Fred Martins’ new album hits digital platforms on Friday, May 7, and will be released simultaneously in Brazil and Europe
The release concert will take place on Saturday, May 8, at 5 pm, at Quinta Camélia Gardens in Sintra
The concert will have special guests Joana Amendoeira and Nancy Vieira, and will be broadcast live on Biscoito Fino’s YouTube channel
The new album by Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist Fred Martins is called Ultramarino. This is the artist’s seventh album, and he has lived in Portugal for four years after spending seven years in Spain. Most of the songs on this album were composed during the period when Fred lived between the two countries.
Recorded in 2019 in Lisbon, the album will be released on music digital platforms simultaneously by the Brazilian label Biscoito Fino and by the European label Alfa Music on May 7th. A launch concert is scheduled for the following day, May 8, in the spectacular scenery of Quinta Camélia Gardens, in Sintra. The performance in voice and guitar format will have the special participation of the fado singer Joana Amendoeira and the Cape Verdean Nancy Vieira.
Ultramarino is born from a meeting with the award-winning music producer and sound engineer Hector Castillo (winner of four Latin Grammys and collaborator of David Bowie, Björk, Lou Reed and Philip Glass, among others), which records this testimony below, captured on video behind the scenes of the recordings:
“From a personal point of view, Fred Martins is an incredible individual. From a professional point of view, he is an extremely skilled musician in the instrument he plays. It is very easy to work with him, because any indication that is made, he makes adjustments easily and very quickly. This album may have a more universal sound, but it is undoubtedly Brazilian and made in Portugal ”.
“We decided to bring to this album the proposal to value the plot created in Fred’s voice & guitar performance (always recorded at the same time) and insert acoustic and electronic details, reaching an oneiric and intimate atmosphere”, reveals Hector Castillo.
Ultramarino also has the participation of great musicians in perfect alignment with the album’s proposal: Lui Coimbra (cello), Glenn Patscha (keyboards), Walter Areia (double bass), Chris Wells (percussion), Jed Barahal (cello), Rolando Semedo (bass), Mili Vizcaíno (voice), Luis Coelho (Portuguese guitar), Jaques Morelenbaum (cello) and Marcio Dhiniz (drums).
The repertoire, which has as its guiding thread its Rio de Janeiro musical base of Bossanovist lineage, still transits through the blues and sounds of Moorish (Arab) influence, reaffirming the musical connection between Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and Brazil. The arrangements are all authored by Fred Martins himself.
Among the thirteen tracks on the album, twelve are new releases, such as the samba A Filha da Porta-bandeira (Fred Martins / Alexandre Lemos), a tribute to the universe of samba, more specifically the samba school Estação Primeira da Mangueira, in the figure of the daughter of the flag-bearer; the song Zona Sul (Fred Martins / Marcelo Diniz) that is part of the most “cariocas” group of songs on the album and refers directly to Jobim’s bossa or slow-samba, Fred Martins’ musical base; Fado Crioulo (Fred Martins / Alexandre Lemos), where Fred Martins immerses himself in the fado universe, here somewhat “transfigured” by the Brazilian harmonic baggage; Colibri (Fred Martins / Marcelo Diniz) that celebrates the lightness needed to face tough times like ours, and Poema Velho (Fred Martins / Manoel Gomes), which brings much of the Iberian musicality present in northeastern Brazil.
Ultramarino album release
On Digital Platforms: May 7, Friday (Biscoito Fino / Alfa Music) – Pre-save linktr.ee/fredmartins
Official Release Concert: May 8, Saturday at 5 pm
Fred Martins – Voice and guitar
Special guests: Joana Amendoeira and Nancy Vieira
Location: Camélia Gardens – Rua Rodrigo Delfim Pereira, Jardim da Vigia, 2710-500 Sintra, Portugal.
Entry only with advance reservations by email violaovoz2021@gmail.com
Capacity: 50 people (complying with all the safety measures indicated by the DGS)
On-site parking.
