Mariá Portugal – drums / percussion, Paul Van Kemenade – altosaxophone. CD: Daytime Sketches (2017), Stranger than Paranoia (2018).
Brazilian drummer Portugal (1984) and Dutch alto saxophonist Van Kemenade (1957) met each other for the very first time on stage in Italy at the Roccella Jonica Jazzfestival 2016. They performed an improvised duo concert and it was overwhelming! Duo Portugal – Van Kemenade at Roccella Jonica jazzfestival Italy august 2016 . Van Kemenade asked Portugal to come over to the Netherlands and they recorded a cd in duo but also in trio with Dutch pianist-keyboard-player Jasper van ’t Hof (1947).
Drummer and percussionist Mariá Portugal is known from her works with a.o. Quartabê, Arrigo Barnabé, Dona Zica and Fernanda Takai.
Altoist Van Kemenade (1957) is known for his collaborations with diverse musical disciplines and cultures ( South-West Africa). He played with Ray Anderson, David Murray, Han Bennink Markus Stockhausen, the Metropole Orchestra, Jorge Pardo, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and many others. He recieved in 1999 a lifetime achievement award ( Boy Edgar Prijs ) and a Royal decoration (2007) in the Netherlands.
Reviews:
Downtown Music Gallery (US) ‘Will the world of wonders ever cease to exist?!? Certainly not here’
****NRC (NL) ‘fantastic album, musicians reach great heights’
Jazzsquad (RU) ‘Frankly, I did not find any songs on the album that I did not want to hear again.’
Jazzflits (NL) ‘…lyrical playing combines ‘power’ with melancholy and poetry.’
VPRO Vrije Geluiden (NL) ‘Highly recommended.’