Azymuth

Formed in 1968, the original Azymuth line-up comprised Jose Roberto Bertrami on keyboards and synth, Alex Malheiros on bass and Ivan ?Mamao? Conti on drums and percussion.

Together, they are responsible for carving out an entirely new sound within Brazilian music, fusing jazz-funk with samba, creating their own unique genre, referred to as ?samba doido? ? which translates as ?crazy samba?.

The mastermind of the trio is Jose Roberto Bertrami, a musical genius whose boundary-pushing synthesizer work has drawn comparison to the likes of jazz great Herbie Hancock?s similarly pioneering ?70s output ? though the combination of Bertrami?s unique compositions and the band?s Brazilian swing make their sound completely their own.

Jose Roberto Bertrami sadly passed away in 2012, leaving a gulf in Brazilian music that cannot be replaced and a legacy that is inescapable. 2016 saw the release of latest album Fenix, penned by Mamao and Malheiros alongside Kiko Continentino, who ? having worked with Brazilian legends such as Milton Nascimento and Gilberto Gil ? is a musician certainly worthy of taking to both the studio and stage, alongside Azymuth?s esteemed original members.