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

Joao and Brazilian pianist and composer Andre 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 Joao, which will be released on

an album on 19th July 2024, by Galileo Music Germany, with lyrics created by Maria Joao. 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 Joao for her album "A Poesia de

Aldir Blanc" (label Sesc).

Maria Joao'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 Joao 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

di cult 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 Mario 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 Joao's

recording career, however, is much longer: she released her first album, "Quinteto de Maria

Joao", 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 Katche, among many others. Alongside

his work with Mario Laginha, in 2009 he took on the Ogre project, which includes musicians

Joao Farinha (piano and keyboards), Julio Resende (piano), Joel Silva (drums) and Andre

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 Fabrica Braco de Prata and

made its debut on record in 2012 with "Eletrodomestico", a record that was followed by four

Andre 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 fi y-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 Niteroi-RJ in 1977 and raised in Ribeirao Preto-SP, he

became known to the general public when he won the first edition of the Visa MPB Award,

already established in Sao Paulo. Twice nominated for a Latin Grammy, Andre'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 (Andre

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 Antonio Meneses,

Emmanuele Baldini, Maria Bethania, Milton Nascimento, Sergio Santos, Hamilton de Holanda,

Na Ozze i, Guinga, Monica Salmaso, Mario Laginha, Maria Joao Grancha, Makoto Ozone,

Toninho Horta, Fafa de Belem and Alaide 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