Amaro Freitas plays as if every note carries a story. From his piano rise the rhythms of Recife, filled with strength, struggle, and spirituality. His music draws its pulse from the streets of northeastern Brazil and transforms it into a world of its own – a form of jazz that is wild, spiritual, and deeply human. Here, Afro-Brazilian rituals, urban energy, and a constant yearning for freedom meet and merge.
From the poor neighborhoods of Recife to the international jazz scene, Freitas has carved his path with relentless determination and a clear artistic vision. Rooted in the rich musical traditions of Pernambuco – maracatu, frevo, and baião – he creates a deeply rhythmic and percussive form of jazz that both reflects and challenges Brazil’s musical heritage.
“You can quite easily forget that the piano is a percussion instrument — but when you hear the playing of Amaro Freitas, it suddenly becomes very, very clear.” – Cerys Matthews (BBC Radio 6)
After his breakthrough with Sangue Negro (2016) and the follow-up Rasif (2018), Freitas established himself as one of the most original voices of a new generation of jazz artists. His acclaimed album Sankofa (2021) took listeners on a spiritual journey through the Black Brazilian experience, shedding light on forgotten stories and ancient philosophies.
With his latest release, Y’Y (2024), Freitas continues his musical and existential exploration, this time inspired by the Amazon rainforest and the Sateré Mawé Indigenous people. The album is both a tribute to nature and a powerful call for respect and protection of the planet’s ecological balance. It bridges the earthly and the cosmic, the local and the global. The Afro-Brazilian tradition intertwines with the Black avant-garde scenes of London, New York, Cuba, and Chicago, featuring artists such as Shabaka Hutchings, Brandee Younger, Aniel Someillan, Jeff Parker, and Hamid Drake.
Freitas describes his perspective on Brazilian music as “decolonized” – a liberation from inherited structures and boundaries, in favor of a sound where history, identity, and nature converge in a living, pulsating flow. The result is music that is as deeply spiritual as it is unapologetically contemporary.
On stage:
Amaro Freitas – piano
Rodrigo Braz – drums
Sidiel Vieira – double bass
This concert is part of the Malmö Folk Festival, a folk music festival taking place on various stages around Malmö from April 9–12.
