¡Hola!
FiloSofía is an international salsa band based in Zagreb and Ljubljana. Their music is being played in North and South America, Asia and Europe on radio stations and dance floors all around the world. FiloSofía is especially appreciated at the very cradle of salsa - Colombia, and New York.
Upcoming Concerts
25.05.2024 @ HR Sveta Nedelja - City Day, Kipišće Lake
06.07.2024 @ HR Rude - Greblica Festival
19.07.2024 @ HR Vodice - Jazz & Blues Festival Vodice
26.07.2024 @ IT Trieste - Trieste Estate, Piazza Verdi
About
Darko Sedak-Benčić, who is the creative director of the band and a concertmaster of the Slovenian Radiotelevision Big Band Orchestra, has a degree in composition and trumpet performance. Another distinguished member of the band is Miron Hauser, the conductor of the Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra, who holds a degree in trombone performance. Miron’s passion for Latin American music is reflected in his vast knowledge on the subject matter. And then there is Sofija Široka, the lead vocalist of the band, who holds a degree in Spanish and Hispanic literature. Being an established lyricist, she is the author of most of the lyrics. The extraordinary Lázaro Amed Hierrezuelo, originally from Cuba, is an astonishingly talented artist – apart from being a violinist, singer and percussionist, he is also a charismatic performer and a songwriter. When these authors joined forces with some of the best salsa connoisseurs in the Central Europe, the result was a unique international band.
Our Music
The band released their first album Nuestra Historia in 2019 and immediately gained recognition from fans and critiques around the globe. Following the success of the debute album, they released two singles, El Teatro del Absurdo in 2020 and Adiós Saturno in 2021. In 2022 they finished recording and producing the second album Ba-Clave.
Their music features songs belonging to different genres, including salsa, chachachá, danzón, danzonet, guajira, pachanga, bomba, bolero, and a fusion of the Balkan and Cuban music. The songs performed by FiloSofía portray the everyday life of the modern man, offering a glimpse into the reality we all face every single day. While respecting the tradition of African-Caribbean music, FiloSofía enriches the salsa music it performs by incorporating innovative ideas of its young creative forces.
Videos
Performances
In 2020 FiloSofía collaborated with the Croatian Radiotelevison Jazz Orchestra and showcased their best work from the two albums. The concert was broadcasted on the national televison and is available on YouTube.
From 2019 until this date they performed at all the major festivals in Croatia and Slovenia, such as Jazz is Back BP, Jazz Camp Kranj, Rab jazz festival and many more.
In 2021. they collaborated with the Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra again at the Jazz.hr Fall festival and they promoted their second album Ba-Clave that is yet to be released in 2022 at the Jazz.hr spring festival.
There are many features that make this band unique, but one of its most interesting aspects is the incredible dance talent of the lead and back-up vocalists, who make each performance FiloSofía gives not only a musical delight, but also a visually enchanting experience.
"I recently had the opportunity to listen to FiloSofía’s music and was pleasantly surprised at how excellent and accomplished this musical group from this part of the world sounded. They seamlessly blended their Balkan music with the Afro-Caribbean music to make it sound fresh and innovative. The authors did an excellent job with the compositions and the arrangements. I like the creativity in the melodies as well as their solos. I look forward to hearing more from them soon."
- Oscar Hernández, 4x Grammy winning musician
The Band
Sofía Široka - lyricist, vocal, dancer
Darko Sedak-Benčić - artistic director, composer, arranger, trumpets and flugelhorn, back vocals
Marko Šolman - trumpet, flugelhorn
Miron Hauser - composer, arranger, trombone, back vocals
Domen Gantar - trombone
Lázaro Amed Hierrezuelo - congas, maracas, vocal, back vocals, lyricist
Aljoša Jerić - timbales
Manuel Lupen - güiro, bongos, back vocals
Erik Marenče - piano, analog synth, talk-box
Aleš Avbelj - electric bass, double bass
Vid Begić - back vocals, dancer, accordion / Goran Marić - back vocals, dancer
Goran Klisurić - sound engineer