The essence of life is being with people

Interview with Lucas Santana

Lucas Santana Grand Orquestra
Composing
Amsterdam Funk Orchestra
ZO Gospel Choir
Dutch culture

Saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist and composer Lucas Figueiredo Santana (São Paulo, 1993) has been living, studying and playing in the Netherlands for the last ten years. He has so many bands and projects going that it is difficult to grasp. He has impressed critics and audiences alike with his Grand Orquestra throughout 2025. At North Sea Jazz we saw him leading the Amsterdam Funk Orchestra on Friday, while the day after he was part of the powerful horn section of the ZO Gospel Choir. After we sat down with him on the last day of the festival, he led Cantorias through their perfectly swaying set of bossa nova and samba tunes. Welcome to the colourful world of Lucas Santana!

Lucas Santana Grand Orquestra

How much do the musicians need to know about this music’s origins?

‘Even if you’re from Suriname or elsewhere, it doesn’t mean you fully understand the music. Everyone in the band has a foundation in jazz or Latin music, and those frameworks already cover a lot of Brazilian rhythms and African influences. Still, I had to do my own research: I went to Brazil for two weeks, took lessons, played with teachers, recorded rhythms, then went home and composed based on what I learned. ‘Before the first rehearsal, I met with the percussionist and rhythm section to go over each groove, looping them for about ten minutes each. For the horn section, it was easier. They could read the music, and during the first rehearsal, we reached a consensus on how to interpret certain parts. I also explained the story behind the piece to them – it was crucial to my preparation.’

Composing

What did this process teach you about composing? Did it give you anything back?

‘Yes, this was the most challenging project I’ve ever worked on. Imagine attending African religious ceremonies – there’s singing and drumming, mostly basic structures without improvisation or chords, just layered rhythms and mantras. Transforming those rhythms and melodies into a concert, developing ideas, and creating space for improvisation was very hard.

‘The concert narrates the story of African-Brazilian religions, introducing each deity with their characteristics and stories – like one god, a warrior, or another who safeguards waterfalls and flowing waters. The challenge was in connecting these elements of life, nature, and music into a cohesive story. It was a real learning curve, a challenge that took hours of sleepless nights to complete.

‘It also deepened my understanding that storytelling in music isn’t necessarily linear; it needs to engage and reflect both the spiritual and emotional layers. You need a good grasp of imagery and emotion to create a vivid experience for the audience.’

And the ending – the reflection after the story – how was that designed?

‘We chose to end with a slow ballad, reflecting the final moments of a Candomblé ceremony – those moments of introspection after praise. Unlike other concerts that conclude with loud, energetic music, this one invites reflection, aligning with the spiritual aspect of the ceremony. It’s about maintaining focus and transporting the audience into that reflective space.’

You mentioned that it’s a balance of light and dark. Would you say that’s a good way to describe it?

‘It might be oversimplifying the matter. The key question I often ask myself when I play my horn is: “Who am I playing for?” If it’s my own project, I have more freedom to explore and express my story. But when I perform with bands like Cantorias or the Amsterdam Funk Orchestra, my role is different – I serve the music and meet audience expectations. Because people have preconceptions when they come to see a concert. They’ve paid for a ticket, woken up, showered, traveled, and expect certain sounds or styles. So, I focus on what the group can deliver. My own projects are an opportunity to explore what I want to express without those constraints.

Amsterdam Funk Orchestra

Speaking of the Amsterdam Funk Orchestra…

‘The Amsterdam Funk Orchestra started for me in September 2024. The orchestra has been around for 10 years, and Efraim Trujillo was its conductor during that time. Last year, he decided to pursue a different path, and I was chosen to lead the band. When I joined, they had already recorded an album and had the program ready. My role was mainly to come in and help them achieve their best possible performance.

‘The musicians in the band are outstanding. They’re not only talented but also have regular jobs during the day, driven by a passion for music. Sometimes I feel a bit embarrassed because when I step onto the stage or into rehearsal, there are about 22 people older than me expecting some kind of wisdom from me, even though I’m only 31 years old. Overall, I think my career is going pretty well. I’ve worked with some incredible artists, so I definitely have something to share. Every Tuesday, I go there to encourage and motivate them – to bring out their best so we can work together and deliver a great show. I believe the main task of the Amsterdam Funk Orchestra is to deliver a good party.

