Meet the Sarahbanda, the Cuban band with a difference!

Formed as part of the popular Mozart y Mambo project by Sarah Willis of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Sarahbanda explores the captivating Cuban dance rhythms in a way never heard before. How? By featuring an instrument not typically included in traditional Cuban band music – the French horn. The sound of Sarah´s horn combined with Cuban grooves played by some of Cuba´s most talented musicians creates an exciting and passionate group unlike any other.

With their exclusive new arrangements of some of Cuba’s best known songs such as Chan Chan and Sandunguera, original compositions by members of the band, and some classical-meets-Cuba surprises, the Sarahbanda brings a whole new sound —fresh, innovative, irresistible and one you simply have to get up and dance to!

The Sarahbanda was proud to present their new album `Cuban Christmas´ for Deutsche Grammophon – released on October 3rd, 2025 and everyone was be dancing to it this Christmas!

Their debut album `Sarahbanda´ was  released worldwide on Alpha Classics on September 6th, 2024. Stream it here or order the CD here – or both!

 

The idea for the Sarahbanda came out of my Mozart y Mambo project with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, a three-album fusion of the music of W.A. Mozart with Cuban rhythms.

With the Mozart y Mambo albums, as well as recording all of Mozart’s horn concertos (with a Cuban twist!), we also included a few pieces which experimented with the French horn joining the traditional Cuban band mix of saxophone and rhythm section.

Being part of a Cuban dance band with my French horn was something I found I absolutely adored. I’ve been a passionate salsa dancer for years and love the atmosphere of the dance clubs. My Mozart y Mambo experience made me want to play more Cuban music and take the horn/salsa band combo to the next level – despite the horn traditionally having no place in any such band, not just in Cuba. So I asked some of Cuba’s most talented popular musicians to join me in a new band and thus, the Sarahbanda was born.

We proudly presented our first album Sarahbanda in 2024. On it, we explore the myriad of popular Cuban dance rhythms, adding the French horn into the mix. We pay homage to some of Cuba´s most famous songs, including Chan Chan, Sandungera and Contigo en la Distancia in stunning new arrangements by Jorge Aragón and Edgar Olivero. The two original pieces, Guajira Sencilla by Yuniet Lombida and Nostalgias by Aylín Pino, show how much love and respect the composers have for traditional Cuban music. And of course we have added a couple of `classical meets Cuban´ surprises too…!

We recorded this album in three days of fabulous acoustic sessions in the Traumton Studios in Berlin. It was the middle of winter and, although the temperature outside was many degrees colder than the Sarahbanda musicians were used to, they brought such warmth to the studio with their hot Cuban rhythms. We danced, we sang, we laughed, we improvised and I don´t think I have ever enjoyed a recording more.

`Cuban Christmas´ followed in October 2025 for Deutsche Grammophon and we are already planning our next album so do watch this space.

I would like to say a huge thank you to the musicians of the Sarahbanda for helping me to follow this crazy dream of a French horn player being part of a Cuban band and also for being great inspirations and great friends. They are simply some of the best musicians I have ever had the privilege to work with.

Sarah Willis