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Amaro Freitas Interview

Amaro Freitas Interview

AMARO FREITAS INTERVIEW

28

Octubre, 2024

By: Adailton Moura

Photos: Fernando Tribiño

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m waiting for Amaro Freitas backstage at the São Paulo Jazz Weekend Festival. He was backstage watching Henrique Mota’s show. The last time we met in person was in 2019, right after the release of “Rasif”. In 2021 we met again, but this time online to talk about the album “Sankofa”. Now, in 2024, the conversation is about “Y’Y” (Ye-Ye). “I remember we didn’t have gray hair, right? Am I sure about that?”, he asks. My answer is yes.

Almost 5 years later, not only has our hair changed color. A lot has evolved. With his genuinely Brazilian jazz, Amaro Freitas has conquered the world. He has performed and won acclaim at the biggest festivals in the world, and was nominated for a Latin Grammy for the song “Esperança”, made in partnership with Brazilian Criolo and Portuguese Dino D’Santiago. “Y’Y” is eligible for Grammy Awards voting in the categories Best Latin Jazz Album; Best Global Musical Performance “Encantados”; and Best Packaging.

Before taking the stage at SP Jazz Weekend in late September, the jazz musician talked about his latest album, Grammy, achievements and future plans.

In&OutJazz: You must have told a lot of people this same story, but I wanted to understand a little more about the influence that the Amazon had on «Y’Y», an incredible album that is being acclaimed all over the world.

Amaro Freitas: It was a transformative experience to get to know a Brazil that Brazilians don’t know. Even though we see images on TV or in the newspaper, it’s very different when you’re there, experiencing this territory. It’s a different food, a different dialogue, a different perspective on life. There are several indigenous communities, more than 300 languages… it’s a very powerful nature. There’s a river where you can’t see the bank on either the right or the left side. It’s a meeting of the waters between two rivers, with totally different colors, that don’t mix: the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões. It was an educational experience to be able to participate in this ritual, to see the Tucandeira dance, which is a rite of passage for boys to become adults, to eat alligator meat, fish and Tambaqui ribs with the indigenous people, to drink pure Guaraná from the Amazon in the ciranda, where everyone is on equal terms. So, all of this had a huge impact on me. Especially the Sateré-Mawé indigenous community… Professor Heron, who is from the Federal University of Amazonas, took me to the village. And there, I understood a little about the work they do, right? That it is a work very focused on indigenous communities, but to also connect this with the Federal University, to connect students with the community in the villages, to make money, to generate money, for these communities too. So, there is a very difficult and tough logic, because drug trafficking is very present today in indigenous communities and there are several communities disguised as indigenous and drug trafficking is behind it. And then, I was impressed by another Brazil that I think every Brazilian should know. A Brazil that for many people in São Paulo, many in Pernambuco, is not interesting. It’s better to go to Disney than to Amazon. This touched me and I wanted to make a connection with what I had already been studying, which was the prepared piano. This prepared piano is a very specific technique developed by John Cage, which puts several things inside the piano, and in this way it changes the sound of the piano. So now I wanted to mix this sound of the prepared piano with the experiences I had in Manaus. And talking to the people there, we talked a lot about some legends, right? About the Mapinguari, about the Pink Dolphin, about the mermaid Uiara, about the Headless Mule, about the importance of these popular details, and how the indigenous people believe in this, that the dolphin transforms into a man, that the dolphin is also a guardian of the waters and that it saves people when they are drowning. There is a real belief in this… I was very curious because I was very impacted and wanted to pay homage to the forest and the river through these mystical and folkloric elements and also through the popular Brazilian saying. But I wanted it not to sound like appropriation. So, we understood that paying homage in this place was much more an exchange between communities than an appropriation of the territory.

In&OutJazz: How can you transfer this experience to the piano and transform it into jazz and transmit it to the world?

Amaro Freitas: I think jazz has become an art that embraces various types of music. And I think this type of music connects through spirituality. I realized that I was talking about a much deeper Brazil through the way I spoke. So I think this aligns with a place of spirituality. This has a very strong place in spiritual jazz, which talks about ancestry, and not only black, but also indigenous. For me, it was about thinking about how to transform this piano into this sensorial noise that would take you, transport you to this emotion that I experienced in the Amazon. So, I got a guitar ebow, put it inside the piano and the ebow takes some harmonics from the guitar, which I managed to get from the piano. Man, it sounded like the song of Uiara. So, in my head it was the mermaid calling you to dive into the river and then when you go into the river you see the connection with the Pink Dolphin, that is, the connection between the dolphins. And then I try to find an onomatopoeia for the sound of dolphins. When I put my hand inside the piano and take it out, it makes the sound of the animal in the river. And then, there is an image that stays in my head, which is when some divers go down in a submarine to a point in the ocean where the light no longer reaches. They turn off the submarine’s light and when they turn it back on, all the animals that reflect light shine in front of the submarine. So, it is as if we had dived to the bottom of the ocean and I start: «tan-tan-tan-talan-tan». Now we are making a trail through this constellation of fish, you know? This also brings up a question and a reflection of how wonderful these corals are, these fish that reflect light are wonderful, the river is wonderful, the dolphin is wonderful. Are you sure this is the place you want to throw a straw in? I think this reflection remains: what are we doing to our planet, and this issue of balance on the planet is something that indigenous people talk about in a very powerful way. So, I wanted to bring some of this reflection with this tribute to Rio as well.

