Rodrigo Leão in concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington:
Millennium Stage: March 20 at 6 pm.
presented by Arte Institute and sponsored by Luso American Foundation for the Development (FLAD)
The founding musician behind well-known Portuguese ensemble Madredeus—and founding member of indie-rock band Sétima Legião—began a solo career in 1993. He has also composed scores for several films, including 2013’s The Butler directed by Lee Daniels.
Watch the interview https://vimeo.com/118486568
Solo, the debut album by the internationally acclaimed Portuguese maestro Rui Massena is out today!
The album focus around an artistic Amália Rodrigues’s side that the public in general didn’t got in touch with until now: her verses. This new project it’s an original idea of Manuela de Freitas on which Amélia Muge chose to partner and, simultaneously homage Amália and the world beyond, Fado and Fado singers, who were the first to performance themes of her authorship.
“Amélia com versos de Amália” has the arrangements of José Mário Branco, who also did the musical direction with José Martins. The creation of the original themes for Amália’s verses resulted on a combined work by Amélia, Michakes Loukovikas (Amelia’s partner on her latest album “Periplus”) and José Mário Branco.
Amélia Muge brought to theses verses an enormous musical diversion that is a constant and distinguished mark on her artistic work, reflecting an expression of Amália Rodrigues that nobody is used to, and never forgetting that Amália was one of the main links that connected Fado and the musicality of other cultures.
Out of Mayra Andrade’s fourth album “Lovely Difficult”, the theme “Ilha de Santiago” is not only a deep return to her roots but above all a journey through the map of her life and her main musical references. In this new video Mayra pays a tribute to all the artists and composers that inspired her since the start.
Her own words about it “This video is my tribute to the musicians of the island of Santiago but also to the authenticity, care and hope that characterize the Cape Verdean people. I’ll always remember this shoot travelling across my island surrounded by so much love.
Thanks so much to Colin Solal Cardo for that amazing present and to all the team that made this adventure possible.”
Out now the first official videoclip from Cristiana Águas’ debut album – “Porque Não”. Full video soon to be released on a special for a portuguese TV channel.
Cristiana Águas “Porque Não” – 1st official videoclip from the debut album. from UGURU on Vimeo.
Cristiana Águas, the fado singer who lent her voice to the tribute feature film on the Diva of Fado, Amália Rodrigues, debuts an amazing album, produced by Pierre Aderne and featuring a starry group of musicians from both sides of the Atlantic: Portuguese (Luís Guerreiro, Carlos Leitão, António Quintino, Henrique Leitão) and Brazilian musicians (Jorge Helder, Ricardo Silveira, Jurim Moreira, Dadi, Mú Carvalho, Nilson Dourado, Gustavo Roriz), mixed and masterized by Mário Barreiros, one of Portugal’s top producers, embodies a special moment of Portuguese music scene, in 2014.
The album is available in all digital platforms for streaming and download.
Lovely Difficult the latest album of Mayra Andrade is nominated in the category “Best World Music Album” for the french award Victoires de la Musique 2014.
Established by the French Ministry of Culture these awards recognize the best achievements in music in France and distinguish the artists of the year .
Lovely Difficult is the fourth album of Mayra Andade and was released in 2013. The first single ” We used to call it love ” and had immediate sucess by the public and the critics.
About its most pop-oriented, the singer songwriter stated recently “all music lives from blend and openness to others”. Mayra wanted the album to be revolutionary but simultaneously accessible, pop and bold, eclectic and personal. Lovely Difficult displays independence and individuality, without any stylistic and linguistic barriers.
Congratulations, Mayra Andrade!
Rodrigo Leão has been invited by American filmmaker Lee Daniels (“Precious” and “The Paper Boy“) to composing the soundtrack of his latest feature film “The Butler“. Quincy Jones and Alexandre Desplat have been indicated as the first names but Rodrigo has just been confirmed. It’s not the first time the composer has been asked to contribute to this area, having been recently responsible for the music of “La Cage Dorée” and “My Engine’s Fragile Sound”. |
Aline Frazão is from Angola, but her music easily travels through Brazil and Cape Vert-
The young Angolan singer and writer is now releasing her second album
“Movimento/Motion”
(Ponto Zurca/ Coast to Coast).
