Gringa

Gringa is an all-female band based in San Francisco, CA, that blends Brazilian, Latin, funk, rock and reggae grooves with sophisticated harmonies and memorable songwriting, seducing listeners into a tropical vacation on the dancefloor while dissolving stereotypes and cultural barriers. Gringa surprises audiences with their own brand of playful and thought-provoking original songs in English and Portuguese, as well as unique, genre-bending covers of a range of classics. Their live shows keep audiences enthralled through the solid gel of the rhythm section, the shuffling of percussion instruments, dense vocal harmonies, scorching sax solos, fun arrangements, and occasional special guests. By weaving Brazilian and Caribbean rhythms through nomadic love songs and millenial musings, Gringa forges a borderless sound that excites crowds and opens minds.

Originally a recording project by Canadian-born engineer/songwriter/guitarist Maya Finlay, the name Gringa - which, in Brazil, refers to any non-Brazilian woman - seemed the most appropriate way to describe music that is heavily influenced by Brazil but blended with other global influences in the eclectic city of San Francisco.  The band came to life through Maya's collaboration with previous bandmate and sax player/songwriter Kate Pittard, and in 2015 it became its current 5-piece lineup including drums (Luna Fuentes-Vaccaro), bass (Jenelle Roccaforte) and percussion (Diana Di Battista). Gringa has played many noteworthy venues in the San Francisco Bay Area, including one of the main stages at Carnaval SF 2015, and are committed to helping local, national, and international causes, as demonstrated through their participation at various fundraising events. After releasing their first single, “I’ma Build a Home”, in November 2015, Gringa started work on a self-produced EP that’ll be sure to turn heads in 2016.