It makes people see another country too, as you said, a Brazil that we don’t know, but also, to experience this experience there too, right!?

Many people, when they finish a show, say to me: wow, I felt like I was in the forest. It’s like we’re being transported from the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Why?

In addition to trying to translate a story, there are several elements that are from there. I have a rattle, several whistles, a harmonica flute, which came from Manaus and is very reminiscent of the sounds of the indigenous people, of the flutes they play in their communities. So I think that this whole mix, also having Naná Vasconcelos and Milton Nascimento as references, makes the work reach a place that connects the spiritual Brazil that already exists with my current experience.

I was in Portugal at a cultural journalism meeting and one of the talks was about jazz and we got to the question of what jazz really is. I wanted to ask you, in your opinion, what is jazz?

I think jazz is a place of freedom where we have to express creative music that has been developed and processed over a long time. This music brings the expressiveness of a people with their characteristics, their identities, and it also manifests itself in a very improvised way. The mix of bringing something that is extremely sensitive, but also extremely intellectual, and also with the possibility of doing things that will be different at each concert. I think that’s what jazz is all about. Jazz allows you to have a unique experience at each concert you go to by the same artist. So I think that the difference between classical music, where you’ll listen to a piece, or popular music, which will always have the same rhythm, jazz is allowing for free music. Music that communicates with several people, whether it’s sung or played, whether you understand several languages ​​or only have your native language, I think the spirit of jazz goes beyond all of that, breaking the language barrier. You also have the ability to observe the real feelings of that person. If we were to use a Brazilian term to describe jazz, we would say: jazz means now.

Speaking of which, you are currently in your career, being acclaimed all over the world… that Amaro who started playing in the church and then did all that running around to make a living from music, would you have imagined that Amaro would be where he is today?

I think so, because I have always been very ambitious because of my influences. I didn’t see influences as an impossible place, but rather as a possible place. So, I would see Chick Corea, I would see Thelonious Monk… and I would say: I want to play in this place where these guys are playing. My whole life I have fought, I believed, I did everything to reach these places. And for me it was very impactful that I played in some festivals now, this year, last year, where Chick Corea played and I watched, right? Like North Sea Jazz, Montreux Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival… so, it was a really crazy feeling to occupy this place as a Brazilian musician in these jazz festivals where I watched my idols.

Today we are here at the first edition of the São Paulo Jazz Weekend, which is a jazz festival. There are few jazz festivals in Brazil, compared to Europe and the United States. Do you think there is a need for more jazz festivals, or for jazz artists to be at major festivals, so that it becomes more popular in Brazil, breaking the myth that exists in the country that jazz is a music only for the elite and intellectuals?

It’s complicated to talk about this. Do you think we should have a music market that guides artists more so that they can do their work as artists who will have the courage to support their own work… in my opinion, we have a lot of jazz festivals in Brazil. But this is also aligned with the public… people want to attract audiences to festivals and, sometimes, jazz ends up mixing with other types of music. I also understand that the contractor needs to be accountable for all of this. There are many things that need to be taken into account so that we can have a jazz festival like jazz abroad has. But I don’t know, at jazz festivals anywhere in the world, there will be pop artists, because it’s no longer the case that only pure jazz is played. I think that perhaps this type of music is in a transitional period, and I also don’t have an answer as to where this will lead. But if musicians have the courage to take their own work and have guidance on how to do it in the best way, I believe that this would greatly help the instrumental music market in Brazil.

You were nominated for a Grammy with Criolo and Dino D’Santiago for «Esperança»? How did you receive this news? Like, it’s kind of a… I wouldn’t say validation, right? But it’s also a crowning achievement for your work, right? Like, three black artists also making it to the biggest international award.

I got a call from Criolo, right? And then we were really excited… I had a feeling that we could be nominated and for me it’s a moment of great happiness. So much is happening and to be nominated for a Grammy is truly unbelievable. I’m really happy about this, especially making music with these two guys who are also a reference in what they do… I think Dino and I are being pulled by Criolo with this vision of our work and our connection, doing it in a really beautiful way and letting Dino and I feel very comfortable to be able to create the sound that comes from our soul. I think it’s going to be really beautiful to participate in this ceremony with him and who knows, maybe we’ll be able to bring Caneco here.

You’ve also been working with several artists, most recently you participated in Liniker’s beautiful album…

She’s a sweetheart… on the album Caju, I added a little spice to the song «AO TEU LADO» which we also shared with ANAVITÓRIA with an orchestral arrangement by Henrique Albino and a great band playing. It was a really cool moment for me to also be able to do this feat with Liniker, who is an artist I love so much, very powerful and I’m very happy with where we’ve ended up.

What are your next steps, your next plans?

There’s a lot to happen. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do next. If I record YY with a band, if I record with a trio from outside Brazil, if I make an album with an orchestra. I have a lot of plans, but I’ve always waited for life to give me signs of the best paths I can choose.

Written by Adailton Moura

Octubre 28, 2024

Al Di Meola – Summum Concert Series

Al Di Meola – Summum Concert Series

AL DI MEOLA INTERVIEW 

Summum Concert Series

 

28

Octubre, 2024

By: José Cabello Llano

Photos: Summum Concert Series

*Listen to the podcast below

*Scroll down to read the text of the interview

In collaboration with Summum Concert Series, we had the privilege of having a brief dialogue with the renowned Al Di Meola.

