Sergio Krakowski is a tambourine player from Rio de Janeiro who redefines expectations about his instrument. Transforming the tambourine into a surdo, tambourine and electronic drums, he creates a unique poetic style, exploring polyrhythms and counterpoints. In the early 2000s, he participated in the rebirth of the Lapa neighborhood, founding the group Tira Poeira, which appeared on several TV programs, such as Jô Soares, Altas Horas and Som Brasil. During this time, Sergio shared the stage with big names such as Chico César, Lenine and Maria Bethânia. The singer from Bahia even invited them to arrange the song São Jorge, released on her album Brasileirinho, and to participate in the shows on this tour, cementing the group's notoriety.
At the same time, Sergio continued his studies in Mathematics, which culminated in a PhD in Computer Music from IMPA, where he developed software that allows the tambourine to control video projections and sound effects, and which led him to spend a year in Paris to work at Sony's Computer Music Laboratory. During his stay in Europe, Sergio produced his first album, Carrossel de Pássaros (2012), recorded in Brazil, France, Italy and Portugal, which features the participation of artists such as Yamandú Costa and Marcos Suzano.
From then on, Sergio Krakowski decided to base himself in New York, where he developed an extensive international career, interacting with great names in Jazz, such as: Anat Cohen, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Kevin Hays, David Biney, Lionel Loueke, Cyro Baptista and Edmar Castañera. During this time, Sérgio performed at renowned venues such as Lincoln Center, Jazz Standards, Birdland, Guggenheim Museum NYC, Palau de la Música (Barcelona), New Morning (Paris) and several other venues.It was during this time that Sérgio founded his trio, with whom he produced and recorded his second album, Pássaros: A Fundação da Ilha (2016).
It was also there that the trio recorded the album Mascarada (2024), a tribute to Zé Keti that offers a contemporary reinterpretation of the work of this great master, and which features the presence and co-signature of Jards Macalé. The album, released by the Rocinante label, was very well received by critics and won an award as one of the best national albums of 2024 from APCA (São Paulo Association of Art Critics).
During his stay in New York, Sergio conceived and produced his solo project, where he uses the tambourine combined with electronics and voice, and synthesizes more than 20 years of compositional work. Conceived during several artistic residencies in jazz clubs in New York, the project took off, received an award from the State of New York to be presented at the Museum of Moving Image as part of the Electronic Arts Festival and was presented at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. After this long process of conception, the project was recorded on the album Boca do Tempo, which will be released by Rocinante in 2025.