SOFIA REI & JORGE ROEDER: COPLAS ESCONDIDAS

Sofia Rei vocals, charango, caja vidalera
Jorge Roeder double bass

The pairing of the Argentine singer and the Peruvian bassist, in nearly twenty years of collaboration, accompanied by a Grammy nomination among others, has achieved an unprecedented personal-musical connection that allows for a haunting emotional harmony, presented on material from Latin American composers such as Noel Rosa, Pixinguinha, Nicomedes Santa Cruz, Chabuca Granda, as well as American jazz classic Thelonious Monk.

Their current album, Coplas Escondidas, is a super-stylish effort that doesn’t allow itself to be pigeonholed as traditional folk or avant-garde. It works with Latin American song forms that are the basis for their collaborative improvisation based on their jazz backgrounds. It is actually a kind of creative musical conversation between two long-time friends and collaborators who have influenced and inspired each other since they first met at the conservatory.

Sofia Rei is a classically trained mezzo-soprano who has released five solo albums in various genres, from tradition to avant-garde to electronica. She has collaborated with a wide range of musical stars, from vocal wizard Bobby McFerrin to avant-garde guitarist Mark Ribot and renowned arranger and conductor Maria Schneider to the hegemon of New York’s downtown scene, John Zorn.

After graduating from the conservatory, Jorge Roeder joined the Philharmonic Orchestra in Lima, the capital of Peru, but the breadth of his range is evident from the fact that he played bass guitar in a heavy metal band at the same time. In 2002, he moved to the United States, where he worked with vibraphonist Gary Burton, among others, and like his colleagues, he did not escape the proverbial “tentacles” of John Zorn. He is no stranger to Brno audiences, as a member of the bands of guitarist Julian Lage and pianist Shaie Maestro he was a guest at JazzFestBrno.

The concert can be purchased as part of a full subscription at the Philharmonie Brno pre-sale on Besední Street and online from 27 May 2024. The concert solo can be purchased from 17 June 2024.