The Costa Rican band Sonsax celebrates its 25th anniversary!

25 years of music

The Montreal International Jazz Festival describes Sonsax as "a worldwide saxophone quartet in every sense of the word". The musicians offer a wide and varied repertoire of different musical genres ranging from Latin American music to funk, jazz, classical and contemporary repertoire. They explore the possibilities of the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, combining them with the strong and colorful sounds of the percussion instruments, challenging the rules of chamber music. The group is one of the most influential saxophone ensembles in Latin America, but also performs extensively in North America and Europe.

To celebrate the 25^th anniversary of their ensemble - and their 25-year history with Selmer instruments - the four saxophonists of Sonsax gave themselves a Supreme alto saxophone. They were filmed by the Solmusa shop (San José) to capture the unboxing!

Sonsax musicians

 Professor and researcher at the School of Musical Arts of the University of Costa Rica, Harold Guillén Monge (alto saxophone) also teaches at the National Institute of Music. He has performed in the most important concert halls in the country, covering a wide range of musical styles, and has played with many orchestras and groups as a soloist, including the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. He is a founding member of ALASAX.

Professor at the University of Costa Rica and the National Institute of Music, Pablo Sandí (baritone saxophone) works in both Latin popular music projects and in the classical field. He is an active participant in numerous recordings. He has been a member of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) since 2000 and has participated in numerous international congresses and festivals as a speaker and soloist.

Arturo Castro (tenor saxophone) performs in renowned classical music projects as well as popular music, including Latin, rock, reggae, electronic and jazz among others. He has been invited to perform as a soloist with several symphony orchestras in different Latin American countries (National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Cali Philharmonic Orchestra (Colombia), UNAM Symphony Band (Mexico...) and has participated in several international festivals and congresses.

Manrique Méndez (percussionist) is a professor of percussion at the University School of Music in Costa Rica and a member of the National Concert Orchestra of Alajuela. He graduated from the Baylo University School of Music in Waco (Texas) and was a member of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. He has participated in the North American Saxophone Meeting and the Biennial Conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in Chicago, Illinois.

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