News

Alvorada, Brazil, choro

Alvorada awards, broadcasts and shows

Andrew Woolf

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.

Brazil, Gabriela Kozyra

Gabriela Kozyra album presentation

Andrew Woolf

A gig I’m really looking forward to this week – I’ll have the pleasure of playing with Gabriela Kozyra as she presents music from her album, Noites Brasileiras, for the first time in London. Gabi is a fantastic singer and interpreter of Brazilian songs. She made this recording last year in Rio de Janeiro, with a concept of recording only inéditas (unpublished songs), old and new. The album features enchanting compositions, exquisite arrangements and great playing by some of the finest musicians in Rio – many of whom I know personally, including Rui Alvim, João Camerero, Anna Paes, Pedro Paes, Bidu Campeche, and others.

For the show this Wednesday 28th August at 606 Club, Gabi will perform the music from the album alongside other beautiful and lesser known songs, in a formation with myself, Joseph Costi piano and Andres Ticino on percussion. (I’m also really happy I get to play with these two brilliant musicians as well!)

Tickets and info here:
https://www.606club.co.uk/events/view/gabriela-kozyra/

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Showstopper

Showstopper at Edinburgh Fringe

Andrew Woolf

I’m just heading off to Edinburgh for a run of shows with Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. Always an absolute delight to get to play with this group of incredibly skilled, ingenious and joyful group of people. This is their twelfth consecutive year at the Fringe, and my third. I’m playing daily from July 31st to August 9th (the show itself continues up until August 26th).

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/showstopper-the-improvised-musical

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Haringey Young Musicians

South Africa with Haringey Young Musicians

Andrew Woolf

I’ve just returned from an inspiring and unforgettable ten days in South Africa with Haringey Music Service, whose senior jazz ensemble I am privileged to direct (having been a member myself in my teens). We took 55 young music students to visit Durban and nearby areas, playing several concerts and experiencing a huge range of the variety of South African culture and society. Highlights included workshops in township schools, and our final night at the very moving and uplifting memorial concert of the wonderful Brian Thusi, at which we were invited to perform. I had met Brian – a special figure in South African jazz and music education – almost twenty years ago as a student when he came to London, and he had a huge impact on me at the time. Sadly Brian passed away last year, before we had the chance to meet him again on this return trip. The trip overall though was a wonderful experience which I will be reflecting on for a long time.

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