In a brief conversation, we touch on interesting topics: Di Meola’s upcoming European tour and his gig in Madrid, the members of his band, the purpose of his music, his compositional approach, and the music that has been influencing him lately.

 

 

 

In&OutJazz: Hey, there, hello, oh there you are, hey there Al. How are you?

Al Di Meola: Yeah, yeah, how are you? I’m good, very good thank you.

Man it’s a pleasure to have the opportunity of interviewing you for In&OutJazz magazine. I’m José Cabello…

Nice to meet you José.

I’m member of this journal that covers all types of music but draws its main focus from the avant-garde and fresh music that is going on in this era we’ve got up to fifteen collaborators working to give a shout-out to all the artists out there that are pushing the edge.

Oh great.

And the name Al Di Meola stands out significantly…

Oh, that’s good hahahaha.

Since you’ve had an amazing career so far. So, it’s amazing. We’re also supported by Europe Jazz Media and we’re truly honored to have been invited to this Summum Concert Series. And yeah, let’s go ahead. It’s gonna be a short so don’t worry, it’s not gonna take long at all.

Okay.

Tell us man are you looking forward to coming to Madrid under this exciting program by Summum?

Sure, yeah sure. I don’t remember the last time I played there, with the electric band. So, it’ll be a different format. It will be mostly focused on my very early records, the ones that were the most popular you know, those first years in the 70s. And, you know we’ll play some also  we’ll mix in some of the new record as well. You know, one with the band and then I’ll do some solo acoustic.

Beautiful.

Of some of the new stuff. And in fact I’m going to have a special guest from Valencia. He’s  his name is Iván López from Siuxx

Okay.

And he’s an amazing singer and he’s featured on the new record on one piece called Eden.

Yeah.

So we’re gonna do two pieces and Eden is one of them so it’ll be a…, you know a special guest in the show.

Man that’s super cool, super cool. Tell us a little bit about the project you’re bringing. It’s the electric band, right?

Yeah.

Tell us a little bit about the musicians you gathered.

The musicians are…, it’s like an alumni band because I had…, my first keyboard player  I had with me in 1978, he was from Paris and I sponsored him in the United States and he then went on to play with you know so many well-known  jazz and pop and rock figures, in those 40 years in between. So, now we’re back together and it’s really nice. His name is Philippe Saisse. Philippe Saisse on keyboards. I have a great drummer who was also an alumni he’s, played with everybody from Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Loggins, you know, the list is very long.

Oh wow, yeah all you guys.

Yeah, yeah. So, he’s now back with me which is like old friends coming back together you know, that you haven’t seen in a long time. Tommy’s a powerhouse drummer, really amazing, a crazy wild drummer. And then we have Gumbi Ortiz who is my percussionist and  he’s been with me in most of my bands…, well a good portion of them, so, since 35 years

Oh wow, that’s a long time, there you go.

Yeah, yeah, the longest one of them all, you know. And then, the bassist is from Venezuela, we have a bassist named Elias Tona, really great. And that’s the band.

Man what would you say you appreciate most about each one of them. Like what element, what aspect would you like underline, right?

Well you know…, what element… I can’t. All right, Tommy brings a lot of fire, he’s the engine to the to the whole thing. And, so I’m very very specific and I write everything out so I…, you hopefully have players which I do, that can bring something else to the table you know. And  you know Philippe’s a veteran player and  he’s played with in every kind of musical situation so he’s another one that can bring something to the table. But what’s great about everybody in the band is  their respect for the music and  they take…, you know, for me it’s…, if you’re working with musicians, if they take good direction from me, that’s a good thing, you know what I mean. Because, especially with the drums and the percussion, I’m very particular. What needs to be played. So I think I wind up teaching them different ways of approaching  parts you know, that they might not be…, they might not play normally if you didn’t give them any direction, you know. So, very specific because, to me you know, we come from a world of  you know improvising and all that. And technique and all of that. But really, for me the composition is the most important thing. That keeps the attention of the audience…, it’s the composition not a night of only this, you know.

Seems like you’ve entered my mind because one of the questions I had for you was what approach do you give to this project compositional wise? So could you tell us a little bit more about how you put together the parts, how you think it all…, I don’t know.

Well I went back after…, it was more than a year ago, I went back and I listened to my early records and just to see how it would feel after 30 solo albums, 30 plus…, maybe 35 records.

Yeah man, amazing career.

And there’s been an evolution in writing, that you know of course  I’m happy for that because  I wanted to grow of course, like any other musician. So, I wanted to go back and revisit how I started and, what it was. Because it’s not like I listen to those records very often. And I heard the energy in it and the movement, and the energy and also the compositions. Considering I didn’t even have my own house, I was living with my parents, so I found the charts. The charts were so…, almost 99 to 100 percent perfect. Written. It was probably because, I was a member of Return to Forever, with Chick Corea and his charts were always perfect. So I was, basically trying to accomplish the same aesthetic in the way that the charts were made. So, the charts were in perfect condition and I listened to the songs. “Wow, this could be exciting again, I hope I have the energy to do it”. And we’re doing it. In fact, we’re doing it with more energy than we did when we were kids.