Apart from her own compositions the record also includes the participations from angolan poets CarlosFerreira “Cassé” and Alda Lara.
Aline Frazão signs the musical production of the album.
Her band is composed by Marco Pombinho (piano and rhodes),Francesco Valente (bass and double bass) and Marco Alves (drums and percussion). This CD also had the participation of two cape verdian musicians:Miroca Paris (percussion) and Vaiss Dias (guitar and small guitar)
Artist Note
This record was really a Motion,a chain joinning many talents and friendships.
Everyone gave their contribution. The work was intensive,around the clock, interchaining emotions,
fatigue and even the climate of this grey spring.
“Movimento” encloses a lot of life within . One of this work mark’s is that everything, songs and cover,was achieved with very few takes. Almost, an analogical motion.
In the studio, it was never our goal to achieve a perfect sound, rather a balance.
A simple truth. In composition, I tried not to work too much the songs ,instead I let them ask me what they needed the next day. I composed and worked on the songs thinking about the instruments,but still there were surprises. Improvisation allows it.
It was not a very premeditated album , only finished during the mixing stage.
I really trusted the talent of all the people around me, their spontaneity, the unpredictable ideas and the songs. They sustain everything.
The musicians did a really amazing job while the communication was improved through the process.
The songs breathe and the instruments are heard.
There’s a beautiful communication between the bass and the piano, between the guitar and the percussion. Cape Vert’s islands are also very present in these songs. Vaiss and Miroca collaborations gave shape and continuation to my first trip to Cape Vert last year.
Luanda is also very present, and it is almost like an invisible character in all the songs.
Most of them were written there. Maybe that’s the reason why the songs have that strong quality of observing, sometimes alone and in silence, other times more participant and mixed.
On the other hand, I feel that this record leads to something bigger, since I feel increasingly more supported. There’s a lot of people that I identify myself with, people that inspire me, people that interact with me almost invisibly. In Angola, I feel that there is a new creative force, transversal to all the artforms, that somehow have become organized. It has been gaining some space, stating what has to be said, letting go of the old endless conversations and taking to quick action and expression. The answer is in the team effort. We want. We think. We feel. We do !That’s what “Movimento” is all about.
upcoming concerts:
May: 30, 31 Luanda
June:
7- Serpa, Encontro de Culturas
28 – Loulé, Festival Med
July:
20 – Lisboa, Largo do Intendente
24 – Sines, Festival de Músicas do Mundo
August:
23 de- Santa Maria, Açores, Festival Maré de Agosto
General Booking and Tour coordination-UGURU
Direct phone: +351214418547|6200
Cell:+351969531745
Skype:uguru.carmocruz
Here are some of the albums of Uguru artists that figured in the specialized press lists for Best Albums of the Year 2012:
Bodyspace:
fIN – John Talabot. Best album of the year
Jornal Expresso:
Periplus – Amélia Muge & Michales Loukovikas: Second best album of the year.
Revista Blitz:
Avis Rara – Gaiteiros de Lisboa: nr 12
Evergreens – The Soaked Lamb: nr 20
Em Casa – Celina da Piedade: nr 25
Ilumina – Ovelha Negra: nr 28
Portugal Rebelde:
Em Nosso Nome – Sir Scratch: nr 10
Evergreens – The Soaked lamb: nr 12
Avis Rara – Gaiteiros de Lisboa. nr 17
Ilumina – Ovelha Negra: nr 19
Amelia Muge & Michales Loukovikas – Canto em Periplus
“Avejão” – Avis Raras – Gaiteiros de Lisboa
The Soaked Lamb – A Flor e o Espinho
“Calimero e a Pera Verde” Celina da Piedade
Ovelha Negra – Só Eu Sei Quem Sou
Sir Scratch”Criatividade”