Show Details

SPIRIT

SPIRIT is a group of Melbourne based musicians whose backgrounds are as diverse as their repertoire of material. Coming from all parts of the globe, they share a common endeavour to deliver performances with passion, grace, sensitivity and fire. And most importantly, strive to capture the Spirit of the music. The band currently performs a concept show based on the music of the legendary band Santana. SPIRIT meticulously performs the popular Santana hits, reimagined arrangements of classic tunes, and deep cuts that audiences will also appreciate. While the catalogue of Santana material spans over five decades, equally important is the consistent theme of peace, love and compassion inherent in the music, values that are also fundamental to SPIRIT.

MUSICIANS

Alex Buick - guitar

Melbourne based guitarist who has a lifelong passion and interest in music. His style has been influenced by a diverse range of genres, including jazz, soul, funk, rock, latin and brazilian sounds. He has composed and produced original material and performed in Melbourne and regional Victoria for over the past 15 years. His involvement with several bands has led him to regular performances at venues such as Birds Basement, Eltham Jazz Festival, Satellite Club, Oakleigh Lounge.

Rod Bustos - bass, vocals

Learning classical guitar at 8 years old then moving onto bass guitar at 10 years old i had a heavy musical influence from my Dad who started one of the first Latin Bands in Vic back in the mid 70s. My musical diet was Latin Music in general, Santana, The Beatles, Queen, David Bowie, Toto etc... I was Musical Director for a Santana cover band in my early teens during the early to mid 90s which during that time i dived into being a session player full time. Over the years i’ve had the pleasure of playing with many Australian artists such as Daryl Braithwaite, Wendy Matthews, Kate Ceberano, Andrew DeSilva, Steve Kilbey(The Church) & Aussie Band 1927 just to name a few... and am currently still Musical Director/ Bass guitar for Vanessa Amorosi(Since 1997) & Bass guitar for Belinda Carlisle’s(The Go-Gos) Australasian Band whenever she tours the Southern Hemisphere(since 2012 and counting).

Michael Carmona - percussion, vocals

Michael Carmona has been performing almost his entire life. He first took to the stage at just four years old, playing with a Santana cover band at Melbourne's festivals, and by eleven he had turned professional. Shaped by the likes of Michael Jackson, Ruben Blades and Sheila E, he developed a sound of his own over a career now spanning nearly four decades. He has performed across Australia and overseas alongside artists including Ricky Martin, Gloria Gaynor, Errol Brown, Ross Wilson and Anthony Callea, and appeared on over 20 episodes of Channel 10's Good Morning Australia. His recordings include Dead Letter Office (Film) and the Ultimate Drummers Day 2003 & 2004 DVDs, alongside drummer legends Dom Famularo, Chad Smith and Gregg Bissonette. Today, Michael brings decades of stage and studio experience to SPIRIT, celebrating the music of Santana that first inspired him.

Ryan Menezes - drums

As a prominent and versatile musician, Ryan Menezes has been called upon to both perform live and record a variety of music over his career thus far. He is most known for performing in Improvisatory Jazz contexts as well as World Music (particularly music from the Americas, Balkans, and South-East Asia), and is equally sought after for his expertise in R&B and hip-hop settings. He is regularly invited to perform at major Jazz festivals and venues around Australia and overseas, most recently with the multi-award winning Cuban artist and composer Elio Villafranca. He has shared the stage and studio with artists as varied as the late Dave Valentine, Richard Bona, Lior, Frank Gambale, and Daniel Metiweather, to name a few. His first exposure to the music of Santana came via his father at the age of 12. Listening and playing along to hits like Black Magic Woman, Samba Pa Ti and Evil Ways.

Salvador Persico - percussion

Salvador Persico is an Australian percussionist, performer, educator and composer. He is heavily influenced by Afro-Cuban and Latin American folk/popular music, Latin Jazz, 70's Salsa and Reggae - Afro Cuban Percussion has been particularly a big part of Salvador's musical repertoire. He completed a Bachelor of Music Performance in Improvisation in 2004, at the Victorian College of the Arts, where he teaches percussion ensembles and conducts workshops. Persico has been touring nationally since the age of 18 and internationally for the past decade. He also performs frequently within Melbourne's latin music scene. Some of Salvador's performance highlights include sold-out shows touring Australia with Blue King Brown and the 2005 AFL Grand Final supporting Delta Goodrem, Michael Buble, Silvi Paladino and Dame Edna.

Elian Sellanes - keys, vocals

Has worked professionally in the music industry since 1996, after completing his music studies at the Music Conservatory of Mendoza, Argentina, although he has been performing on stage and teaching music since age 11. For 20 years he has been composing, writing, and arranging music for his own body of work and for different artists in different styles and genres. Latin, Pop and World Music are his particular strengths. Elian has been performing with different projects and bands since 1994. This musical journey has led him to share stages in different parts of the world, from Niagara, Toronto, New York, Miami, many countries in South America to cities like Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne

Germán Silva - lead vocals, percussion

Germán Silva, songwriter and artist born in Chile, has established his music career in Australia for over 20 years. Germán has had his share of success as a recognised Latin artist, within the Australian music industry. Germán sings, writes, produces and records his own music. Having performed and recorded part of the international anthem for World Youth Day 2008, it gave him the opportunity to showcase his voice in front of Pope Benedict and 500,000 people in Sydney. Germán represented the voice of the Spanish speakers from around the world in a major event, with an estimated worldwide TV audience of 1.5 billion people. During his career, Germán has worked and shared the stage with highly acclaimed international artists such as Ricky Martin and well known Australian artist Guy Sebastian.

Book Tickets

Price Range:
From $45 + booking fee.

Early Doors Open: 6:00 pm
Early Show Starts: 7:30 pm

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