February 4th, 9:00 pm
TEMPO Grand Auditorium – Teatro Municipal de Portimão
75 min | M/6
€10.00 | Tickets on sale at https://tempo.bol.pt and at the box office
2021 saw the birth of one of the most interesting projects in the current music scene: the Transatlantic Express.
The Lisbon band that brings together Gaspar Varela on Portuguese guitar, Sebastião Varela on electric guitar and Rafael Matos on drums released their eponymous debut EP at the end of that year, having received the highest praise from the national and international public. The work included themes such as “Primeira Rodada”, “Azul Celeste” (in honor of the fado singer Celeste Rodrigues, sister of Amália and great-grandmother of Gaspar and Sebastião), “Alfama, Texas” and “When Neptuno gave to the Coast”, released in a special edition that includes the reading of an unpublished poem by Sebastião Varela.
It was between Lisbon and the United States of America that the group’s first ideas began to emerge. Gaspar Varela was on tour with Madonna, while his two companions sent him the first «mesh» on that transatlantic trip.
With a sound influenced by the rhythms of Portuguese, Brazilian and African popular music, the debut work of these young musicians reveals, over six songs, the soundtrack of a Lisbon with a view to the world.
The trio’s internationalization began at the Opening Ceremony of WOMEX 2022 and 2023 will see the debut album by Expresso Transatlântico. The first advance is called “Barquinha” and has the special participation of Conan Osiris, who also wrote the lyrics.
Sebastião Varela – electric guitar
Rafael Matos – drums
Gaspar Varela – Portuguese guitar
Diogo Duque – trumpet
Tiago Martins – bass