There you go, man.

So, it’s another side of me that especially in Europe, they haven’t seen in a long time because I’ve been last 20 to 30 years, I’ve been playing mostly acoustic, you know.

That’s great, man. I’m so excited to see you. It’s gonna be awesome for sure. So, man, in Spain, we’re pretty aware about your relationship with Paco de Lucía. And I’d like to know, what would you highlight from the time you spent together? What did you learn from him and what did he learn from you, if you would say anything?

Oh, we well, we definitely absorbed and learned. But for me, it was great because we had a sympathical when it came to rhythm. Paco really liked playing with me because of my understanding of latin rhythm and syncopation and everything. John came from another dimension, which was great because it kind of rounded out the trio, it made it more diverse and musically. But Paco’s approach was so, let’s say, different for John and me. And it was so great that every night when we played, we were on that stage to impress one another. The audience was after the fact, the audience got that. We were just playing that…, if it was Paco’s turn to take a solo, we’re thinking to ourselves, “oh, my God, how am I going to follow that?”. And then and then it would make us stretch, would make us go outside of the limits of what we were doing and really like search and try to impress the other guys, with a killer solo, you know. And then John would do the same. So, it made you grow to be in the environment of great players for sure. And Paco got the same from us because Paco in his world felt limited in the Flamenco cadence kind of world, where they don’t play necessarily through jazz harmony changes. They had their own language and he was the probably the and still is the king of that whole idiom. And, you know, to play alongside of him, the amount of time that I did, really had a great effect. I’ve become a better player because of that, you know.

Man, it’s always great to hear you guys talk about the time you spent together on the stage and the first time you got together. And yeah…

It wasn’t just music. We were a little bit like brothers at times, and we were also like friends. So, we would hang out after the show. And Paco had he had his alter-side, you know, the other side, which was to have a good time. And he was funny and he was mischievous. He was that he was everything only above, you know. So, he was he was not a boring guy.

Man, that’s great, that’s great, that sounds amazing. Ok, so last question, man. I’m curious to know what music you’re listening to these days. What music is in your streaming app or whatever or in your CDs? What music are you…?

Well, you know, I listen every day to The Beatles.

Oh, yeah.

Because you rediscover just how great they were. You know, and I’m not talking from a technical side or I’m not talking from a virtuoso-technical side. No, that wasn’t the thing. It was just…, the music was even though we could say it was simpler, there was an aesthetic to most of that music.

Yeah, for sure.

That you could really evaluate more now than you could at the at the moment and they were doing it at a time that was just hysteria in the 60s. And it was like something so new that, yeah, we were all everybody was impressed. But, when you listen to it now, they’re beautiful songs and a lot of aesthetic to it. The thing is, I went off into a whole different direction when they went solo. And that’s where my getting turned on to all different forms of jazz, classical and everything above, happened right after their breakup. And that’s why I do what I do. So, when I met George Martin, he was a fan of Return to Forever, the producer of The Beatles. And he couldn’t believe that I was influenced or I grew up, you know, liking The Beatles. He just couldn’t…, he didn’t hear it in my playing. Well, it’s because the nature of my music is so different. But in reality, I listen to them. Now, as far as a contemporary player, someone who is cutting edge to the max, and I think will probably wind up only being liked by musicians, is this Armenian pianist, composer, phenomenal. It’s just his name is Tigran Hamasyan.

Yeah, for sure, he’s well known.

Tigran’s got some very, very complex, but really hip music. Some of which I think, you know, in Return to Forever, when I was with the group Return to Forever, we were considered that group. But that was 50 years ago. You know, so 50 years ago, we had that kind of allure, let’s say, with our audiences. Except I think our music was wider appealing, much more wider appealing. Tigran’s music is a little bit more centered towards…, a little bit more narrowed towards the, you know, I would say more esoteric jazz enthusiast. Cause it’s really, whoo, it can go over the head of most of the public. But if you if you understand it and you could feel it, it’s some of the, I think, the most cutting edge music I’ve ever heard.

It’s a true experience, yeah.

It’s just unbelievable. It’s not music that anyone can play.

Hahaha, oh, for sure.

The time signatures are all over the place.

I know.

So, he’s one of the new breed of not just player, but composer. See, that’s what interests me because there’s so many great soloists and improvisers today. More than ever, more than ever. So many great players on many instruments, not just a guitar, but not many, almost none inspire me from a compositional perspective, where Tigran has had that equal, like Chick Corea had that equal and that was always my goal. My goal was to not just be known as a technically proficient player, but also a composer. And I think, for me now at my age and my career as it is, right now, composing is, you know, I have a new album, Twentyfour

Composing is at the top of all things…

I call that a composition record, you know. There’s so much composition and that’s where I’m at, I kind of put most of my attention in this area, you know, so…

Yeah, yeah, man, exciting, exciting. It’s, I mean, I guess The Beatles are the basis for us all, man. I’m happy to be a drummer, I play drums and I play all types of instruments, too.

Drums, now that we’re talking about drums…, last night and, you know, we didn’t realize when we were kids, you know, Ringo was the drummer. And, you know, we knew…, he wasn’t like a Steve Gadd or, you know, Clash drummer. But when you listen to them, we didn’t discover till decades later just how great he was.

He was creative, man.

