Manu Katché and Salvador Sobral open a week of magical concerts
- The prestigious drummer will present his project ‘The ScOpe’ in Rincón del Jazz (Jazz Corner) (Wednesday 12) & Tenerife Auditorium (Thursday 13)
- The Portuguese singer, winner of Eurovisión 2017, will be at the Theatre Leal (Wednesday 12) and the Pérez Galdós Theatre (Thursday 13)
Islas Canarias, 11 de julio de 2023. The Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Más enters a magical week, in which it will feature some of the main artists of this 32nd edition. On the one hand, Manu Katché, one of the most highly acclaimed percussionists of the genre, and on the other, the Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral, who will star in the first two concerts of an excitiing week which will also feature the Metropole Orkest & Kandace Springs, the star attraction this year.
Within the framework of the festival Manu Katché will present pieces from his latest album, ‘The ScOpe’, first in Rincón del Jazz (Jazz Corner) at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium (Wednesday 12, at 20.30 hours) and the following day at the same time at the Tenerife Auditorium (Sala de Cámara – Chamber Hall); Salvador Sobral will first perform at the Theatre Leal in La Laguna (Wednesday 12, at 20.30 hours) and the following day at the same time, will take the stage at the Pérez Galdós Theatre (Gran Canaria.
Both as a live and studio musician Manu Katché is one of the greatest drummers of our time. Possessed of a unique playing style, it’s because of his distinct mixture of elegance and power that, time and again, musicians and producers have sought his services. As Peter Gabriel’s drummer of choice Katché was hugely influential on his biggest hit Sledgehammer and, more recently, as the focal point of Gabriel’s live band on his “Back to front” world tour. Katché’s long-running collaboration with Sting is also a key aspect of his career, and yet again his distinctive style lent itself to Sting’s greatest success, Englishman in New York.
Manu Katché studied at the Conservatory, but his musical origins lie in rock. This extraordinary drummer has listened to a lot of jazz, but his career is not focused on this style. Things get complicated when you listen to his tenth album, The ScOpe, in which he delves into the roots of groove music while incorporating modern machine sounds. The cover of the abum, designed by Arno Lam, portrays a side view of Katché: “an African profile”, he says, and indeed Africa is the underlying theme of the whole album.
The drums are then naturally at the centre of The ScOpe, an electro album with both a carnal and a celestial touch, a sort of frenetic spasm lingering on with pleasure and revival. The album comes to complete, rather than strictly break with, his past discography, that of an expert musician who has been solicited by Sting, Peter Gabriel & Véronique Sanson among others. “I have built the tracks around the drums, and it is no wonder I’ve always played that instrument – my dad’s from the Ivory Coast. I wanted to see people move, dance and sing the gimmicks when they listened to it.”
Katché’s work as a composer and conductor is an integral part of his career. His music is distinguished by his sense of precise, melodic & catchy themes, its unique fluidity and deep sense of atmosphere. It is testament to Manu Katché’s genius that both these sides of his musical personality – the outstanding drummer and sound-magician, and the composer and bandleader – complement each other so perfectly.
In 2017/2018, he explored the formula of the quartet with a long-time French companion on bass: Jérôme Regard (who, like Manu, knows how to adapt himself to all contexts…): jazz, pop, rock… and who has played with Michel Legrand, Jan Garbarek, Louis Winsberg…), the guitarist Patrick Manouguian, who accompanies both big names in jazz (Dee Dee Bridgewater, Minino Garay, Didier Lockwood…) as well as well-known French variety singers (Bernard Lavilliers, Florent Pagny…) and pianist Elvin Galland. A formation with which he features at this double performance for the Canarian audience.
Salvador Sobral (Lisbon 1989), surprised the world in 2017 by winning the Eurovision Song Festival for Portugal with the highest score ever obtained by any artist (even today), and with a song without any dressing, such as dance, lighting or screens. “Amar pelos dois” (Love for Both of Us), composed by his sister Luisa, won the prestigious award, while the singer was going through the worst moments of ill health, as he was on the waiting list for a heart transplant, that took place months later.
Now, Salvador Sobral comes for the first time to the Canary Islands to present his latest albums, ‘Excuse me’, ‘París, Lisboa’ and ‘bpm’, and a little insight of what will be his new album ‘Timbre’, which is due to be released towards the end of September this year. An artist of whom Caetano Veloso has said “is more, much more than Eurovision. He knows the grandeur of art. For me, one of the greatest singers in the world”. He will be accompanied by his usual band: Salvador Sobral (vocals), Max Agnas (piano), André Rosinha (double bass), Bruno Pedroso (drums) & André Santos (guitar).
He lived in the USA and in Spain, in Mallorca & Barcelona, where he studied at the prestigious school ‘Taller de Musics’. During this period he composed his own songs, formed several groups and discovered his musical identity.
In 2016, he released his first single, ‘Excuse me’. In 2017 he participated in the Song Festival ‘Festival de la Canción’, with the song Amar pelos Dois, written by Luísa Sobral, with which he went on to win the Eurovision Festival that same year, achieving the highest score in its history. Since then he has been honoured with several awards & mentions and acclaimed by both national & international press.
In March 2019 he released his second album, ‘París, Lisboa’, which led to an extensive tour throughout Europe. Along with his solo work he has developed numerous projects that extend to other musical spheres and of different origins: Noko Woi, Alexandre Search, Mutrama, Alma Nuestra, Quinta das Canções and, more recently, ‘Salvador Sobral chante Brel’. ‘bpm’ was his third studio work, recorded in January 2021 at the ‘Le Manoir de Léon’ Studios in the south of France, and composed entirely by Salvador along with his friend Leo Aldrey, producer of the album.
Then in September 2022 came the EP “SAL”, consisting of one original piece and three numbers that are part of a live repertoire, but that, until now, still haven’t been released on disc. Recorded at home, with voice & piano, it’s both a journey and an invitation to enter into the personal & intimate universe of the musician.
A little over a month from his debut in Brazil, the country he has always dreamed of performing in, Salvador Sobral brought forward his new album of originals, with the release of Al llegar. The duet with Jorge Drexler, released digitally in April 2023, will form part of ‘TIMBRE’, the fourth studio album to be released on 29 September.
PROGRAMME:
GRAN CANARIA
Wednesday 12:
Rincón del Jazz (Jazz Corner), Alfredo Kraus Auditorium (20.30 hours)
-Manu Katché ‘The ScOpe’
Thursday 13:
Pérez Galdós Theatre (20.30 hours)
-Salvador Sobral
TENERIFE
Wednesday 12:
Theatre Leal, La Laguna (20.30 hours)
-Salvador Sobral
Jueves 13:
Tenerife Auditorium (20.30 hours)
-Manu Katché ‘The ScOpe’
