Shi Ying is delighted to be the latest addition to Sambiesta!

Having 2 years of experience playing the Agogo bells and Chocalho in Samba Masala, she has been hooked to the funky grooves and infectious beats since day one.

Music has been a part of her life since young, from Yamaha piano lessons to playing the French Horn in the Dunman High School and Victoria Junior College Symphonic Band. Having loved percussion all along and seeking a different approach to music than bands / orchestras, samba music was just the thing for her.

Discovering samba music was probably the best thing that happened to her, and she loves it most when the audience gets hyped up and grooving to the music.

Arvin is a new member of Sambiesta and normally play either the 3rd or 4th surdo, a.k.a cortador ("cutter" in English) surdo. He's new to a Brazilian Bateria setup but not new to the world of percussion. He has been playing both tuned and untuned percussion from Secondary School, tertiary institution and in the SAF Bands as well. Arvin especially loves playing the drum kit and have been continuously playing it for almost 12 years now and have recently won the "Best Drummer" Award from the Yamaha Asian Beat Competition 2008 with his progressive funk/rock band.

Being in Sambiesta will not only expose him to more Brazilian samba-reggae rhythms but also expand his knowledge and skills in this wonderful style of playing, samba-enredo!

Siqing aka Sylvia has been involved in the music scene since she was young, being actively involved in the choral scene since her secondary school days. She has taken part in various overseas choir competitions in her secondary and junior college days, winning quite a few awards, including a gold at the choral olympics. She holds a grade 7 in piano, but she doesnt know how to play a piano! pretty ironic.

On her first day at SMU, Siqing was completely blown away by the energetic and lively performance of her seniors at Samba Masala during convocation. When she saw that, she knew that SHE HAS to be a part of the team.

Siqing has not regretted my choice since then and has been 4 years since she stepped into this samba industry. She is now a player of the Bells (Auxillary) Section. She thoroughly enjoy the public performances with Sambiesta, grooving to the beats and more importantly, playing with a cool bunch of friends. Siqing is known in the band to have “wonderful” dance moves and “bubbly” smiles and "unique" laughter.

During her free time, she loves going to the gym, run and explore new hangouts with her friends!

Suniartie, or more fondly known as Uni, developed a love for the performing arts at a young age being involved in dance, drama and playing the piano. She was introduced to the Afro-Brazilian music genre while in SMU. Enthralled by the music that gets people moving, she joined Samba Masala and subsequently Sambiesta. She is in the auxiliary section playing the Agogo bells, which are small enough to allow her to groove to the beats. Uni especially loves it when she sees the audience up on their feet, visibly enjoying the rhythms. Having graduated and currently working in Organisation Development in the offshore/marine industry, she continues to play with her band of friends in her free time for love of the music.

Talk less, do more.
Work hard, play harder.
Keep grinning, keep smiling.
Frown lesser, laugh louder.
Don’t worry, everything is under control.
Hahaha… Grin.

Finish work fast, live life slow.
Sing off key; don’t take yourself too seriously,
No black or white, everything is grey,
Chill, relax, live longer that way,

Polar opposites, a weird dichotomy.
Mildly confused, slightly insane,
Evenly at odds,
Win, lose or draw, just play the game.

Dabbler, experimenter, a jack of all trades,
Good at most things, hopefully excellent at some….

Cook, draw, paint, doodle.
Spaghetti, roast beef and Maggie noodles
Cycle, blade, canoe, shoot, soccer, tennis, swim
Whatever the activity, just do not sing.

Joining Samba Masala in her first year in SMU was no doubt the best decision Vanessa has made in her university life. The minute she picked up the drum sticks during the tryout session and joined in the groove, she knew she was hooked on it. Very thankful to be able to continue pursuing her passion in Sambiesta, Vanessa loves just how infectious Samba music is and is delighted that she is able to share the funky beats with an extensive audience. She is constantly inspired by her instructors’ – Budi, Hardy and Sharan from Wicked Aura – ingenuity and passion for Samba.

Before discovering Samba, Vanessa has been classically trained since the age of five when she started learning the piano and has gone a long way since then, moving on to teaching part time since 2005. Her other involvement in music included a two-year stint in the choir as a Soprano singer and sectional leader during her junior college years. Who says one can’t have the passion for and excel in two different ends of the music spectrum?

What keeps Swee Hock happy is hanging out with a cool bunch of people and playing music. The upswing beats of Samba rhythm and the versatility of Sambiesta’s fusion music are also what appealed to Swee Hock. So obviously, these are what keeps Swee Hock so passionate about Samba music and playing Samba with his favourite band, Sambiesta.

He started with no previous musical experience in Samba music but went ahead with practices and classes. And now, after 3 years of training, he has become an well trained Tambourin player.

As long as there is “Samba”, the world will become a happier place.

A Chinese drummer in her teenage years, Jia Kai was first introduced to Afro-Brazilian rhythms when she was roped into the annual SMU convocation production as a member of Samba Masala in the Year 2005. Since then, she has become a convert. Her love for the art was heightened during a musical exchange with BatUCLdA in summer 2007. Inspired by the passion of her American peers, she wished she could play on forever. So now with the formation of Sambiesta, she is glad that despite graduation, she can continue grooving with her favourite friends for many years to come. Currently, she is a happy Caixa player who enjoys being constantly challenged in terms of her technical skills and etc.