Because…, super-creative. He played things that drummers normally would not play. Sometimes he wouldn’t even play. It would just be a hi-hat or he would be playing some kind of off rhythm like a Ticket to ride or Tomorrow never knows. And it’s still today extremely hip, you know.

Totally, I had a chance to do a tribute concert for to The Beatles and yeah, going through the parts, it was a true experience. And then again, Tigran Hamasyan, man, it’s I mean, me as a young cat, I’ve grown up hearing, you know, all his records and, you know, all the yeah, all the new breed you were talking about. It’s amazing to see how the tradition of music keeps going on, you know, with such strong vibes. It’s amazing.

It’s hard to find the middle ground. And maybe that’s not his idea. And that’s Ok. But where his music could be appreciated by a wider audience and just the serious musician. And that’s something that I think that, you know, my audience, for sure, it’s not just guitar players, and that is a good thing. Because if you if you are only known as a virtuoso player and the composition is not there, then you might just get an audience that’s smaller, more if you’re a guitarist, a guitar, more guitar players in the audience or something. You know what I mean? Like Allan Holdsworth. Allan Holdsworth had that. He had guitar players in the audience, that was it.

Yeah, I mean, he was hip, but yeah, I gotcha.

Yeah, very, very hip, very incredible, but the audiences were a small group of guitar players.

Yeah, I got some gotcha totally.

And no, no, no women, no, no ladies would like that kind of thing, you know. So, what holds the attention are the melodies, the rhythm, the composition, you know, then, you know, you got to give them something to sink their teeth into, you know.

Yeah, totally. All right, man, so that was all. Thank you a lot for tuning in. This was Al Di Meola, y’all talking about a lot of interesting stuff. You’ll be able to listen to him and his band live at the Teatro La Latina, on Monday, November 4th. Pull up, y’all, it’s going to be great for sure. Thank you again, Al, and thanks to Summum Concert Series for this opportunity. Thank you, Al. Thank you.

Muchas gracias.

It was awesome.

Adios.

Bye, man, I’ll see you November 4th, man.

Oh, good, good, good. Bye, man. Take care.

Thanks a lot.

All the best. Bye.

All right, bye. Bye-bye.

Octubre 28, 2024

Joao Brandao Interview (Porta Jazz Festival, 2024)

Joao Brandao Interview (Porta Jazz Festival, 2024)

JOAO BRANDAO INTERVIEW

14º Edición Porta Jazz Festival 2024

25

Octubre, 2024

Por:  Begaña Villalobos

Fotos: Orquesta de Matosinhos y festival de Porta-jazz

He tenido el placer de entrevistar al saxofonista miembro de la Orquesta de Jazz de Matosinhos  y responsable del festival de jazz de Oporto, Joao Pedro Brandao, dentro del marco del festival de la Asociación Porta-jazz.

 

 

In&OutJazz: Gracias por la invitación al Festival Porta-jazz. Es un placer estar aquí de nuevo y poder entrevistarte. Empezamos.  Puedes contarnos, ¿qué es Porta-Jazz?

Joao Brandao: Porta-Jazz es una asociación de músicos que surgió en 2010 en Oporto. Surgió en un momento en el que la ciudad no tenía un departamento cultural, no había nada, no había sección cultural. En ese momento éramos los primeros músicos que estaban saliendo de la Escuela Superior de Música del curso de jazz, que fue el primero en la península ibérica. Los primeros en salir fuimos en el año 2002 o 2003. Estábamos en la ciudad, sin espacio para tocar, sin punto de encuentro y con mucha música que sabíamos que existía entre nosotros y necesitábamos reunirnos para ganar fuerza.  La primera cosa que hicimos, bueno, yo, entre tanto, salí, fui, estudié fuera, volví, y esto ya estaba hablado, y yo y Luis Eurico Costa, guitarrista, decidimos formalizar la asociación. Juntamos estos elementos que están ahí, que tú ves en el programa. O sea, lo formalizamos y la asociación existe desde ese momento. Lo primero que hicimos fue un festival en 2010, en un bar en el centro de Oporto. En la Galería de París. En el primer festival hubo trece conciertos con muchas músicas, ya no recuerdo, no sé cuántas. Toda la música era original y de Oporto. Por lo tanto, la música existía. Bueno, y a partir de ahí, intentamos obtener apoyo, y buscar un espacio para nosotros. Ese espacio fue surgiendo todos los años en diferentes sitios, fruto de apoyos con diferentes asociaciones privadas y con otros grupos.

¿Qué asociaciones?

La primera asociación donde estuvimos era una asociación dedicada a fotografía. Teníamos un espacio muy bueno. Después estuvimos en un espacio que era la Asociación de la Madera, de la isla, del Archipiélago de la Madera, para que veas… Y después entramos en un proyecto con la Cámara, en el inicio, con la Cámara de Oporto, ¿entiendes esto?

La Cámara, el Ayuntamiento de Oporto

El Ayuntamiento, eso.

City Hall.

