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Fado em Si Bemol has received a special mention from Carlos do Carom, Fado legend and Goya award winner: “What I just heard is simply wonderful. It’s a way of playing Fado with much innovation! Very beautiful.” - Goya
World music gets another shot in the arm with elegant sound of Portugese Fado em Si Bemol and their intimate and sophisticated style on QB which hits the streets on 11/27/12.
This formidable quintet began making a name with their live performances and QB (Quanto Baste) will be their third release and doing the unthinkable and releasing a live album as their debut. For the uninitiated, in terms of sound you could think of their music as perhaps the first cousin to some Brazilian music for the blatantly obvious reasons. A clear and incredibly organic sound, a cultural sonic cocktail for the soul.
Portuguese guitar dominates the sound of some old favorites from this group and they carefully navigate the harmonic tightrope between the contemporary and traditional roots of their music with intriguing results. The musical resume is undeniable with Fado Em Si Bemol having performed with Ivan Lins, Paquito Rivera and Courtney Pine to drop but a few names. The vibe here would be the smooth jazz equivalent of "chill" with standout tracks including "Matilde," "Do Nada O Fim" and "Folhetim." Not speaking Portuguese is simply not a problem here for those that enjoy practising the long lost art of truly listening. The context and lyrical direction of this eclectic quintet tells you everything you need to know further confirming the old adage of music being a universal language.
A unique synergy of sound, a balance of color and texture helps propel this release well past the ordinary world music sound into an extraordinary experience for those to share. World music fans should flock to this release in droves and given the almost natural appeal to Latin jazz lovers QB should cut a long path to success with the intoxicating cocktail that is QB!
Tracks: Tango Para Teresa; Casa da Mariquinhas; Pica-Pau Amarelo; Matilde; Cantigas De Maio; Fado Loucura; Do Nada O Fim; Marcha Bairro Alto; Armando's Rumba; Folhetim.
Personnel: Miguel Silva: guitarist; Paulo Goncalves: guitarist; Pedro Matos: vocals; Nuno Campos: double bass; Manuel Santiesteban: percussion.
Posted by brent black - Critical Jazz
Discography
"Live" Released 2007
"Rec" Released 2010
"QB" Released 2012
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Bio
Portugal’s Fado em Si Bemol is among the country’s most electrifying jazz acts. Part of what makes the group so appealing to audiences is the infectious and brightly lit way they are able to unite different musical styles. On the surface, Fado em Si Bemol fuse together jazz and world music; beneath that, the band is an amalgam of various global influences, sewn effortlessly by the distinct flavors of the Portuguese guitar. Quite popular in Europe, the band is starting to develop an American audience, and the release of a spicy, absolutely thrilling new album, QB, will cement that.
Fado em Si Bemol formed in 2003. It started out as a project between good friends Paulo Gonçalves, Miguel Silva and Pedro Matos to explore the nontraditional sounds of the music throughout the world using the Portuguese guitar. They played a single show using sounds of Fado and Stevie Wonder. To their surprise, there was a full house and people loved the sounds.
Five musicians with very distinct formation and experience join this project looking forward to find the conducting wire between Portuguese Fado and other music styles. With an informal and unpretentious style, the characteristic formalisms of the different genres are dissolved and doors are open to a loose and cool fusion of musical languages with the magical touch of a Portuguese Guitar. From Fado to Bossa Nova, through Jazz, Morna or Ragtime all the world combined.
The unique sound and the diverse background of the group and their music fueled their growth. They went on to add the double bass and percussions to their group. Fado em Si Bemol’s flavor was so well received not only locally, but in different parts of Europe. The group they played at countless clubs, festivals and made appearances on several Portuguese television shows.
With this success in mind, they release their first album “Live” in 2007. Continuing on the same path their second album “Rec” was released in 2010. With the popularity of both albums the group is scheduled to release their third album “QB” in September, 2012.
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