Érica Sá

Érica Sá is a musician and percussionist with a solid and diverse background in music. She earned her master’s degree in Music from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in 2019, completed a specialization at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg in the class of Professor Emmanuel Séjourné, in France, in 2014, and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Percussion from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) in 2010.

Currently, she is a percussionist with the Afrosymphonic Orchestra and works as a percussion instructor at Neojiba, where she has been contributing to the musical development of young talents since 2019. From 2016 to 2019, she was part of the percussion section of the Espírito Santo State Symphony Orchestra, where she also performed as a soloist in 2017 and 2018. From 2003 to 2010, she was a member of the UFBA Percussion Group, with which she participated in the recording of a CD and DVD and, in 2007, embarked on a national tour across 75 cities as part of the Sonora Brasil – SESC project.

In 2010, she performed as a marimbist and vibraphonist in the concert Mães D’Água – Yèyé Omó Ejá, which brought together seven major Black female interpreters of Brazilian Popular Music on the stage of Teatro Castro Alves. With Duo Sá-Cramento, her instrumental music project alongside percussionist Aquim Sacramento, she has performed at various national music festivals, including REC-PE in Recife and FIMUCA in Camaçari.

Her teaching experience includes positions as a percussion and drum instructor at institutions such as the Federal University of Bahia, the Institute for the Blind of Bahia, and the Gabriel Camargo School of Music. She was also a professor of Symphonic Percussion for the Ponte para as Comunidades project at the Recôncavo Instrumental Festival in 2023 and at the third edition of the Itabaiana Music Festival in Sergipe in 2024. Additionally, she served as a guest professor at the Bahia Instrumental Music Festival and led workshops at several editions of the Festival Internacional de Percussão 2 de Julho.

As a guest percussionist, she has performed with numerous orchestras, including the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, the Bahia Symphony Orchestra, the UFBA Symphony Orchestra (where she performed as a soloist in 2022), the Camaçari Popular Symphony Orchestra, the Bahia Philharmonic Orchestra, the Salvador Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Sesi, the Espírito Santo Opera Orchestra, and the Neojiba Orchestra.

In the popular music scene, in addition to being a member of Timbaladies, a project created by Carlinhos Brown, she has performed alongside several prominent Bahian artists in various musical projects. These include Negra Cor, Jam Delas, Chita Fina, Botequim, Maíra Lins, Samba das Cumades, Três na Folia, Geleia Solar, Iúna Falcão, Aiace, Lilica Rocha, Monique Nascimento, Théo Charles, and others. In 2023, she was part of the house band for the Elas à Frente project, directed by Manuela Rodrigues, which showcased several female artists from the Bahian music scene, including Daniela Mercury, Sued Nunes, Aila Menezes, Slam das Minas, and Banda Didá.

She has recorded tracks, singles, and albums for a variety of artists, such as the Afrosymphonic Orchestra, Baiana System, Grupo Ofá, UFBA Percussion Group, Grupo Botequim, Lis Brasil, and others.

Beyond her performance career, she is also an academic researcher and has published works in conference proceedings. Notable works include “Solo Multiple Percussion in Popular Music: Arrangement of the Song Cordeiro de Nanã,” presented at the II Brazilian Percussion Congress in 2019 in Belo Horizonte, and “Incorporating Polyrhythms through the Practice of Afro-Brazilian Rhythms,” presented at the XXVIII ANPPOM Congress in 2018 in Manaus.

With a strong commitment to music education and the promotion of instrumental culture, Érica is always seeking new artistic expressions and collaborations. She is open to opportunities that allow her to share her knowledge and passion for music. She is an endorser of New Groove instruments.