City Hall, Sí, sí, eso. La Cámara estaba haciendo un proyecto de la dinamización de la ciudad, de este sitio, y había un edificio en esta Gran Avenida de los Aliados, estaban muchos abandonados. Decidieron hacer un proyecto cultural durante un año, y fuimos uno de los participantes y colaboradores. Entonces, durante un año estuvimos en un espacio en ese edificio. Después de quedarnos en ese espacio vino de nuevo una nueva mudanza. Después fuimos a otro espacio…, estamos siempre cambiando, siempre de aquí para allá. Y siempre con apoyos estatales muy pequeños. Pequeños e inseguros, no regulares, ¿sabes? Pero bueno, creo que la gran cuestión fue que nunca desistimos, o sea, seguimos haciendo, no dejamos caer el proyecto, y seguimos actuando como si tuviésemos todos los apoyos del mundo. Los músicos tocaban por muy poco dinero, hacíamos discos con nada.

El sello de Carimbo, ¿sí?

Sí. Tuvimos un apoyo muy importante de un comisariado cultural de la Facultad de Ingeniería de Oporto. Y ese apoyo aún continúa y fue lo que nos permitió hacer siempre las ediciones desde el inicio. Después empezamos a hacer colaboraciones, con otras Cámaras, otros ayuntamientos fuera de Oporto, por ejemplo, con el festival Guimarães Jazz, que ya es una colaboración de 10 años. Es importante hacer otros ciclos e intentar tener una programación regular que fije a los músicos en Oporto. Tener un espacio fijo era muy importante. ¿Tú conocías este último espacio, ¿sí?

Sí. El espacio donde hacéis ensayos y conciertos todas las semanas. ¿En la Plaza de la República?

Sí. Antes de este, había un espacio que dejamos de poder utilizar y hubo un periodo grande que no teníamos conciertos semanales y no teníamos espacio. Los músicos nuevos empezaron a huir hacia Lisboa. Percibimos que éramos realmente una pieza importante para que los músicos se asentaran y tuvieran un propósito artístico aquí en la ciudad. Entonces dimos un paso importante que fue el de alquilar el espacio que tenemos. Ese espacio lo alquilamos desde hace un año y algunos meses. Bueno, eso fue un paso grande porque es mucho dinero que se sale del presupuesto anual. Pero tenía que ser así porque si no estábamos siempre saltando de un sitio para otro y sin conseguir fidelizar un público.

Okey, está fidelizado…, desde fuera se ve que está muy consolidado.

Sí, sí…, Oporto no es una ciudad tan grande y hay mucha oferta cultural y nosotros hacemos una programación muy intensa. El festival es intenso, como ves, y tienes conciertos todas las semanas. Músicos de todo el mundo pasan por Porta-Jazz.

¿De qué depende que vengan los músicos? ¿De qué depende que toquen los músicos en Porta-Jazz?

Nosotros tenemos un apoyo para esto todo. Gestionamos como conseguir el apoyo económico y el soporte del gobierno. Porta-Jazz ya es un espacio donde los músicos saben que existe…, es un punto de pasaje para un músico que esté haciendo un tour en Portugal, que pasan por Lisboa, por Coimbra, por Oporto, y cuando pasan por Oporto tocan en Porta-Jazz. Recibimos muchas propuestas, muchas, muchas, pero no tenemos capacidad de todo. Es imposible abarcar todo.

¿Y tienen que grabar con el sello Carimbo?

¿Esos músicos? No, no, no, no, son muchos, es mucha cosa. Ese espacio es un espacio de programación, o sea, hay una comunidad de músicos de Oporto que usan el espacio, para ensayos, para conciertos, para residencias, masterclass, whatever, y son responsables del espacio. En este momento somos 50 músicos responsables. Hacemos la cartelera, la programación, la venta de entradas, el bar, ¿entiendes? Limpiamos, pintamos, todo.

¡Es increíble, eso es increíble!

Todo, todo. Sí, increíble. En este momento hay una generación nueva que está muy empeñada y somos 50…, solo que esos 50 trabajan con otros 50, ¿sabes? Con gente de Lisboa, con gente de Europa…

Y ¿qué me puedes contar del sello que habéis creado?

Pues mira, hay muchos músicos que quieren grabar, y Carimbo, la editora, tiene un propósito desde el inicio. Es decir, tuvimos que definir nuestro camino, porque no conseguimos abarcar todo. Carimbo busca ser una muestra del movimiento que se genera con nosotros en Oporto. Es decir, no hay ningún músico que grabe con Carimbo que no tenga ninguna conexión con nosotros. Ya sea porque viene aquí a tocar, o porque trabaja con un músico de aquí, sea lo que sea. Entonces, lo que graba Carimbo es música original y que parte de este movimiento, tiene que partir de aquí. No surge de la nada. Antes te decía que prácticamente no hacemos programación en el festival. El festival ya está programado. O sea, hay un trabajo de escoger, la programación se va creando cuando escogemos los discos…, por ejemplo, el Ensemble Mutante, por ejemplo, esta iniciativa que hicimos fue pensada, pero también pensamos si tener o no un disco en Porta-Jazz. Entonces se trabaja con los músicos, vamos y volvemos a todas las horas. Hay una dinámica de conexiones, un músico que invita a otros músicos de fuera de Portugal, es muy interesante. A veces tenemos el placer de contar con otras asociaciones y marcas y patrocinadores que quieren colaborar.

¿Cuáles?

