Rodrigo Leão - a estranha beleza da vida [Signed CD + ticket]

BMG

£9.95

Format: Signed CD + ticket
ICPN: 4050538699425
Release Date: 22 Oct 2021
Genre: Pop

Tracklist:
1. Friend of a Friend (feat. Michelle Gurevich) - IG: 18th Jun
2. A Sala
3. Sibila
4. Who Can Resist (feat. Kurt Wagner)
5. 45 segundos
6. O Ovo do Tempo (feat. Surma)
7. Voz de Sal (feat. Martirio)
8. Introdução nº 8
9. A Valsa da Petra
10. O Maestro
11. Old Happiness
12. Janeiro 2021
13. Estrela do Norte
14. Estranha Beleza da Vida (feat. Suso Sáiz)

Rodrigo Leão spent his Covid-19 lockdown in the beautiful Portuguese region of Alentejo and let himself be dazzled by the nature surrounding him. From this experience was born a new and unexpected album of original material, "A Estranha Beleza da Vida", made in a relaxed fashion over the past few months. A positive, happy, celebratory record with special guests such as Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, Martirio, Suso Saiz, Michelle Gurevich or Surma. "A Estranha Beleza da Vida" will be released in October and will also mark Rodrigo Leão's return to the stage.

Pre Order will include signed version of the format + online concert ticket that will take place on the 30th October 2021.

RODRIGO LEÃO BIOGRAPHY

Rodrigo Leão was one of the musicians and composers behind the extraordinarily successful Portuguese ensemble Madredeus. He was in the band for nearly 10 years before leaving to focus on his own solo career.
Yet, Madredeus was only one of the many stops of an incredible 30-year journey that has seen Rodrigo Leão invite internationally acclaimed singers such as Portishead’s Beth Gibbons, The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon or Tindersticks’ Stuart Staples to sing on his albums and live shows; and perform with Ryuichi Sakamoto or Ludovico Einaudi, with whom he toured in Portugal, Spain and Italy.
Rodrigo remains, though, the same quietly spoken, modest and talented Lisboner who started out as a bassist in indie-rock band Sétima Legião before moving into Madredeus’ chamber-pop, the neoclassical textures of his own early solo material and his own unique, wistful pop songs, with guest singers like alt-Fado singer Lula Pena, Brazilian star Adriana Calcanhoto, the São Paulo newcomer Thiago Pethit. Joan Wasser aka Joan as Policewoman, or the Australian singer Scott Mathew.

This quiet man has extended his talents into new and unexpected territories over the past few years. While performing live in some of the most legendary venues of the world - London's Barbican Centre, Barcelona's Palau de la Musica, the Parisian theatres Alhambra and Grand Rex, Amsterdam's Melkweg, Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro or Washington's Kennedy Center, he has also found the time to create three major film soundtracks, including for Lee Daniels' Oscar-nominated historical drama “The Butler” starring Forest Whitaker.

He was invited to lead the artistic festivities of the 40th anniversary of the Portuguese Revolution of 1974 with a free concert on the steps of the National Parliament in Lisbon, resulting in the live CD/DVD “O Espírito de Um País”, and created music for an installation by the late Japanese artist and aquarist Takashi Amano, “Underwater Forests” and for the Lisbon Gulbenkian Museum exhibition “Brain – Vastet than the Sky”, as well as producing limited-edition electronica album “A Vida Secreta das Máquinas”.

In 2015, the prestigious classical label Deutsche Grammophon released “O Retiro”, a collaboration with Lisbon's acclaimed Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir. Rodrigo followed it by recording a whole album of songs with the New York-based singer-songwriter Scott Matthew. 2016’s “Life Is Long” followed after the two men recorded together a couple of songs and they realised their sensibilities matched perfectly.

For 2018, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his solo career, Rodrigo showed off the amazing versatility of his work, with the release of “O Aniversário”, a double-CD retrospective of his greatest hits and favourite compositions, and the reissue of “Os Portugueses”, the soundtrack he wrote for the Portuguese TV documentary series Portugal – A Social Portait.

At the same time, Rodrigo toured with a smaller band and started testing the material for his next studio project: “O Método”, co-produced by the acclaimed Italian composer and musician Federico Albanese, who helped Rodrigo find the leaner, cleaner sound he was looking for.

“O Método” was released in February 2020 and a few weeks later the Covid-19 pandemic forced the world to lock down. The global confinement meant the world tour Rodrigo had planned to promote the album had to be cancelled, and he retreated with his family to his country home in Alentejo. During the months he spent among the nature new inspirations and ideas started slowly appearing.

During the year and a half since the start of the pandemic Rodrigo created and released material that he has decided to bring together under the global title “A Liberdade”, marking the “before”, the “during” and the “after” the lockdown. “O Método” is the album made “before”. “During”, Rodrigo recorded entirely alone an EP inspired by the sounds of nature, “Avis 2020”, which was released exclusively digitally.

And, “after” the lockdown, Rodrigo found himself creating and recording a new, unexpected album of original material, “A Estranha Beleza da Vida”, featuring guests like Kurt Wagner (Lambchop), Michelle Gurevich, Martírio, Surma or Suso Saiz.

This new album is being released globally by BMG in October and will also be accompanied by the “A Liberdade” box set featuring all three albums. The release of both “A Estranha Beleza da Vida” and “A Liberdade” will mark as well Rodrigo’s long-awaited return to the stage.