The pandemic gave many artists ample time to reflect and find new ways to push their art forward. Many of them, particularly musicians, used it to experiment with different musical forms and try to make a seamless combination of musical styles, often from around the globe.
One such artist is Portuguese singer-songwriter Sofia Hoffmann, who presents the results of her endeavors in that respect on her latest album Rebirth.
Now whatever Hoffmann did beforehand, might be great, but this worldwide musical combination she came up with Grammy-winning producer and pianist John Beasley (Miles Davis, AR Rahman, Steely Dan), really works, with often some impeccable results.
Hoffmann came up with a combination of jazz, classical Indian music, Portuguese and Brazilian rhythms that really works, as all of those different musical forms were made for each other.
The success on this project was founded on Hoffman’s excellent vocals and songwriting and choice of covers, Beasley’s production, but also on a number of participating musicians from around the globe, including the American sitarist Arjun Verma (son of late sitarist Acharya Roop Verma, and disciple of Ali Akbar Khan) who was influential and shaped the Indian elements of this record. Additionally, Hoffman brought in the GRAMMY-nominated Indian sitarist Gaurav Mazumdar, the “father of Portuguese rock” Rui Veloso, and Portuguese jazz and world music bansuri flutist Rão Kyao.
It all results in music that definitely proves the chosen album title.
