SONSAX is a musical band with an unique style in our country. It is exclusively composed of saxophones with the support of percussion instruments. It can be considered a chamber band, but as a musical piece it is a new and ambitious proposal that breaks the canons of chamber music.

This band has been able to mix the sounds of four different saxophones which are distributed in correlation with the register of the human voices (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone) with a set of percussion made up of latin percussion elements, drums, and occasionally a keyboard instrument, such as the marimba and vibraphone.

SONSAX maximizes all the different qualities and possibilities of the saxophone. Due to its versatility, the saxophone allows to perform all different styles and rhythms that exist in the musical language, along with the strong and colorful sound of the percussion.

This band has gathered a large and varied repertoire of musical genres such as Latin American music, funk, jazz and classical among others. The music is created and arranged by the band members who adapt any kind of music to the band characteristics with a particular style.

In Costa Rica SONSAX has performed at the Eugene O´Neil Theater, the National Auditorium, the University of Costa Rica and the Castella Theater. Besides, it has participated in several festivals such as “First Caribbean Music Festival”, 1999; “Monteverde Music Festival”, 1995- 1999; “Master Arnoldo Herrera Festival”, 1998-1999; and “International Art Festival”, 1999. The band has also worked on promotional tours supporting institutions and private companies.

Abroad, the band has performed at the “National Meeting of the North American Saxophone Alliance”, Florida University, 1996; as well as at the “Biennial Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance”, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, 1998. Moreover, there have been different performances throughout Central America as in Guatemala and El Salvador, 1999.

SONSAX´s music is part of the compact discs “Costa Rica en Concierto”, “Monteverde Music Festival” and in a special edition of SINART. Besides, its performances have been recorded on video of several TV programs.

As a soloist band, SONSAX has been accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Also, it has gone on pedagogical tours to different schools in the country organized by the band itself.

SONSAX is composed of young musicians who started since children in the world of music. It has permitted the band to project a fresh image that calls the attention of the heterogeneous public along with the elegance that characterizes SONSAX sound.

Javier Valerio is a saxophone professor at Costa Rica University School of Music and a member of the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra. He has been a recitalist and soloist with orchestras and concerts bands throughout Central and South America. He studied with Eugene Rousseau at Indiana University after he graduated from Castella Conservatory, Costa Rica. He has participated in the "XVIII International Saxophone Symposium 95", George Mason University, Virginia; North American Saxophone Meeting, University of Florida and the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Chicago, Illinois.

Jan Thalman teaches for the Youth National Symphony of Costa Rica and the Juan Bansbasch-Yamaha Music Institute.

He graduated from the Castella Conservatory. In 1994, he was awarded with the "Gold Medal " as the best student of the Youth National Symphony Orchestra. Has been a member of the country´s leading Latin Jazz bands and an arranger for saxophone ensambles. He graduated from Costa Rica University School of Music. Heard in many television and radio commercials.

He has participated in the "XVIII International Saxophone Symposium 95", George Mason University, Virginia; North American Saxophone Meeting, University of Florida and the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Chicago, Illinois.

Ronny Ugalde graduated from the Castella Conservatory, where he now works as a professor. He has been a director and member of different Jazz-Rock bands of the country. He has participated in many music festivals in Costa Rica and other countries in the Central America area. Heard in many television and radio commercials.

Manrique Mendez is a percussion professor at Costa Rica University School of Music and a member of the National Concert Band of Alajuela. He graduated from Baylor University School Of Music, Waco, Texas. He participated in the Pacific Music Festival, Japan. He was a member of the Costa Rican National Orchestra Symphony. He has been in the North American Saxophone Meeting, University of Florida and the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, Chicago, Illinois.

Pablo Sandí graduated from the Castella Conservatory. He has been a very active performer with the countrie´s leading Latin-Caribbean bands. He is studying saxophone at Costa Rica University School of Music. Also, he is a member of the Heredia National Concert Band.

