about mambola

Mambola’s members are three siblings who grew up playing music together in the family’s basement apartment on Manhattan’s upper west side. The band’s lead singer, Liza Austria, went to Brazil to dance in 1998 and fell in love with the rhythmic pulse of samba and the gentle groove of bossa nova. She brought back the sounds of Brazil to her brothers, John (piano) and Ruben (guitar), themselves students of classic American jazz. They began to play together – first in family jam sessions, and then at parties, cocktail hours, and special receptions – and now at clubs, bars, and lounges. Fun, cool, romantic, whimsical, the band took the name Mambola, a Spanish Filipino word meaning: “to tell a tale.”

Blessed with a chemistry and harmony that only siblings share, Mambola is always a hit with audiences, whether playing an intimate coffeehouse in New York City, entertaining wedding guests, or touring the northeast. Interpreting classic standards in fresh ways, and experimenting with original compositions, Mambola offers a familiar yet fresh experience to those hungry for good music. Mambola’s three siblings are frequently joined on the bandstand by other New York City jazz musicians: saxophonist Rich Miller, bassist Tony O’blaney, and percussionist Joe Nero.