Orlanda Guilande

Orlanda Guilande was born in 1974 in Lisbon, daughter of a Portuguese mother and a Mozambican father. Soon she moved to Santarém where she began singing in High School at the age of 16. Since then she never stopped, choosing music as her way of living. For a long time Orlanda was singing with several projects and toured around the country making gigs in venues and private concerts at higher society parties. She was often requested to do studio sessions, Tv shows back and lead singing, Publicity jingles and gave her talent to some of the most important Portuguese Artists around. In 1997 she participated in the TV show "Chuva de Estrelas" imitating MPEOPLE and was one of the finalist chosen. She integrated the "Chuva de Estrelas" 1997 CD with that year talent roster. In 98, after seeing her performance, the only Portuguese Acid Jazz project, at the time, "Blackout" invited her to be the new lead singer of the group and through this project she got the opportunity to sing, at an intercultural TV program between Portuguese and Brazilian artists, making a duet with the International Brazilian artist – Ed Motta – with whom she developed a special empathy. A highly rated national television channel broadcasted this incredible show. With "Blackout" Orlanda toured and performed in the most important stages in Portugal. In 1999 she assumes the lead vocals of some of the best projects in Portugal – Funky Messengers and the only Lusophone recording Gospel Choir- Shout! , With whom she toured around the country. The opinion within the portuguese musical community is generalised Orlanda Guilande is definitely one of the best female voices in Portugal. In 2000 by the hand of Theo Pas’cal, Sara Tavares’s Musical director at the time, she starts working with Sara Tavares as a singer and little percussion’s player, and tours in Luxembourg, Holland- "Dunya on Stage Festival" and Cape Verde, Mozambique-Maputo, Zimbabwe- International Festival HIFA in Harare, Germany- Europaishes Festival in Recklinghausen and International Africa Festival in Wuerzburg. Finally she performed in Rotterdam for the World Music Conference – WOMEX. This concert was considered by some of the media present as the best show in the conference. During this tour the critics and musicians like Lokua Kansa often acclaimed Orlanda, as an outstanding voice although she wasn’t the star of the project. In the beginning of 2002 Orlanda left Sara Tavares project and recorded albums for Funky Messengers, considered Record Talent of September 2002 by Major company FNAC Portugal, and Shout! Projects. Both record singles were included in Portuguese Tv Series soundtracks and several radio playlists. By the end of 2002 Orlanda was already on radio airplay with Shout! Christmas album performing in almost all Tv shows in Portugal. In 2003 She gets invited to work with DJ Jay Daniel, a known Portuguese Dj eradicated in London to produce a house track considered by the specialised London media - M8 - as one of the best and classier deep house tracks released in UK at the time. She also gets invited to sing a ballad duet with the singer of the mythic Portuguese Rock band UHF a song that was released has first single of the album "La Pop end Rock" in 2003. Then Orlanda starts working on her own composition for a solo project. In 2004 Orlanda made several solo concerts including some of her own original songs to be released in her debut album. One of those songs " Homem Musica/Music Man" was included in the Compilation Alarga tua vida - New Portuguese Music, released by the major record company EMI Portugal. Orlanda also team up with Mr.Tea, One of Mariza composers named Tiago Machado, to sing a new version of the Amália fado song " Barco Negro" for the compilation Amália-Revisited released by Different World Label. Amália "revisited" was distributed all over the world and was consider by critics to gather some of the most representative talents of the fresher Portuguese scene. Orlanda interpretation of Amalia made it to several playlists outside Portugal. And recorded the song "Restless Night" that was part of 3 different Brazilian Soap Opera and was released in the International Soundtrack record "Da cor do pecado", Soundtrack record "New Wave" and "Diário de Sofia" by major Label Som Livre. In 2005 was invited by Beto Medina, Ex-BlackOut, to sing 4 songs at his new solo album "Break up to Make up" released by Som Livre, was invited by Cape Verde sensation singer LURA to record some voices at her latest album " Di korpo ku Alma" that as worldwide distribution by Lusafrica and made appearance as guest singer in Theo Pas'cal second solo "Motive" singing several songs. Meanwhile she's been playing live with Theo Pas'cal and Cape Verdean Carmen Souza performing in Portugal and internationaly in Festivals like Womad Festival in Reading Uk. Her African figure can confuse us but she’s Portuguese and sings out the Portuguese speaking language mixed with all her world influences. She belongs to a Gold Portuguese generation that produced big talents and true essence artist, like Madredeus, Dulce Pontes, Cristina Branco, Sara Tavares, Mariza, That put Portugal in the map of the best Word Music ever done. Her voice is a true blessing from God. If we had to describe her in one phrase we would say that she has the passion and feeling of a Fado singer, the power of a Soul/Gospel singer, the improvisation of a Jazz singer and African Rhythms inside her soul. As a performer she has the life and professional experience to take us on a music journey throughout the world music and proportionate us a wonderful concert full of emotion.