DOMINIQUE & JESPER HEDEGAARD SOUND OF BRASIL RELEASE TOUR | 2025
Link to the album Fruits of Nagé | Link to pressphotos
We are pleased to announce that release tour for the album Fruits of Nagé recorded in October 2024 will start on April 5 2025 in Denmark:
April 5 Portalen – Concert 13.00 am. April 6 Viften – Concert 15.00 am, April 8 Kulturværftet – Concert 19.15 am. April 10 Jazz På Tværs – Concert 20.00 am, April 11 Jazz Cup – Concert 15.30 am, April 12 Svanekegården – Concert 19.30 am
DOMINIQUE – An enchanting star with Brazilian swing who has participated in THE VOICE BRASIL in 2023. A God-given singer from the land of Samba and Bossa Nova. Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, the heartland of Samba, she brings a new and youthful sound that is her own.
Her performance on THE VOICE BRASIL was so remarkable that judge Lulu Santos compared Dominique to the great Elis Regina. “A memorable performance! We had Dominique practically deliver ‘love on top’. You have the voice that I call a laser beam. Because you have precision in the notes and you do it naturally”.
Dominique performs with the internationally recognized Danish pianist and pioneer Jesper Hedegaard as well as 2 outstanding Brazilian musicians, Rômulo Duarte and Ale Damasceno, who have played with the biggest artists in Brazil, and the Danish soloist Alexander Kraglund, who has received great recognition for his approach to Brazilian Music.
Jesper Hedegaard has devoted his life to the Brazilian musical tradition. He won the Troféu Caymmi award in Salvador, Bahia for the best group and has played Bossa Nova for former Crown Prince Frederik at the Brazilian Embassy with great pleasure.
For nearly 5 decades Jesper has played Brazilian Music with several of Brazil’s leading musicians in Brazil, Portugal, and Denmark. For twelve years he lived in Brazil as a performing pianist playing with some of the foremost Brazilian musicians. Since 1976, Jesper has brought over 100 Brazilian musicians and artists to Denmark. In 2012, he released the CD Time to Change, which received an excellent review from Jens Lohmann in Jazz Special.
Four short videos from October tour 2024 show our artistic level, musical depth, and empathy in Brazilian rhythms
O Que é o Amor
Cadê a Marreca
Lembra de Mim
Frutos do Nagé
The repertoire offers songs by Arlindo Cruz, Dorival Caymmi, Ivan Lins, and Djavan and original compositions by Jesper Hedegaard and Dominique. This means the audience can expect well-known Bossa Novas and Sambas, intimate ballads, unexpected Brazilian songs, and instrumental compositions with vocals.
Line up: Dominique (BRA) – vocals, Alexander Kraglund (DK) – violin, viola, vocals, and harmonica, Jesper Hedegaard (DK) – piano, Rômulo Duarte (BRA) – bass, Ale Damasceno (BRA) – drums
The band
Alexander Kraglund (DK) – violin, viola, and harmonica – with his undeniable authenticity and his captivating playing, Alexander has thrilled audiences at home and abroad since he graduated from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen in 2011. Since then, he has performed with many of Brazil’s top instrumentalists, including choro guitarist and composer Rogerio Souza, percussionist Bernardo Aguiar, and singer Thaís Motta. “Alexander Kraglund swings like a Brazilian” – Svend Asmussen
Rômulo Duarte (BRA) – bass – is one of Brazil’s foremost bassists. With his superb playing, he has been at the very top together with many of Brazil’s great masters such as Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, and Hamilton de Holanda. For the last 3 years living in Denmark where he has performed with Thomas Clausen and in the Niels Lan Doky International Jazz Collective.
Ale Damasceno (BRA) – drums – one of Brazil’s leaders of the new generation, living in Lisbon. Masters in music at Unicamp within musical performance, he has a Ph.D. in Artes Musicais at the Universidade Nova in Lisbon. He has over 20 years of experience as a teacher and drummer. He has recorded several CDs with Brazilian Instrumental Music and appeared on singer Zizi Possi’s DVD. He has appeared in concerts and recordings with artists around the world, such as Caetano Veloso, Jaques Morelenbaum, Guinga, and Gal Costa.
Quotes
“The large audience almost didn’t want to let go of Dominique & Jesper Hedegaard Sound Of Brasil when the team visited Giant Steps on Thursday evening. Not so strange because the evocative Brazilian jazz flowed easily and elegantly beyond the edge of the stage, while the charming Brazilian singer Dominique with exuberance, her warm expressive voice, and great authenticity put extra beautiful colors on the music. But she was also in good safe hands with solid and distinguished support from the bandleader and pianist Jesper Hedegaard, violinist/harp player Alexander Kraglund, and the two Brazilian musicians’ bassist Rômulo Duarte and drummer Ale Damasceno.”
“A great master and composer – Jesper Hedegaard is just so deeply rooted in his material that Brazilian should be written as a nationality in his passport”
“Jesper Hedegaard, the Danish pianist/composer, has spent his career playing Brazilian music. In addition to his undeniable talent, he plays with the most important element required to interpret Brazilian music: Passion. Undoubtedly, he is an exponent of the genre, keeping wonderful nuances of Brazilian music alive in Europe. Brazil is grateful”.
“Jesper Hedegaard is almost more Brazilian than Danish. Beautiful and endearing with a restraint that helps build tension that sharpens attention. During the seemingly effortless, elegantly swinging playing, a dialogue unfolds between the three musicians, which sharpens the desire for more.”
“Brazil was really on the musical map when Jesper Hedegaard Sound of Brasil visited Giant Steps on Thursday evening. There was also great excitement from the audience when the four excellent and well-trained instrumentalists made the sensual and fascinating Brazilian music flourish. It was elegant, beautiful, super melodious, and full of joie de vivre. Let’s go samba… Thanks to Jesper Hedegaard, Alexander Kraglund, Rômulo Duarte and Ale Damasceno”.