Muchas, AMR, con otras asociaciones, o con el festival Bezau Beatz. El Improdimensija, ya viste, de Liudas Mockūnas, y AMR. Y esos músicos, muchos de ellos los conocemos, pero a veces son músicos que no conocemos. Y es interesante que después se crea esa conexión con esa gente, porque después nosotros también vamos allí. Hay músicos que van, por ejemplo, con AMR, hacemos este intercambio entre los festivales. AMR es una asociación en Ginebra, Suiza. Hacemos un intercambio, hay una banda que viene a nuestro festival y hay una banda nuestra que va al festival de ellos. Pero hacemos dos residencias más en nuestro espacio y en el espacio de ellos. En las que hay dos músicos que vienen, que tocan con dos músicos de aquí. Dos músicos que tocan con dos y crean un proyecto y lo presentan. Y después otros músicos van allí y hacen la mismo.

Muy interesante, muy interesante. El intercambio y todo lo que genera ese intercambio.

Sí, sí, increíble. Y también hay muchas cosas, muchas situaciones de estas que no son formales como ésta.

Son orgánicas.

Son orgánicas. Que yo “a ver, oye, voy allí y me gustaría hay un colega mío, griego (whatever), que va a tocar en España, podemos ir allí a tocar también y hacemos lo que sea y grabamos…”, whatever. Y claro, vamos…, nosotros necesitamos mantener esto, ¿sabes?

¡Totalmente! Oye, mil gracias por este rato juntos.

¡Gracias a ti!

Written by Begoña Villalobos

Octubre 25, 2024

Trespass Trio feat. Susana Santos Silva – Live in Oslo (Clean Feed Records, 2023)

Trespass Trio feat. Susana Santos Silva – Live in Oslo (Clean Feed Records, 2023)

TRESPASS TRIO feat. SUSANA SANTOS SILVA

Live in Oslo (Clean Feed Records, 2023)

22

Octubre, 2024

Trespass Trio feat. Susana Santos Silva. Live in Oslo (Clean Feed Records, 2023). Martin Küchen, saxofón. Per Zanussi, contrabajo. Raymond Strid, batería. Susana Santos Silva, trompeta.

 

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Fotos: Concesión del artista

Bajo la dirección del saxofonista sueco Martin Küchen, Trespass Trio es una formación con largo recorrido que desde hace muchos años ya se ha ganado por derecho propio ser una de las piezas claves del jazz nórdico de las últimas décadas. Junto a Küchen, el trío está completado por el batería sueco Raymond Strid y el contrabajista noruego Per Zanussi. Abanderados de la sobriedad, la frialdad y la elegancia; y habituales en el catálogo de Clean Feed Records (tanto Trespass Trio como otros diversos proyectos de sus miembros); resulta interesante la decisión del trío de colaborar con la trompetista portuguesa Susana Santos Silva, una de las voces más personales, interesantes y en continua metamorfosis creativa que ha ofrecido la vanguardia del jazz europeo y la música experimental en los últimos años.

Grabado en directo en la edición de 2018 del festival Noruego Blow Out Festival, Live In Oslo recoge cinco composiciones pertenecientes a anteriores lanzamientos de Trespass Trio, con la suma de Susana Santos Silva como aporte de sonido moderno al enfoque old school habitual del trío sueco/noruego. Una vez escuchado el disco, resulta imposible no envidiar a los afortunados que asistieron a dicha actuación, porque el resultado es sencillamente brillante.

Live In Oslo es un disco asentado en la tradición, que suena clásico y atemporal a la vez. No hay disrupciones modernas ni aventuras experimentales a lo largo de esta grabación; la combinación de Trespass Trio con Susana Santos Silva suena a cuarteto tradicional, como si fuera una formación con décadas de interacción a sus espaldas. En este Live In Oslo encontramos elementos de swing e incluso aromas de blues por momentos (como en la maravillosa “Sounds & Ruins”), así como melodías bellísimas e improvisaciones explosivas (“In Tears”). Hay ambientaciones sombrías y melancólicas, cercanas a un lamento, como en la inicial “A desert on fire, a forest”; una pieza apasionante en la que trompeta y saxofón se unen en una especie de canto fúnebre sobre las cuerdas del contrabajo de Per Zanussi. La compenetración entre Zanussi (esta vez tocando con arco) y el tremendo trabajo rítmico de un Raymond Strid en estado de gracia tras la batería, brilla especialmente en la cinemática y espiritual “The spirit of Pitesti”; mientras que el cuarteto derrocha clase, sinergia y compenetración perfecta al entregarse al frenetismo bebop de “A different Koko”, una relectura libre y expansiva de Charlie Parker.

Juegos veloces e inventivos de llamada y respuesta entre la sección de vientos (tanto Martin Küchen al saxo como Susana Santos Silva a la trompeta están espectaculares en todo momento), cambios constantes de tempo y ritmo en la base rítmica, subidas y bajadas de intensidad, concreción cuando toca y libertad improvisada cuando es requerida… Live in Oslo parece documentar, más que un simple concierto, una celebración de los códigos clásicos del jazz por parte de cuatro talentos que dejan sin aliento y que funcionan a la perfección uniendo esfuerzos. Ojalá esta formación no se quede en lo anecdótico y podamos disfrutar de más música maravillosa en el futuro como la recogida en este excelente disco.

