Tiganá Santana

Origin

Salvador, BA

Years active

1996

Genres

mpb, brazilian popular music, world music

Instruments

guitar, violão-tambor, vocals

Biography

Tiganá Santana is a prominent Brazilian singer, songwriter, classical guitarist, poet, and university professor. Born in Salvador, Bahia, he began his musical journey by studying classical guitar at the age of fourteen and was already composing in various European and African languages by the time he reached sixteen. Demonstrating profound innovation, he even created a custom instrument known as the "violão-tambor," which features a unique chordophonic layout, tuning, and texture. His deep academic pursuits in philosophy and African linguistics—specifically studying the Kimbundu and Kikongo languages—heavily inform his poetic and musical creations.

In 2010, after moving to São Paulo, he released his debut album, Maçalê, featuring twelve original tracks. Over the years, his artistic reach expanded significantly through collaborations and recordings with notable figures in Brazilian music, including Virgínia Rodrigues, who recorded his compositions on her album Mama Kalunga. Tiganá Santana continues to bridge the worlds of academia and music, having completed both his doctorate in translation studies and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of São Paulo, while steadily building a rich discography that includes works like Tempo & Magma, Vida-Código, and Caçador Noturno.