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Amália Baraona
Amália Baraona was born in Portugal, grew up in Brazil and her music is a celebration of her upbringing and formative influences, in particular from Bossa Nova and Latin music. She began her musical career in Brussels in the 90s, but it was in the Balkans where she has been living since 2003 that her music took off. She recorded her first album "Mulheres" released in 2010 for the Italian label Four Records. With arrangements by pianist Bruno Montrone, "Mulheres" proposes a poetic digression on women through Brazilian popular music. Later that same year, she started an extensive correspondence with Roberto Menescal, one of the icons of the Bossa Nova movement, which led her to recording a tribute to Menescal’s music in 2012. The album "Menescantando" features a fine international band and Menescal himself guests on two tracks. In 2015 Amália launches her 3rd album "3 Mundus", three musical worlds connected by three guitarists - Petrit Çeku, Toni Kitanovski, Dinko Stipaničev.
Amália Baraona released her latest album "Everyday a Little Love" (2022.) for Croatian label Intek Music. This new project comprises 10 songs, out of which 8 are by João Donato whose work she never recorded before. The choice of repertoire is a result of Amália’s contact with Donato who sent her scores and lyrics of some of his compositions. In addition, the album includes the song “Jusqu’à la Fin” (Até o Fim), by Carlos Lyra and Marcos Valle. This is the first recording of the French version of “Até o Fim” written by Carlos Lyra who sent scores and lyrics to Amália The remaining song of the project is “Pra dizer Adeus” (To say goodbye), a Brazilian classic by Edu Lobo and Torquato Neto, which embodies the inevitable closure of what is no longer.
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'It's a sunny CD of lesser-known Brazilian sambas and bossa novas. (...) on the recording her voice is gentle, tuneful and rythmically strong-you can tell how much she loves the songs she grew up with in Brazil.' (LondonJazz News, UK, Alison Bentley)
This music may have been written for the sopranos of some women and the tenors of others but Ms. Baraona has chosen to sing them in her dusky contralto, claiming the high ground with her timbre as once powerful and tender. This reflects a wish to restore all the liveliness and mellow lyricism, and the vivacity of these miniature dramas. (World Music Report, Canada, Review by Raul da Gama, 06 Dec 2015)
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson