Azymuth

Responsible for creating an entirely new sound, a fusion of jazz-funk with samba, referred to as ‘Samba Doido’: Azymuth is one of the most influential bands in Brazilian music history. They played with an extensive array of heroes from Brazil’s golden era of jazz, soul and funk. They celebrate their fifty years of career with a European tour, also visiting Simplon. Expect a live show like a journey through the spectrum of their brilliantly colored expressionist funk, with all the cosmic energy and masterful musicianship you would expect from the world’s largest three-piece orchestra.

It was Marcos Valle, one of those Brazilian heroes, who named the band Azymuth in 1973 during the recording of his soundtrack for the movie ‘O Fabuloso Fittipaldi’. From 1973 to 1975, Azymuth began recording their now critically acclaimed demos, which were in their archives until 2019, until they were released by London based label Far Out Recordings. In addition to their influence on jazz and funk, Azymuth’s contribution to electronic music around the world is unquestionable. They have collaborated with 4hero, Madlib (as Jackson Conti) and Jazzanova and have been sampled by Theo Parrish, Ron Trent, Global Communication, Daniel Maunick, Flying Lotus, Mr. Scruff, MF DOOM, Denzel Curry and many more.

Since the beginning of their career, Azymuth has released over thirty albums. They are still writing, recording and performing with the same enthusiasm and energy as when they started. Since the passing of keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertrami in 2012, remaining members Ivan Conti and Alex Malheiros have worked hard to keep the spirit of Azymuth alive. In 2015, Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Djavan) joined the band and has since then followed in Jose Roberto Bertrami’s footsteps.