Reviews

“Germany‘s number one Bossa nova singer.” – Welt am Sonntag

The album BEIRA “sounds even more relaxed than its predecessor and holds the charm of lastingly unnerving melancholia. Sophie relates to jazz in a remarkably flexible manner, lending many of her songs not only a lyrical, but also a sensual and intellectual note.” – Süddeutsche Zeitung

“The sun, finally! With these great songs – who needs to travel to Rio de Janeiro?” – Petra

BEIRA is an “enchanting journey to Rio‘s sugarloaf mountain, where even Françoise Hardy and the Beatles meet. The band‘s whole trip into Brazilian music is wonderful and really worth listening to. With her sweetly sensuous and relaxed voice Sophie Wegener knowingly seduces in English, French and particularly in Portuguese.” – Jazzthing

Bio

Born to a French mother and a German father, Sophie Wegener grew up in a bilingual household and had music lessons at an early age. She received a liberal arts education attending university in the US, France, England and Germany. Later, Sophie studied jazz privately with Sheila Jordan, Luciana Souza, Judy Niemack and jazz legend Barry Harris and at numerous late-night jam sessions in New York City. Sophie started out as a jazz singer but fell in love with the Bossa nova and Brazil and founded Zona Sul in 1999.

With them, she released three albums to date: “Pure love – um amor tão puro”, “Beira” and “Tem mais samba.” She sings in English, French and Portuguese. The press called her “Germany‘s number one Bossa nova singer.“ (Die Welt)

She currently performs with various musicians in duo, trio and quartet formations, singing in English, French and Portuguese.

See upcoming →shows for the next live performances and click here for → photos.

More about ZONA SUL: The band is dedicated to playing Bossa nova, the music “invented” in the late 1950s by Brazilians João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Inspired by the legendary Zimbo Trio and singer Elis Regina, ZONA SUL stays true to the Brazilian tradition, while having developed an original style by opening up their repertoire to French chansons and pop songs that have been arranged with a distinctly Brazilian flavor.

In 2003 the band recorded their critically acclaimed first CD: PURE LOVE – um amor tão puro. With “Dans mon île“ by Henri Salvador they made it onto the compilation “The finest in female vocal jazz“ alongside Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and Sade. The song was also played nationwide in Germany on Klassik Radio.

Upon its release in Germany in May 2006, ZONA SUL’s second album BEIRA made it to the top 20 in the German jazz charts. ZONA SUL’s music has received airplay on various radio stations in Europe and the band has given TV performances on German television.

In October 2013, their third CD, TEM MAIS SAMBA, was released.

Discography