SAXOPHONE AND CLARINET
Alvorada have put together a new video – all recorded remotely while in Covid-19 lockdown.
Today is National Choro Day in Brazil, and marks the birthday of Pixinguinha. This is our version Gostosinho, by another great choro composer, Jacob do Bandolim.
Unfortunately, many upcoming performances are being cancelled due to Covid-19. Here’s a current list, which I’ll keep updated as events develop.
March 29th – London Vocal Project @ Pizza Express, Soho
March 29th – Roda de choro @ The Harrison, Kings Cross
April 3rd – Alvorada @ The Post, Seven Sisters
April 9th – Alvorada @ Future Inn, Bristol
April 10th – Alvorada @ Royal Festival Hall Central Bar, Southbank
May 19th – Alvorada & Luciana Rabello @ Pizza Express, Holborn
June 7th – Alvorada @ Florence Works, Islington
June 12th – Alvorada @ Fleece Jazz, Colchester
August 7th-31st – Showstopper @ Pleasance Grand, Edinburgh Festival
August 12th – Alvorada @ Lake District Summer Music International Festival
August 13th – Alvorada @ The Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell
September 6th – Alvorada @ London Folk Festival, Cecil Sharp House, Camden
Alvorada had a great time in Dorset, playing to some packed venues around the county and meeting lots of new listeners, most of whom were hearing choro for the first time.
While we were away we also were delighted to discover that we’ve been nominated for Best Group in the Songlines Music Awards 2020. You can vote for us here:
www.songlines.co.uk/awards/2020
(closes midnight on Friday 31st January)
Alvorada’s first shows of 2020 are just around the corner.
We play three dates in Dorset on January 23rd – 25th, as part of the Artsreach Rural Touring programme. We’ll be performing at venues in Wootton Fitzpaine, Portesham and Chetnole. Info and booking here: artsreach.co.uk/event/alvorada
Then on February 1st we’re back in London at one of our favourite venues, The Harrison. Book tickets here: www.wegottickets.com/event/493042
Alvorada’s performance in the London Jazz Festival was a great evening. We played to a sold out crowd at the Elgar Room in the Royal Albert Hall, playing music from ‘First Light’ alongside new material that we’ve been working on this year. We also had the special pleasure of inviting the amazing pianist, John Turville, to join us for a few tunes. He brought something very different to the music, and it was a delight to have him with us.
Photos: Captured by Liz
© Liza Heinrichs
Just a few more gigs left this year before we enter the ’20s!
This Saturday, November 16th, Alvorada play at the Elgar Room in the Royal Albert Hall, as part of the London Jazz Festival. A couple of days after, on November 18th, I’ll be playing in Showstopper: The Improvised Musical at the Lyric Theatre.
At the end of the month I have two gigs with Gabriela Kozyra, playing repertoire from her sumptuous album ‘Noites Brasileiras’. First on November 27th alongside Walter Lopes at Sands Films Studio, and then we travel to Poland to play at Raciborskie Cultural Centre on November 30th, also with Sam Watts and Andres Ticino.
Last up, on December 14th, I’ll be with London Vocal Project at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho. We’ll be performing a mixture of our unique arrangements of Christmas songs, alongside tunes from a new project – the James Taylor Songbook.
See the gigs page for links to more info.
Alvorada were delighted to be announced as winners of both the Latin UK Awards (Brazilian Act of the Year) and the Focus Brasil Awards (Best Musical Group). We had a fun time recently attending the LUKAS award ceremony to collect our prize.
We’re unable to attend the FOCUS Brasil ceremony this year, because we’re already playing that night! Our upcoming gig in the London Jazz Festival has just sold out. We’ve also played some great gigs to new audiences recently in Cambridge, Ipswich and Brighton, and are looking forward to travelling more around the UK.
If you haven’t had a chance to catch any of our live gigs, you can listen back to some recent radio broadcasts – we appeared on In Tune on BBC Radio 3 with Katie Derham and on A World In London with DJ Ritu on SOAS Radio.
Alvorada has been nominated for two awards this autumn. In the Latin UK Awards we have been shortlisted for Brazilian Act of the Year; and in the Focus Brasil awards, we’re nominated for best Musical Group.
Both awards take into account a popular vote! To vote for us, please click on the images.
The Alvorada album launch at Pizza Express Live was a great night. (And so was the second extra date!) Here’s a selection of moments from the show.
Photos by Greg de Wode.
We had a fantastic time at the launch for ‘First Light’ last night. We played tracks from the album, alongside some new tunes, and some arrangements with the amazing pianist Roee Ben Sira, our special guest.
It was great to have such an amazing turn out from all our supporters. The gig sold out well in advance, and in fact, there was such demand for tickets that we’ve added another date at the same venue – this time on May 2nd.
Booking here:
https://www.pizzaexpresslive.com/whats-on/alvorada/283207441007.
And you can pre-order the new album, ‘First Light’, here:
https://alvoradamusic.bandcamp.com/releases
