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Jolanda was born in Switzerland, but her roots are in southern Italy.

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She attended a swiss-italian art and language high school (Liceo Artistico), where she took her first steps in music with the saxophone. Some time later the flute was added.

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She discovered her passion for Bossa Nova and for Brazilian culture during her studies of musicology and ethnomusicology at the University of Zurich. Afterwards she learned Portuguese and then studied Portuguese literature and linguistics.

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Being surrounded by a multicultural environment since her early childhood, she developed a special fascination for languages and for other cultures very early. Today she can communicate in a good 8 languages.

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During her studies Jolanda taught saxophone and flute at various youth music schools and led singing workshops for adults.

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At the same time, she intensively studied the Brazilian culture and music, especially the singing style and rhythms of Brazil and also got some inspirations on site.  Many performances with her duo at private events, in renowned clubs as well as in cultural centers followed.  She has gradually integrated Brazilian percussion (rebolo & pandeiro) into her projects, whose playing she has acquired in workshops, self-taught and in jam sessions with her friends.

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Jolanda also writes her own instrumental compositions and arrangements for various instruments and musical ensembles. She taught herself to play the acoustic guitar and likes to accompany herself when singing songs from the Bossa Nova, MPB and World Music repertoire. To deepen her musical knowledge she is currently learning to play the classical piano.

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Jolanda is also a photographer, in which works she integrates as well her poetry,  her drawings, her handcrafts and art performances, exposing principally in Switzerland and in France (more under the menu gallery and slow art).

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