On signing with Decca Gold, Plínio says, “It’s really a dream come true: the opportunity to be signed by Decca Gold. All my heroes recorded for the label, especially Andrés Segovia. Being the one chosen to carry through that legacy is amazing, but such a responsibility.”
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, Plínio Fernandes’s musical talent has brought him all over the world, including to the Royal Academy of Music in London where he received his master’s degree and has lived for the last seven years. With “Saudade,” an entrancing collection of works for solo guitar, Fernandes makes his auspicious recording debut for Decca Gold, weaving together all his musical loves and telling his complex and captivating international story in sound. “I chose songs that I grew up listening to,” Fernandes explains, “and in many cases I fell in love with the guitar through them.” We hear that boundless love, that charge of artistic talent in early bloom, throughout “Saudade.”
The album also features special guests Sheku Kanneh-Mason on cello in Villa-Lobos’ flowing and lyrical “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5: I. Aria (Cantilena),” Braimah Kanneh-Mason on violin in “Menino,” and renowned vocalist Maria Rita in a rendition of “O Mundo É Um Moinho.”
Plínio has worked with Sheku Kanneh-Mason in the past when he was featured in both Sheku’s album Elgar on the track “Scarborough Fair,” and in the BBC “Imagine” documentary episode “This House is Full of Music,” which centered around the Kanneh-Mason family.
We also hear Fernandes evoke his love for a far-off home, Brazil, a wistful love that renders the passionate expression in his guitar work all the more palpable. “I’ve found a home in London, and I plan to stay,” he says, “but the title Saudade means nostalgia, longing for something, which is literally what I feel here. The way I connect to Brazil and my identity as a Brazilian artist is through music.” To that end, Fernandes performs a virtuosic, soaringly melodic set that spans a wide range: from the famous Five Preludes of Heitor Villa-Lobos — the towering representative of 20th-century classical music in Brazil —to the timeless songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Jacob do Bandolim, Violeta Parra, Edu Lobo, Cartola and more.
In addition to releasing Saudade, Fernandes is also committed to music education and was recently invited to join the Music Masters charity as an ambassador. In this capacity he’ll be performing, teaching, and guiding young musicians in the schools, carrying on the pedagogic traditions and practices that started him on his path.
TRACKLIST: 1. Assanhado — Jacob do Bandolim / 2. The Girl From Ipanema — Antônio Carlos Jobim / 3. Beatriz — Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque / 4. Aquarelle: II. Valseana — Sérgio Assad / 5. Aquarela do Brasil — Ary Barroso / 6. Bachianas brasileiras No. 5: I. Aria (Cantilena): Adagio (feat. Sheku Kanneh-Mason) — Heitor Villa-Lobos / 7. Ponta de Areia — Milton Nascimento, Fernando Brant / 8. 5 Preludes, W419: No.1 in E Minor — Heitor Villa-Lobos / 9. 5 Preludes, W419: No. 2 in E Major — Heitor Villa-Lobos / 10. 5 Preludes, W419: No. 3 in A Minor — Heitor Villa-Lobos / 11. 5 Preludes, W419: No. 4 in E Minor — Heitor Villa-Lobos / 12. 5 Preludes, W419: No. 5 in D Major — Heitor Villa-Lobos / 13. O Mundo É Um Moinho (feat. Maria Rita) — Angenor de Oliveira / 14. Recuerdos de Ypacarai — Zulema de Mirkin, Demetrio Ortíz / 15. Samba do Avião — Antônio Carlos Jobim / 16. Gracias A La Vida — Violeta Parra / 17. Se todos fossem iguais a você / Águas de Março Medley — Antônio Carlos Jobim / 18. Menino (feat. Braimah Kanneh-Mason) — Sérgio Assad.
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