Nuestra agrupación, SONSAX, desea compartir su creación musical con los demás. Deseamos colaborar para que nuestra música sea un pretexto, una pausa para distraer el alma y una oportunidad para dar a conocer nuestra obra.

Quién es SONSAX ?

SONSAX es una agrupación musical única en su tipo en el país, ya que esta compuesta exclusivamente por saxofones con el apoyo de instrumentos de percusión. Este grupo ha logrado reunir en su repertorio una amplia gama de géneros musicales para poder suplir cualquier tipo de gusto. Desde el exigente jazz, pasando por la música folclórica de América, hasta el ritmo y la cadencia de nuestra música tropical popular. Sinembargo, el principal interés del grupo es la música jazz latina.

Durante los años de trayectoria, SONSAX ha madurado su estilo. En la actualidad, esta agrupación utiliza al máximo las posibilidades de sonidos del saxofón, un instrumento que por su versatilidad, permite interpretar todos los estilos y ritmos que existen en el lenguaje musical alrededor del mundo acompañado de la fuerza y colorido de la percusión latina.

En sus inicios los integrantes de la agrupación debieron afrontar un problema: era difícil conseguir composiciones para un cuarteto de saxofones, pero esa situación fue, por el contrario, un factor favorable ya que motivó a los miembros del grupo a componer sus propias piezas musicales y a adaptar la música popular a las características del grupo.

SONSAX ha logrado mezclar las sonoridades de cada uno de los saxofones (soprano, alto, tenor y barítono) junto a la percusión, infundiéndole un estilo latino propio del grupo.

En las tablas

Son varios los escenarios nacionales e internacionales que han dado albergue a esta agrupación. En Costa Rica han trabajado en tours promocionales con el apoyo de Instituciones y Compañías tales como: Banco Nacional de Costa Rica, 1993; Holtermann & Compañía, 1996; Republic Tobacco, 1999, FACO, 1999. Conciertos en lugares como: Teatro Eugene O´Neil, Auditorio Nacional, Universidad de Costa Rica, el Sistema Nacional de Radio y Televisión (SINART), Teatro Castella, “Primer Festival de Música caribe Sur”, 1999; “Festival Musical de Monte Verde” 1995-1999; “Festival Maestro Arnoldo Herrera” 1998-1999; “Festival Internacional de las Artes” 1999.

Fuera de nuestras fronteras se han presentado en el “National Meeting of the North American Saxophone Alliance”, en la Universidad de la Florida, 1996. Más tarde serían invitados a tocar en la “Biennial Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance”, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, 1998. También, tuvieron diferentes conciertos en Centro América como en Guatemala y El salvador, 1999.

Su música forma parte de algunos discos compactos: “Costa Rica en Concierto”, “Festival Musical de Monte Verde” y en una edición especial del SINART. Sus interpretaciones han quedado registradas en video en programas televisivos como “Con Toda Confianza”, “Atisbos” y “Caza talentos”.

Han sido como agrupación músicos solistas invitados de la Orquesta Sinfónica del Conservatorio de Castella. También, por iniciativa propia han llevado hasta las aulas de escuelas y colegios charlas didácticas sobre el aprendizaje de la música.

Sus Integrantes:

SONSAX esta compuesto por músicos jóvenes, que se han iniciado desde niños en el mundo de la música. Esto permite a la agrupación proyectar una imagen fresca y juvenil que llama la atención de una amplia gama de público junto con la elegancia que caracteriza cualquier lugar donde esté un saxofón presente.

SonSax joue aussi au Festival International de Jazz de Montréal le dimanche 9 juillet à 18H00 sur la Scène General Motors dans la Série des Gammes General Motors située à l'angle des rues Ste Catherine est et Jeanne-Mance.

SonSax will also be performing at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on Sunday july 9 at 18H00 on the "Scène General Moters" in the General Moters "Séries des Gammes" situated at the corner of Ste-Catherine est and Jeanne-Mance streets.