Samba Bamba, Chicago band known for its Latin rhythms and improvised antics, reunites for 30th anniversary

A local band drawing inspiration from Sergio Mendes and the B-52’s is returning from hiatus for a 30th anniversary show.

Samba Bamba, a retro crazy music group fronted by artist Richard Knight Jr., is returning for one night only Dec. 18 at Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln Ave. It’s the band’s first show in several years.

Returning for the show are Samba Bamba’s three core members, who each take on a crafted persona complete with a backstory, shticks and mannerisms that influence how the group members improvise and play off of each other during the show.

Knight portrays Monty “Sugarloaf” Mattachine, the band’s cartoonish frontman known for his irresistible sensuality, while vocalist Jen Zias portrays the commanding Lupe Lowenstein and Victor Salvo plays as Lindo McCartney, a colorful backing vocalist who doubles as Monty and Lupe’s personal valet.

Fans might already be familiar with Zias for her career as a jazz singer, solo performer and featured vocalist in various orchestras. Salvo is a longtime LGBTQ+ activist who founded the Legacy Project, which manages the rainbow pillars in Northalsted dedicated to LGBTQ+ historical figures.

“When we’re together on stage, anything can happen,” Knight said. “A lot of the show is improv, so you’ll see Lindo McCartney coming over to fix my penciled-on John Waters mustache or going to Lupe to fluff up her dress and dance together.”

Opening for Samba Bamba will be Grace Carlin, a rising singer-songwriter who happens to be Knight’s niece.

Samba Bamba rose to prominence in the ‘90s after Knight founded the band in 1994 by pitching the concept to the owner of Vinyl, a supper club and lounge that existed at 1615 N. Clybourn Ave.

At the time, Knight was joined by jazz singer Kirsten Guftason, who portrayed the character of Gusty. Guftason left the band after several years to focus on her jazz career, which led to Zias joining the group, Knight said.

Salvo, who was already good friends with Knight, volunteered to perform for free because Vinyl at first didn’t have the budget for three band members, Knight said.

“I just was doing it because it was a hoot,” Salvo said. “But we quickly took off and Richard found the money for me to be paid.”

In its heyday, Samba Bamba was performing at least eight shows a month, including multiple appearances at the Taste of Chicago, Northalsted Market Days and various other street festivals across the city, Knight said. The band also had spots on “The Jenny Jones Show” and WTTW’s “Wild Chicago.”

“Our only goal was to musically make love to our audience,” Knight said. “So you’ll see in those old clips how we engage with the audience by pulling people on stage to dance or start a giant conga line. We’ve created so many hilarious, heartfelt and wonderful moments.”

Knight described his character of Monty “Sugarloaf” Mattachine as a “ringleader” and the “master of ceremonies.” The character’s last name is a nod to the Mattachine Society, an early gay rights organization founded in 1950.

“We’re not quite sure where Monty is from, but he has a bit of an accent and might be from Spain, maybe Brazil,” Knight said. “But his whole thing is he’s walking sensuality and will hit anyone — man or woman — with a ‘Hello, baby. You are beautiful, does anybody tell you that?’”

Zias’ character of Lupe Lowenstein is a “half-Mexican, half-Jewish diva who likes nothing more than to command the audience through song,” Zias said.

And then Salvo’s persona of Lindo McCartney is a play off the late Linda McCartney and jokes about her reputation for not being very good at keyboard or singing in her husband Paul's band Wings, Salvo said.

“I hate to speak ill of her, but she wasn’t known for being the greatest backing vocalist, and that’s kind of the joke about my character,” Salvo said.

But unlike Linda McCartney, Salvo is a trained singer.

“The people who only know me from the Legacy Project will be blown away because they have no idea that this side of my life even exists,” Salvo said.

Samba Bamba has also recorded several of its original songs, including the popular “Lust for Samba” that was performed on “The Jenny Jones Show.” A CD with several of the band’s tracks will be available at the 30th anniversary show and later be made available on streaming platforms, Knight said.

The group is also known for its eclectic covers of songs like “Copacabana,” “Light My Fire” and “Lady Marmalade” — each infused with Samba Bamba’s Latin flavor, Knight said.

“I came up with the term at some point, but we like to Sambasize everything,” Zias said. “We take music, put it in a blender and it comes out with our signature Samba Bamba sound.”