SanduBantas

SEEKING

Band to Join, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Saxophone, Piano, Upright bass.

ABOUT

My name is Sandu Bantas and I am a jazz and pop singer, songwriter and composer.

Originally from Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, I come from a family with more than four generations of musicians, the Valuta-Bantas dynasty. I grew up in a diverse musical environment, such as academic music, jazz and traditional folk music.

I graduated jazz and pop composition faculty from George Enescu National University of Arts from Iasi, Romania.

As a jazz singer, I sang in different duos/trios, as long as with my Sandu Bantas Quartet, on Romanian stages. I participated in concerts with Ion Baciu Jr., Puiu Pascu, Alex Man, Sorin Zlat, Teodor Amarandei, Dan Bruma (MD) and Mark Oselski (MD). In 2018 I had the happy opportunity to sing with the Budapest Jazz Orchestra at the International Student Jazz Festival Gala in Targu Mures, Romania.

As a pop artist beside moving to Birmingham I was a recording artist at Newtown Music Studio in Iasi. Also I sang in many pop-rock cover bands in this region.

I also was a soloist and composer of the Aletheia Choir from Iasi, was the arranger piano and vocal member of KARMS a cappella group and collaborated as a soloist with Moldovan National Youth Orchestra from Chisinau in their symphonic pop projects.

For two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, I was a double grant winner of the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation.

I am the holder of the Confirmation of the Year award at the 2018 Jazz Awards Gala of the Muzza Foundation in Bucharest, the Best Male Vocalist award at the 2017 edition of the International Youth Jazz Competition in Targu Mures, then the Jazz Technical Performance Award in the Jazz in the Park International Competition 2017, from Cluj.

In 2016, I won the Best Vocalist award at the Jazz Napocensis festival in Cluj, but also the Jury Award at the Sibiu Jazz Festival Competition.

Screen name:: SanduBantas
Member since:: Aug 15 2021; Active within 1 week
Level of commitment:: Moderately Committed
Years playing music:: 15
Gigs played:: Over 100
Tend to practice:: 1 time per week
Available to gig:: 2-3 nights a week

Influences

Jose James, Michael Buble, Jamie Cullum, Bobby McFerrin, Andreas Schaerer, Chilly Gonzales, Rufus Wainwright, Lianne La Havas, Lady Gaga, Luiza Zan, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Aretha Franklin.