Music is always the best way to bridge distances and promote great partnerships. And to prove this theory, Europe will be the witnessing the great gathering between Portuguese singer Maria João and Brazilian pianist and composer André Mehmari. A concert full of surprises and dreams, which promises to create a new chapter in the history of this duo. Mehmari's repertoire includes new songs composed especially for his duo with Maria João, which will be released on an album on 19th July 2024, by Galileo Music Germany, with lyrics created by Maria João. An unprecedented show with surprises and some new songs by the duo. Guinga/Aldir Blanc that the duo has already performed in previous concerts, and which have become aesthetic references for the artists. Aldir, in fact, is a godfather to this project, since “O Sonho” is the partnership between Mehmari and Blanc, requested by Maria João for her album “A Poesia de Aldir Blanc” (label Sesc).

Maria João's career has been characterized by her participation in the world's most prestigious music festivals. A career that began at the Hot Clube de Portugal Jazz School and which, in just a few years, has transcended borders, making Maria João one of the few Portuguese singers to receive global acclaim. Her recognition for spreading Portuguese culture around the world earned her the Order of Infante D. Henrique by President Jorge Sampaio. She is also the only Portuguese artist to have been nominated for the European Jazz Prize along with Jamie Cullum and Bobo Stenson. Possessing a unique style, she has become a point of reference in the dicult and competitive field of improvised music. Her remarkable vocal ability and singular interpretative intensity have earned her not only international recognition, but also a place among the best singers of our time. From her partnership with pianist Mário Laginha, among the 13 albums she has recorded are: “Cor” dedicated to the cultures of the Indian Ocean; “Lobos, Raposas e Coiotes” with the Hannover Philharmonic and “Chorinho Feliz”. Maria João's recording career, however, is much longer: she released her first album, “Quinteto de Maria João”, in 1983 and immediately gained a place of prominence on the national scene. Two more albums with the quintet followed, still in the 1980s, and then her career progressed with various encounters with artists such as Aki Takase, Carlos Bica and others. Her wide-ranging artistic ability has led her to be called upon by other internationally renowned artists such as Bobo Stenson, Bobby McFerrin, Egberto Gismonti, Gilberto Gil, Joe Zawinul, Laureen Newton, Lenine, Guinga, Trilok Gurtu, Ralph Towner and Manu Katché, among many others. Alongside his work with Mário Laginha, in 2009 he took on the Ogre project, which includes musicians João Farinha (piano and keyboards), Júlio Resende (piano), Joel Silva (drums) and André Nascimento (electronics). With this line-up, the singer once again flies to new places, exploring electronic sounds in songs from her repertoire or versions by other authors. The Ogre band has played at venues such as Hot Club de Lisboa, CCB, Onda Jazz or Fábrica Braço de Prata and made its debut on record in 2012 with “Eletrodoméstico”, a record that was followed by four more albums including “Songs For Shakespeare”, released in 2022. Aer that, he worked closely with bassist Carlos Bica, with whom he released the acclaimed “Close To You” in 2023. Her capacity for innovation, her free fluctuation between genres and her constantly renewed spirit of adventure make Maria João's career, which has now spanned four decades, an example of permanent freshness and an inexhaustible source of surprises. A rare mark that only great artists can achieve.

André Mehmari is considered one of the greatest exponents of contemporary Brazilian creative music and his vast production is absolutely unique, ranging from the piano solo to jazz, opera, choro, orchestral and chamber music, to popular songs in more than fiy-five albums released since 1998, many of them produced in his own Monteverdi Studio, located in the heart of the Atlantic Forest. Born in the city of Niterói-RJ in 1977 and raised in Ribeirão Preto-SP, he became known to the general public when he won the first edition of the Visa MPB Award, already established in São Paulo. Twice nominated for a Latin Grammy, André's compositions and arrangements have been played by many orchestral and chamber groups in Brazil and abroad. He has appeared as a soloist in more than forty countries and at important jazz festivals such as Chivas Jazz, Heineken Concerts, TIM Festival, Spoleto Festival USA (André Mehmari Trio), Juan Les Pins (France), Umbria Jazz (Italy) as well as numerous tours in the USA, Europe and Japan. He has performed as a pianist alongside Antônio Meneses, Emmanuele Baldini, Maria Bethânia, Milton Nascimento, Sérgio Santos, Hamilton de Holanda, Ná Ozzei, Guinga, Mônica Salmaso, Mário Laginha, Maria João Grancha, Makoto Ozone, Toninho Horta, Fafá de Belém and Alaíde Costa, among many other leading names on the national and international scene, transcending genres and stylistic barriers with elegance and brilliance. Alongside touring, he also produces music for ballets and soundtracks for documentaries, series and films. In 2022 he won a triple prize at the Music Professionals Awards and in 2023 he premiered the opera O Machete and the Cello Concerto, receiving the Concerto Grand Prix for his intense production of classical music that year.