SOFIA REI & JORGE ROEDER: COPLAS ESCONDIDAS

Sofia Rei singing, charango, caja vidalera
Jorge Roeder double bass
The duo of the Argentine singer and the Peruvian bass player, in almost twenty years of collaboration accompanied by, among other things, a Grammy nomination, has developed an unprecedented personal-musical connection, which enables her to create a captivating emotional harmony, presented on material from the work of Latin American authors such as Noel Rosa, Pixinguinha, Nicomedes Santa Cruz, Chabuca Granda, but also the American jazz classic Thelonious Monk.
Their current album Coplas Escondidas is an over-stylish act that does not allow itself to be closed into the box of traditional folklore or avant-garde. He works with Latin American song forms, which are the basis for their joint improvisation based on jazz experiences. It is actually a kind of creative musical conversation between two long-time friends and collaborators who have influenced and inspired each other since their first meeting at the conservatory.
Sofia Rei is a classically trained mezzo-soprano who has released five solo albums in various genres, from traditional to avant-garde to electronica. She collaborated with a wide range of stars in the musical sky, starting with vocal magician Bobby McFerrin, through avant-garde guitarist Mark Ribot, or the famous arranger and conductor Maria Schneider, to the hegemon of the New York downtown scene, John Zorn.
After graduating from the conservatory, Jorge Roeder joined the philharmonic in the capital of Peru, Lima, but the fact that he simultaneously played bass with a heavy metal band testifies to the breadth of his scope. In 2002, he moved to the United States, where, among others, he collaborated with the vibraphonist Gary Burton and, like his colleague, he did not escape the famous "tentacles" of John Zorn. He is not unknown to the Brno audience, as a member of the bands of guitarist Julian Lage and pianist Shaie Maestro, he was a guest at JazzFestBrno.