Brazilian pianist Amaro Freitas will take the stage at Cineteatro Louletano on Saturday, April 30th, International Jazz Day, to star in a concert that mixes «sounds and roots of the Brazilian northeast with the sound of jazz on piano, double bass and drums».
This is one of the two concerts that the Brazilian artist will give in Portugal, as part of the European tour he is undertaking, the other being in Espinho.
«This will be a unique opportunity to see and hear an instrumentalist and composer who has been conquering territory in the world jazz scene and who has obtained enormous recognition by the critics, now that he presents his third album of originals, “Sankofa”», according to Loulé Chamber.
Loulé's show «is based on a profoundly inventive work, which garnered praise from the general press and from specialized critics. UNCUT considers it an "impressive, new and vibrant" record. Downbeat put him in the lineage of the likes of Abdullah Ibrahim, Thelonius Monk and Chick Corea. Jazzwise called it a "magnificent album", "full of unforgettable ideas and captivating sounds". And Mojo evaluated it with a rhapsody that reveals the author's “elaborate compositional style”.
«“Sankofa” is a rescue of Afro-Brazilian culture from vibrant and eclectic compositions that garnered praise from the public and the international press. The name comes from one of the Adinkra symbols, ideograms that represent concepts, created by the Akan African peoples, in the region of Ghana, as a form of communication.
The “Sankofa” symbol «represents a bird with its head turned back, thus expressing Amaro Freitas' desire to return to his roots in order to advance in new flights, dreams and futures. The album – he says – is a spiritual search for forgotten histories, ancient philosophies and inspiring figures of Black Brazil. A work where he seeks to understand the history of his ancestors, translating sonically the heritage and memory of the black peoples who made the history of Brazil and whose cultural and philosophical heritage was historically invisible».
On the European tour, which began yesterday in France and ends on May 21 in Switzerland, Amaro Freitas will play in «several emblematic and reference venues such as the X-Jazz Festival (Berlin), Jazz Café (London) and Moods (Zurich )'.
About Amaro Freitas:
Born in 1991, Amaro Freitas began his career at the age of 12 in church services, but his inventiveness quickly made him dream of new flights.
With bassist Jean Elton and drummer Hugo Medeiros, trio partners until today, he released the album “Sangue Negro” in 2016.
Two years later, in 2018, he signed a contract with Far Out Recordings, the London publisher with whom he edited his second album, “Rasif”, which is highlighted by several international publications, from Downbeat to All About Jazz or Jazz Magazine.
He performs in some of the main international jazz festivals and clubs, in addition to participating in the authorial project of the singer Lenine. In 2019, Amaro participates in the Montreux Jazz Academy, with Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, in addition to collaborating with Milton Nascimento and Criolo on the EP “Existe Amor” (2020).
Finally, in 2021, the musician released “Sankofa”, the third and acclaimed album of originals, starting a new stage in his career.
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