Amaro Freitas Trio

From the slums of the Brazilian coastal town Recife, Amaro Freitas has developed into an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, who has received accolades from the likes of Herbie Hancock. Sankofa, the new album by Amaro Freitas, was named after the mythical backward-looking bird. This symbolizes the music, which is progressive while simultaneously revisiting the forgotten heritage of Afro-Brazilian culture.

Amaro Freitas sees the piano as though it were a drum with eighty-eight unique tones, showing kinship with jazz legends such as Thelonious Monk and Brazilian maestros such as Hermeto Pascoal and Egberto Gismonti. In his compositions he integrates Afro-Brazilian rhythms such as maracatu, originating from the sugar plantations, and the high intensity carnival rhythms of frevo and baião. In recent years he has collaborated with, among others, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Lenine and Milton Nascimento.