Tony Mola is one of the founders of the influential "Axé Music" movement in Brazil. He has recorded and toured with both Brazilian and international artists such as Carlinhos Brown, Daniela Mercury and Angelique Kidjo with whom he opened for Santana. Tony has also had a distinguished career as the bandleader of his own famous band, Bragada.

As Tony himself puts it, "Since the beginning of my career as a percussionist, I always wanted to make an album thematically devoted to Samba - not just for the sake of attracting listeners of Brazilian music, but to explore the form on a deeper level. Growing up in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Samba is my musical foundation, my history and my reality. I started playing Samba as a kid on empty cans, tables, car roofs, pans, snakeskin drums, catskin tamborins and colorful berimbaus. I started expressing my feelings with the sounds of nature and that is where my music comes from... a natural response to the events of my life in which Samba played a major role. The Samba musical art form has its own history and stories. What you are going to hear on Samba+Samba, is what my life experience has
made my hands do and my heartfelt journey of so much pain and so much satisfaction."

As an experienced percussionist, Tony has played a lot of Samba with various artists. His dream was to make ONE album using ALL the current varieties of Brazilian Samba rhythms that would fit. Now, that dream has become a reality with Samba+Samba.