 the band plays live on the show.

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2005

Legendary reggae producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry can be heard on two tracks on the album Whaa! He also features in the video that comes with the single It's A Woman's World. Fuji Rock, the 'Glastonbury' of Japan (August 27-31), invites the samba/dance outfit. On August 31 Zuco performs at the Marquee stage of the renowned festival. Due to illness of singer Lilian Vieira, Zuco 103 cancels and postpones its upcoming international tour in the fall. Vieira undergoes an urgent stomach operation. New dates are set in the new year (January 25 - February 6). New single Na Mangueira is released in September. In December Zuco 103 picks up business again with some domestic tour dates.

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2006

In the first weeks of the year the trio, enhanced by tenor saxophonist Jasper Blom, embarks on the Acustico project, a series of improvised acoustic shows in Holland. As of January 25 Zuco 103 tours Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Spain, followed by some French dates in April. Lilian Vieira sings the title track on debut album Mesmerize by DJ Maestro. On August 6, halfway a Zuco gig at the Boats Parade along the canals in Utrecht, a wooden bridge carrying punters collapses, causing lots of casualties. A few days later one visitor dies in hospital. The show on 18 October during Rocket Cinema in Paradiso, Amsterdam, is the last of the year because Lilian Vieira is going on maternity leave.

DJ Maestro

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2007

On 18 March, Zuco 103 leaves for Rio de Janeiro for performances and studio sessions at the Toca do Bandido studio and to give workshops to local bands in the suburbs with the aid of relief organisation IBISS. Two of these local bands perform with Zuco 103 during Festival Mundial in the Netherlands late June. One of the other summer festivals where the band performs is Amsterdam Roots on 16 June.

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2008

Starting March, Vieira hits the Dutch theatres with the show Lilian Vieira's Samba Soul 70's. The repertoire includes work by Tim Maia, Wilson Simonal, Cassiano and Jorge Ben Jor. Stefan Schmid and sax player Wouter Schueler produce debut album Global Explorations by Schueler's group Sinas. Vieira has written most of the lyrics for Zuco's sixth studio album After The Carnaval (April) during a stay in Brazil. De album is partly recorded in Rio de Janeiro and partly in the band's studio in Amsterdam. The album is characterised by a more acoustic approach. On After The Carnaval, Zuco 103 works with Sergio Chiavazzoli, guitarist of Gilberto Gil (guitar, cavaquinho, banjo) and percussionist Marcos Suzano, for the first time. After try-outs in April and two British shows (London on 16 April and Liverpool on 17 April) Zuco and band (bassist Alex Oele, guitarist Valentijn Bannier and percussionist Claus Tofft) go on tour in the Netherlands. On 21 June, Zuco 103 plays the renowned l'Olympia in Paris and in July the band plays the 33rd edition of the North Sea Jazz festival. In the autumn Zuco 103 tours in the Netherlands with a guest appearance by Steye.

Sinas

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2009

The CD RETOUCHED! Features remixes of tracks from After The Carnaval mixed by Nobody Beats The Drum, Kraak & Smaak, DJ Patife (Brazil), Wagon Cookin' (Spain), Streamerpilot, Deformer, San Proper and Primal View. In October Zuco 103 signs a worldwide publishing deal with Chrysalis Songs Benelux, a joint venture between British Chrysalis Music and Dutch Cloud 9 Music.

Kraak & Smaak Nobody Beats The Drum

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Discography Zuco 103

In the discography you will find all recordings that have been released listed chronologically. We restrict ourselves to the title, the type of audio, year of publication or recording, label, list of guest musicians, plus any comments on the issue.

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Photos Zuco 103

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Video Zuco 103

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