‘They recorded an album with Jared Grant – a tribute to James Brown – and the performances are fantastic. If you attend, you can’t stay still. Also, playing a Brazilian repertoire with Lilian Vieira feels very personal to me. I grew up singing many of those songs with my parents. The hardest part for me is being on stage without my horn; I have to dance, engage with the audience, and call them to sing along – that’s challenging for me. But I think the band is doing a great job, and we have ambitious plans for the future.’

ZO Gospel Choir

Then, the ZO Gospel Choir? Do you have a leading or arranging role there as well?

‘No, my role in the Gospel Choir is mainly to play saxophone and swing as hard as I can with the section. I love that. It’s very fulfilling because I was raised in a rich musical family. I grew up in a Catholic church, a Protestant church, at carnivals, funerals, and birthdays. Then I came to Amsterdam and played jazz, in big bands, orchestras, quartets, and duos.

“I enjoy not being attached to just one style.
I don’t even focus solely on my own projects because
I believe the beauty of what we do is meeting people and traveling.“

‘I enjoy not being attached to just one style. I don’t even focus solely on my own projects because I believe the beauty of what we do is meeting people and traveling. It’s a constant internal struggle between dedicating time to compose and producing new music, working on my own projects, and playing for others. For me, the essence of life is being with people. Playing with as many different groups as I can is the best way. Performing with the ZO Gospel Choir was very special – it felt like home. Some of those songs have Brazilian lyrics, which made it even more meaningful.’

‘It’s incredible to think about how many people fit in the Nile – maybe 10,000 – and how they’re all there on a Saturday afternoon, enjoying gospel music. That’s truly bringing music to the people. For me, playing in a gospel session, especially with the horn section, involves a deep connection to the tradition of Quincy Jones and the big band heritage. That experience has been a real journey.’

Dutch culture

You’ve been in the Netherlands for ten years. How has Dutch music culture influenced your creativity both as a musician and a composer? Can you trace those influences?

‘That’s a long answer, but I’ll try to summarize. There are both positive and negative aspects. The positive side is what I’ve learned here: many people think about a concept first and then build their musical identity around it. As a Brazilian, I also work with concepts, but they’re usually related to daily life. For example, songs in Bossa Nova or Samba often reflect the everyday experiences of people – Tom Jobim’s lyrics about Copacabana or Ipanema, or what you see when you look out your hotel window in Rio. It’s natural beauty and everyday life. In the Netherlands, I see musicians exploring topics that are more philosophical or sociological – quite different from the personal and everyday themes in Brazilian music. That has taught me to approach projects by choosing an interesting topic, finding a good link to music, and building a story around that.

‘On the downside, people tend to label you a lot here. If you’re Brazilian, you’re often seen as only a Brazilian; if you’re into jazz, you might be assumed not to play Latin or other styles, creating boxes that are hard to escape. That’s partly why I don’t only play my own style – I want flexibility, to move among different genres and approaches.

“If you have a clear concept or vision for your music, though, the Netherlands provides space for everything – Latin, Brazilian, jazz, avant-garde. It’s a place that offers opportunities for diverse musical exploration.“

‘If you have a clear concept or vision for your music, though, the Netherlands provides space for everything – Latin, Brazilian, jazz, avant-garde. It’s a place that offers opportunities for diverse musical exploration. For me, as this open-hearted musician, it’s very hard to follow one path. It’s like this game of push and pull; I try to work on my project for a while, and then work for other people for a while. This way, I also rest my mind a bit. I don’t know if people realize it’s very demanding to be creative, to start from scratch and make something out of that. So it’s good for me, for my mental health, to also work for other people. To just go there and do my job.’

Find out more about the mentioned bands:

• Website Lucas Santana: lucasfsantana.com
• Website Amsterdam Funk Orchestra: amsterdamfunkorchestra.nl
• Website Cantorias Music: cantoriasmusic.com

Text by Mark van Schaick
Photos Lucas Santana