We are KALANGO!

Our team – passion for Samba since 2002

We've been hooked on Brazilian percussion for decades - what started as a journey became a lifelong mission. 

How it all began

In 1985, Klaus Urban, a ceramicist from Bavaria, set off on a journey that would change his life. He spent months traveling through Africa, drumming in Togo with Mustapha Tettey Addy, and immersing himself in the musical traditions of West Africa. Back in Germany, his passion only grew stronger. He deepened his knowledge through countless inspiring courses with Dudu Tucci and later graduated as a percussionist from the Latin Percussion School in Munich.

Thomas Müller-Stoy, originally a bassist with a deep understanding of jazz and modern music, discovered the world of percussion only when he started travelling to Brazil. When Klaus first shared his plans of travelling to Brazil to get involved with the language and music, Thomas was immediately on board.

In 1989, they embarked on their first journey together to Brazil, landing in Salvador da Bahia - right in the golden era of the Afroblocos. What started as a musical adventure became a defining experience. Enchanted by the craftsmanship of the instruments and the endless variety of rhythms, they kept returning to Brazil, trip after trip.

Africa and Brazil – experiences that shaped Kalango

Over the years, their visits became more than just trips. They built connections, learned from local musicians, and deepened their love for Brazilian music and culture. What started as occasional visits turned into regular stays. Friendships grew, and one day, over a caipirinha, the idea of Kalango was born. The name Kalango comes from Guaraní and means lizard - an agile, adaptable creature found everywhere in Brazil. Just like the music we love, it represents movement, energy, and the endless variety of Brazilian rhythms, unmatched in their diversity.

From a garage project to Samba specialists

Long before Kalango officially existed, Klaus and Thomas were already making music together. In the early 2000s, they decided to take the leap and turn their passion into a profession - a pioneering move in the early days of e-commerce!

Thomas’ father, a retired IT expert, built the first Kalango website, and in 2002, our online shop finally went live. Back then, many of our customers had never ordered online before. Trust had to be earned - new technologies were emerging, but not everyone was ready to embrace them.

The early days: selling from a car trunk, storing stock in the attic

Kalango started as a two-man operation. The first Samba instruments were sold out of a car boot, and the warehouse? A few square meters in an attic. But as the European Samba scene grew, so did our team.

That’s when Janet joined the crew, bringing in experience from fashion and customer care. She quickly became an all-rounder, managing customer service and bookkeeping - and today, she’s also a co-owner. The warehouse expanded, moved into a proper facility, our selection became more specialised in Brazilian percussion, and even a few cavaquinhos made their way in. Registering the company as a GmbH was another big milestone.

Our close relationships with Brazilian instrument makers - ranging from big manufacturers to one-person artisan workshops - made our selection truly unique. Thanks to Klaus' network, instruments from small-scale artisans like Barravento and others from Brazil’s northeast found their way to us. Meanwhile, Thomas connected with other luthiers and instrument makers like Marcos China, Biano Pajeú, Georg Pandeiro, Kimura, Pejota, and more. Even after Klaus' retirement, these valuable partnerships remain, and whenever we have a tricky Samba question, our very own living Sambapedia is still there to help!

This is us today: a small team with a big love for Brazilian percussion.

• Thomas – a true hardcore sambista at heart, now keeping things running as our managing director—our rock!
• Janet – the all-rounder who keeps everything in order, handling shipping, bookkeeping, and customer service.
• Christian – hands on! Our logistics allrounder, making sure your orders ship safely and quickly while keeping our deliveries from Brazil organised.
• Florian – our IT genius. Without him, our website would be pretty sad! He also jumps in at the warehouse and prints your custom heads.
• Chrissy – freelancing from London, managing our website in multiple languages, handling sales, customer service, and marketing. She plays actively and keeps us updated on the Samba scene in Rio and Salvador.

Obrigado - Obrigada!
A huge thank you to Eddie & Alvin for their Samba Reggae expertise and help in Coburg, and to Tinga Bispo, Juninho Quebradera, Krzysztof Mianowski (Kylu), Lili Nascimento (Gope), Dudu Tucci (Contemporânea), Chris Quade Couto (Contemporânea), Serrinha Raiz (Contemporânea Rio), and Maxim Zettel (Timbra), who have recorded countless videos and sound samples for us over the years. A special thanks to Matti Malandro for so many fantastic photos - and to everyone else who has helped shape Kalango!

In January 2025, we proudly launched our newest website and now ship Samba instruments to over 80 countries worldwide! None of this would have been possible without you - our amazing customers.

PLAY SAMBA, BE HAPPY!

Your Kalango Team