Amaro Freitas Trio

Line-up:
Amaro Freitas – piano
Rodrigo Braz – drums
Sidiel Vieira – double bass

Amaro Freitas plays the piano as if every note carries a trace of Recife. The rhythms of his hometown – shaped by maracatu, frevo and baião – form the foundation of a musical language that both reflects and challenges Brazil’s traditions. His music draws its pulse from the streets of Northeastern Brazil and transforms it into a jazz that is raw, spiritual, and firmly rooted in the present.

“You can quite easily forget that the piano is a percussion instrument — but when you hear the playing of Amaro Freitas, it suddenly becomes very, very clear.”
– Cerys Matthews (BBC Radio 6)

From growing up in the poorer neighborhoods of Recife to performing on international stages, Freitas has worked with determination and a clear artistic vision. His breakthrough albums Sangue Negro (2016) and Rasif (2018) established him as one of the most distinctive voices in new Brazilian jazz, while Sankofa (2021) explored overlooked stories and philosophies in Black Brazilian culture. In 2025, he won a Latin Grammy for a collaboration with Liniker – further strengthening his position in the Brazilian music landscape.

With the album Y’Y (2024), Freitas expands his perspective even further. Drawing inspiration from the Amazon rainforest and the Sateré-Mawé people’s relationship with nature, the music moves between the earthy and the experimental. The album features collaborations with Shabaka Hutchings, Brandee Younger, Aniel Someillan, Jeff Parker and Hamid Drake.

Freitas describes his view of Brazilian music as “decolonized” – a liberation from inherited structures in favor of an expression where history, identity and nature flow together. The result is music that is rhythmically grounded, forward-looking, and unmistakably his own.