Pianist and composer João Paulo Esteves da Silva presented, on December 3, the album “País Distante” at Fundação Oriente in Lisbon. Rapper Papillon is preparing to debut under his own name at Coliseu dos Recreios, on March 20th, to present his latest album “Wonder”. Two artists from different musical genres and with new works, who were on the poster.
João Paulo Esteves da Silva presented, for the first time live, the new album “País Distante”, in a full-room concert, at Fundação Oriente.
“It was very well received”, says the pianist. But he adds what he felt: “After the last chord I’m unemployed.” The musician warns of the precarious situation of independent musicians who do not have a secure job.
Also a professor at the Escola Superior de Música, he emphasizes that there is currently more quantity and quality of jazz musicianscompared to when he started playing, at 18 years old.
The label Artway, based in Porto, created a Jazz catalog and “País Distante” is the first album it has released.
A milestone for João Paulo Esteves da Silva who, 30 years after his debut album “Serra Sem Fim”, returns to having a quartet. Only drummer José Salgueiro remained from this original lineup. The pianist says: “I didn’t do anything to avoid playing in a quartet. Things happen naturally.” He played in a trio, with orchestras, made records with fado singers Ricardo Ribeiro and Cristina Branco, and collaborated with artists such as Sérgio Godinho and Vitorino.
The new work recovers some of the first compositions that were not recorded on the 1995 album, including the one that gives the album its name, “País Distante”. The musician justifies the choice of title with the circumstances: he lived in France for eight years and returned “with an attitude of reunion with the country, with being Portuguese”.
The debut of Papillon at the Coliseu dos Recreios
Papillon, Rui Pereira’s stage name, was born in Portugal but only obtained Portuguese nationality as a teenager.
“It’s not just having a citizen card. Sometimes it really is the difference between having the life we want or the life we aspire to have”, says the rapper.
He was a football player, but as his situation was not regularized he could not be a member of the federation.
An accident stopped his dream of being a footballer.
“I saw the ability that music has to help overcome the most difficult situations.”
After the GROGNation collective, he decided on a solo career. “Wonder” closes the trilogy that began in 2018. A album influenced by fatherhood.
“It gave me a fresh perspective on life and the world.”
Bárbara Tinoco and Carla Prata participate in the album. The rapper says that they had to be female voices because the album is also inspired by the women in his lifefrom the mother, to the daughter, and in a “new perspective of the feminine”.
“Wonder” is a conceptual album that “must be heard from the first track to the last, then”.
O is shown on SIC, on Thursdays, shortly after 2am.
Technical Sheet:
- Presentation: Sílvia Lima Rato
- Coordination: Graça Costa Pereira
- Production: Diogo Matias Amador
- Directed by: Luís Narciso
