Maria João Abundância

A musical journey between Portugal and Mozambique, building bridges between past and future, jazz and world music, rhythm and melody.

Maria João is a living treasure, a globally recognised and applauded artist who has never ceased to be restless from a creative point of view, constantly willing to risk new adventures, seek new solutions and present new projects. The future is always the best place, believes the singer who over the decades has been an active voice in various fruitful partnerships, from Mário Laginha and Carlos Bica to Aki Takase.

Now, echoing her ancestry, Maria João is once again flying between Lisbon and Maputo to create, in the company of João Farinha and André Nascimento, allies of the OGRE project (with whom she has recorded several albums since 2012, including the recent and highly acclaimed 'Songs For Shakespeare', from 2022), a new album that combines her original voice with soaring and evocative electronic textures.

With the collaboration of new and recurring musicians - from drummers Silvan Strauss and Texito Langa to guitarist Valter Mabas and percussionist Cheny Wa Gune, responsible for the warm timbila colours - Maria João's new work also emphasises the communal power of voices through the TP50 choir in which Xixel Langa, Xizimba, Leticia Deozina, Nadya Cosmo and Onésia Muholove harmonise. Mozambican legends Mucavele and Stewart Sukuma also add their voices to those of the Portuguese singer.

Portuguese musician and producer Luís Fernandes, a recognised artist in the field of electronic avant-garde, was responsible for the production of a work that involved travelling between Portugal and Mozambique and musical bridges between the past and the future, jazz and world music, rhythm and melody.

Track Listing

Ao Sol Esperança Maputo Jive O Amor É Verdadeiro Beatriz Dário As Tuas Tranças Papalaty Dia Praia