Bio SimoneSou

SIMONE SOU

Drums / Percussion 

Born in Sao Paulo (Brazil), 1970, Simone plays drums since 85. Hard Rock, funk, reggae and Brazilian Popular Music ( MPB) was just the starting point for her experiences into contemporary, traditional and world music.

Coming from a brazilian musical background and upbringing in Sao Paulo city, Simone developed her own drumming : a percussive way of playing the drums with an “urban” approach inspired in traditional brazilian music. From folk to modern, acoustic to electronic, her musical environment was auspicious on mixing styles looking for new territories of sounds and percussive expressions, to bring new elements to her performance and to create curious Percu-Object-Drum Set Ups.

“Travelling throughout Brazil from north to south I realized how my country is rich in Culture and has endless rhythms spreaded all over the territory and traveling around the world I came to a way of thinking music: it’s about life style, a state of spirit, human behavior, body language, soul expression, observing what is around you to understand, to learn and respect other cultures and exchange life experience”.

In the early 90’s Simone played with many local singers and bands in Sao Paulo and had her first recording session with Itamar Assumpcao – innovative singer/song writer from Sao Paulo and Orquideas do Brasil Band. By that time she met Chico Cesar, singer/composer that was just starting a band – with whom she would perform all over the world from 95 till nowadays joining him in most of his tours ( USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zeland ) playing in festivals such as Montreux Jazz, Womad, Jazz Heritage New Orleans to name a few. She also joined Chico in a french tour, 2005, with composer/piano player from Congo Ray Lema.

With some brazilian renowned artists she performed in many countries and festivals since 2000:

  • Itamar Assumpcao (singer/song writer/poet from Sao Paulo) : Brazil, 1993 till 2003
  • Paulo Miklos (singer/song writer/actor from Sao Paulo, member of rock band Titans) : Brazil, 2001
  • Zeca Baleiro (singer/song writer from Maranhao) : Brazil, Cape Verdi, Portugal and Belgium, 2002
  • Zelia Duncan (singer/song writer from Rio de Janeiro) : Brazil and Portugal, 2003
  • Badi Assad (singer/acoustic guitar player/song writer from Sao Paulo) : USA, 1999; Europe, 1998, 2014 )
  • Os Mutantes (psychedelic Brazilian rock band from the 60’s that got together back after 30 years): Europe, 2005, 2007; U.S.A 2007

Simone recorded in life concert’s DVDs:

  • Zelia Duncan – “Sortimento”– São Paulo 2002
  • Zeca Baleiro – “Pet Shop Mundo Cao”– São Paulo 2003
  • Chico César e Quinteto da Paraiba – “De uns tempos pra ca”– São Paulo 2005
  • Os Mutantes – “Live in Barbican” – London 2006
  • Carlinhos Antunes e Orquestra Mundana – São Paulo 2009
  • DJ Tudo – “Nos Quintais do Mundo Melhor” – São Paulo 2011
  • Chico Cesar – “Estado de Poesia” – Recife 2016

Simone directed the documentary “Cidadao Samba” about samba master Osvaldinho da Cuica, in collaboration with DGT Filmes ( Sao Paulo 2004/20018 )

Together with producer Alfredo Bello, Simone created the soundtrack of the movie “Eu receberia as piores noticias dos seus lindos labios” from director Beto Brant ( Sao Paulo – 2010 )

Simone recorded in Badi Assad’s latest album “Hatched”, 2015 – Soul Food Label

From 2000 on Simone worked in collaboration with international artists and projects:

  • Orquestra Scotland/Brasil – a 16 piece band – 8 brazilians and 8 scotisch musicians – tour in Brazil, Scoltland, Shetland Island, England organized by British Arts Council/Brazil – 2003
  • La Reunion Batucada Project, with drummer Robertinho Silva, samba percussionists from Rio de Janeiro and trombone player Raul de Souza in 20 days cultural musical exchange in La Reunion Island – 2004
  • Ethel String Quartet (NY) – TruckStop Project – in collaboration with Festival Mundial and Paradox Jazz Podium, Tilburg 2008
  • Yusa ( Cuban composer/singer/bass player) – tour in Europe – 2008
  • 6Spoons1Kitchen – dutch project with musicians from Holland, Egypt, Tunisia and Moldavia with a studio CD produced in Tilburg and concerts in Holland and Egypt – 2012
  • Talking Drums Stephan Rigert’s Project (Switzerland) with singer Gabriela Mendes ( Cape Verdi) and musicians from Senegal, Switzerland and Brazil, recording a live CD during the swiss tour in
  • Notting Hill Carnival London – together with dancer/producer Mariana Pinho and Mafua Group, Simone leaded the percussion session during carnival parade in London – 2013, 2014
  • Drums United – percussion world beat dutch band led by drummer Lucas van Merwijck, recording a studio CD and world tour in Holland, Germany, China and Thailand – 2014
  • Atanga Boom – afro-beat funky dutch band. Simone played in Holland in few festivals – 2015
  • Paulinho da Viola and Filarmonic Rotterdam Orquestra – concert in De Doelen – 2016

Simone produced her own CDs and some partnerships:

  • MEHINAKU – CAIAPO – Indigenous tribes from Xingu, with Dialeto multimedia group (2001/ 2003) – MCD World Music Label
  • PROJETO CRU – with brazilian producer Alfredo Bello / DJ Tudo and saxophone player Marcelo Monteiro (2005) – Mundo Melhor Label
  • BATUCAJE – with master drummer Robertinho Silva, Alfredo Bello and Jadna Zimmermann (2006) – Mundo Melhor Label
  • SIM ONE SOU – with Simone’s new band SOMOS (2011) Circus Label
  • SOUKAST – SOUNDS OF LIFE with piano player/composer Benjamin Taubkin and drummer/producer Guilherme Kastrup (2014) – Nucleo Contemporaneo, Adventure Music Label
  • Miriam Maria “Rama” – singer Miriam invited Simone as a producer ( 2015) – Por do Som Label
  • S.O.S BRAS BEAT – Simone latest cd recorded in Tilburg – Holland (2016) – Independent

Simone had recorded with other artists in Brazil and abroad:
Iara Renno, Anelis Assumpcao, DJ Tudo, Vange Milliet, Pericles Cavalcanti, Kleber Albuquerque, Sandra Coelers, Paul van Kemenade, Elza Soares, Ceumar, Cia Cabelo de Maria, to name a few.

Since 2009 Simone develops a duo with moldavian bayan (russian button accordeon) player/composer Oleg Fateev in a Balkan-Brazilian cross-over, performing as a Duo around Holland and Brazil.

In 2012 Simone moved to Holland, starting teaching percussion for batucada groups and doing workshops around Europe. Since 2015 Simone gives workshops during the summer World Music DrumCamp in Suffolk – England.

Simone recorded a DVD – SOMOS SOM – Musica Percussiva Brasileira (Brazilian Percussive Music) – a book/DVD method about brazilian rhythms co-produced with drummer/composer Fernando Lobo, recorded in Gramofone Studio in Curitiba ( state of Parana). Released during the Drum Camp in Sufolk – England in july 2017.

June 2017 – Simone played with her duo Soukast in Bimhuis – Amsterdam – During the project “Sounds of Brazil”

The world beat project N.E.W.S (percussion quartet) starts to tour from september on, in theaters around Holland.