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Octubre 22, 2024

Música Imaginaria – Baldo Martínez Sextet (Karonte, 2024)

Música Imaginaria – Baldo Martínez Sextet (Karonte, 2024)

BALDO MARTÍNEZ SEXTET

Música Imaginaria (Karonte, 2024)

21

Octubre, 2024

Baldo Martínez Sextet. Música Imaginaria (Karonte, 2024). Baldo Martínez, contrabajo. Lucía Martínez, batería. Juan Sáiz, flauta, saxofón. Andrés Coll, vibráfono. Joao Barradas, acordeón. Julián Sánchez, tromepta.

 

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Fotos: Juan Fran Ese, Elvira Megías, Erre de Hierro, Antonio Torres

 

 

 

 

 

Dicen de Baldo Martínez que “en su contrabajo habitan todas las escuelas”, y por muy desorbitada que parezca la frase, resulta bastante más ajustada a la realidad de lo que parece. La entrega más reciente del incombustible compositor ferrolano nos llega de la mano de Karonte Records y lleva por título Música imaginaria. Se trata de un disco concebido al amparo del Festival de Jazz de Vitoria, creado gracias a una residencia artística auspiciada por el festival, y muestra del envidiable estado de gracia creativa en el que se encuentra el contrabajista, por un lado, y del importantísimo papel que los festivales juegan cuando no se limitan a programar conciertos, sino también a ofrecer infraestructuras para generar sinergias colaborativas entre artistas. En este caso, la sinergia que da forma a Música imaginaria representa un viaje casi perfecto por la geografía ibérica: a los gallegos Baldo Martínez y Lucía Martínez (batería) se unen el saxofonista y flautista cántabro Juan Sáiz, el vibrafonista ibicenco Andrés Coll, el acordeonista portugués Joâo Barradas y el trompetista granadino Julián Sánchez.

Cualquier persona familiarizada con la discografía de Baldo Martínez sabe que siempre es interesante y enriquecedor asomarse a cada nuevo capítulo de una carrera caracterizada por la excelencia (sí, así de bueno es), y en este caso la formación de sexteto elegida por el gallego viene a ser un all stars de la escena del jazz contemporáneo europeo actual. Viendo a los responsables de Música imaginaria, uno ya da por hecho que el material va a ser de calidad, pero en esta ocasión no se trata simplemente de un muy buen disco hecho por grandes músicos: este álbum es una de las obras más completas e indiscutibles que han surgido en este país en muchos, muchos años.

El sexteto excepcional comandado por Baldo Martínez nos ofrece una hora de música maravillosa, repleta de desarrollos sorprendentes y emocionantes, en forma de composiciones que vuelan libres y se van desplegando hacia caminos de una belleza arrebatadora. Todo es elegante aquí, todo suena emocional y cuidado hasta el extremo, todo encaja de una manera extraña y casi mágica en un collage improbable de jazz contemporáneo, improvisación libre y sonoridades deudoras del folklore. Todo es orgánico, natural y armonioso: hay luz en todo momento. Música imaginaria es un trabajo completísimo en el que vibráfonos, acordeones, fiscornios, marimbas y flautas se entrelazan de forma festiva, bella e imaginativa en torno a elementos más convencionales de la tradición del jazz como el saxo, la batería, la trompeta o el contrabajo para crear una obra fascinante, original, adictiva desde la primera nota y totalmente escurridiza a la hora de buscar etiquetas para intentar definirla.

Cada momento de este disco es un derroche de talento y creatividad que quita el hipo: el pulso juguetón y saltarín de “A través del muro”, en el que la banda se muestra exuberante en arreglos y explosividad tímbrica, o la solemnidad y dramatismo de “Gaia” (uno de los momentos en los que Baldo Martínez, generoso en todo momento a lo largo del disco, se pone al frente y nos regala una clase magistral de expresividad y emoción convirtiendo su contrabajo en un quejido misterioso antes de que la flauta de Juan Saiz haga despegar la pieza hacia la estratosfera); el ambiente mágico y soñador de las marimbas y vibráfonos de Andrés Coll en “Ruliña y su mundo”, con el acordeón de Joâo Barradas entregado al intimismo y a la melancolía; la belleza casi desarmante de “Luz de marzo” y sus fraseos de saxo desbordantes de clasicismo y elegancia; la abstracción desestructurada que poco a poco deriva en groove de “Todos fuera”; el misterio ambiental y brumoso de “Live in Oviedo” como cierre de disco, con la voz de Lucía Martínez resonando de fondo como lamento ancestral… El nivel creativo e interpretativo es altísimo en todo momento en este disco, y aunque no hay eslabones débiles en este sexteto (es apabullante lo bien que suenan estas seis personalidades), es de justicia destacar el trabajo de Lucía Martinez a la batería: el despliegue de recursos, versatilidad, clase e inventiva de Díaz en este álbum es de otro planeta. La brillantez y compenetración rítmica entre la batería y el contrabajo es fascinante a lo largo de Música imaginaria, ofreciendo a cada composición unos cimientos con una solidez, seguridad e inventiva que quitan el aliento y se convierten en colchones perfectos sobre los que el resto de elementos vuelan libres hasta alcanzar cotas de calidad realmente altas.

Escuchen este disco con atención, y cuando termine, escúchenlo una y otra vez; cada vez que se acerquen a él van a descubrir nuevos recodos de genialidad, talento y luz. Música que ensancha el alma.

 

 

Texto: Ricky Lavado

Octubre 21, 2024

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