Press

“A classy set”
The Guardian

“Magnificent!”
The Independent

“There is no way you cannot dance to Orkestra del Sol” – The Herald

“sun-soaked blend of brilliant bonkersness”  – The Herald

“The genius of the Orkestra is the way they hide serious musicianship inside tongue-in-cheek humour. It’s a winning combination”
The Scotsman

“utterly captivating” – Songlines

“There is at times, a faintly disquieting sense of inexorably advancing, brass-bound lunacy” – The Scotsman

“a mighty kick, a grunt of satisfaction and a healthy dose of humour” 
****The Herald

“anything as unashamedly fun as this should go a long way” 
The List

“the quiet humour and gentle wit of a band enjoying themselves and an audience enjoying them” 
* * * * * Lothian Life

Go HERE for downloadable hi-res images, press releases, band biogs, tech specs…

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Honkstep In The Herald

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Reviews of Lung Capacity:

 

Songlines

Orkestra del Sol – Lung Capacity ****
“Lung Capacity is a storming, relentless set that reproduces all the fire and energy of their full-blooded live excursions…This is a record that’s a formidable calling card”

Jazzwise

Orkestra del Sol – Lung Capacity ***
“…getting the incendiary live sound of Edinburgh nine piece Orkestra del Sol on to CD…Lung Capacity is a testament to their capacity for writing big-hearted, big-sounding numbers…”

The List

Orkestra del Sol – Lung Capacity ****
“Anyone who’s heard the previous two albums by this Edinburgh based nine piece will be well prepared for what’s in store on this installment…”

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Live Reviews

 

The Herald 11th August 2014

(Edinburgh Fringe: Queens Hall. Review: Miranda Heggie)

There is no way you cannot dance to Orkestra del Sol. Their sun-soaked blend of brilliant bonkersness leads you like a child to the pied piper to something seriously good fun. With their funked-up jazz tones to crazy klezmer style beats, their unique blend of global rhythms gets even the most staid of audience members up on their feet and boogying down to a blend of who know’s what! A hugely skilled collection of musicians, this band of players displayed their musical dexterity with highly complex soprano saxophone solos juxtaposed with bold, brazen harmonies in the lower brass, underpinned by their now legendary sousaphone. With the band’s name clearly stencilled on the rim of its horn, this instrument could easily be mistaken for solely taking pride of place. Not so, however, as nothing could for a second mask the fact that this group of players are all incredibly skilled instrumentalists. Their expertise amounts to no bounds as each instrument on stage has its moment, from nimble accordion solos to zesty trumpet tunes. Playing with catchy syncopation and a cheeky sense of humour, Orkestra del Sol are bound to make you move your feet. (Read on Herald website)

 

Broadway Baby 12th August 2013
(Five Stars)

(Edinburgh Fringe: Queens Hall. Review: Clara Packett)

Orkestra del Sol are a nine piece brass band with a difference. The most energetic performance, and possibly the most mad, that I have seen at the fringe, they will leave you exhausted from all the dancing, theatre and amazing musical talent which they pack out Queen’s Hall with. Sometimes sounding like street music, but also including tangos, waltzes, a calypso and a super-fast polka, every one of their songs ends in rapturous applause and rightly so. If you want to have a good time, they are an absolute must-see.

Their entrance is grand, great showmanship is present from the very beginning. Announcing their show as the ‘Return of the Comeback’ in a crazy and eccentric video complete with dissonant harmonies and a jazzy feel, it is clear that they are going to every effort to make their instruments come alive. I really did not expect a violin to be summoned through the air however and I have great respect for the man who managed to dance and jump around with a sousaphone for the entire gig. There was an on-stage burglar running around and occasionally stealing instruments and a pause for the ‘News Headlines’ – information on band members provided mainly by the ‘local trumpet correspondent’. The best performer still has to be the sousaphonist, however, and watching him have a mock battle with the violinist is a definite highlight for me.

Musically, Orkestra del Sol are also exceptional. Some players are stronger than others, and the saxophonist definitely shines above some sometimes scrappy harmonics from the violin, but they are still all brilliant performers. Impressively, a number of them are able to switch instruments, and they keep a party atmosphere and tempo going for the entire tonight. Though they make their way through so many different genres, they make everything sound like their own. The audience demand an encore and are delighted with an extra half an hour, dancing until the very end. Bizarre but truly amazing, this is surely what the Fringe is all about. (Read on Broadway baby website.)

 

The Scotsman 12th May 2010

“Having 45,000 personalised playing cards printed isn’t usually part of a brass band’s – any band’s for that matter – pre-tour preparations. Are the nine members of Orkestra del Sol feeding a pathological gambling habit?”

The Herald, 20th May 2008

“Look out over the audience leaping around ecstatically, arms aloft under the spotlight, and you might easily mistake this for a throbbing rave rather than what is essntially a brass band playing street music”

The Scotsman 20th May ’08

“The dynamic Orkestra del Sol showed just how brilliantly they have caught the zeitgeist…Their mix of music making and on-stage theatricality is irresistible.”

The Scotsman, 20th August 07

“a high energy ten piece with split second timing…this exuberantly brassy circus had the audience clapping, then dancing, virtually from their first thump and blare”

The Herald, 10th August 07

“offering a mighty kick, a grunt of satisfaction, and a healthy dose of humour…a set that rages with enthusiasm, demonically skilful arrangements, and revels in a roguish sense of theatre”