Release tour with an international ensemble rooted in Brazilian music
Experience the sensuality, rhythm, and rich sonic landscape of Brazilian music as Dominique & BrasilExperience present their new album Frutos do Nagé in concert.
The Brazilian singer Dominique is an outstanding new voice on the international scene. Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia – the cradle of samba – she embodies both tradition and a fresh, contemporary musical expression. With her warm, precise voice and magnetic stage presence, she gained wide recognition through her participation in The Voice Brasil in 2023, where she was compared to the legendary Elis Regina.
She performs alongside acclaimed Danish pianist, composer, and bandleader Jesper Hedegaard, who has worked with Brazilian music for more than five decades. Having lived and worked in Brazil for 12 years, he has developed a deep artistic connection to the tradition. In 1987, he received the prestigious Caymmi Trophy and has collaborated with numerous leading Brazilian artists.
Together with Pedrinho Augusto (drums/percussion), Yasser Pino (bass), and Mats Andersson (guitar), they form BrasilExperience an ensemble representing a high level of contemporary Brazilian music.
The concert merges voice and instrumental performance into a vibrant and dynamic musical dialogue characterized by presence, virtuosity, and improvisation. The repertoire includes works by some of Brazil’s greatest composers – such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimanto and Arismar do Espírito Santo – alongside original compositions by Jesper Hedegaard and Dominique.
Audiences are taken on a journey through samba, choro, baião, and samba-canção – where tradition and modernity meet in a powerful and captivating live experience. The album Frutos do Nagé also includes the title track, a tribute to Samba de Roda, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Line-up
Dominique (BRA) – Vocal, Jesper Hedegaard (DK) – Piano, Mats Andersson (SE) – Guitar, Yasser Pino (CU) – Bass, Pedrinho Augusto (BRA) – Drums
BIO – True dedication
Jesper Hedegaard is a pianist, composer, producer, and bandleader, and one of Denmark’s most dedicated interpreters of Brazilian music. Since the mid-1970s, he has worked extensively within the genre, developing a rare and authentic connection to its cultural and musical roots—most notably through 12 years as a resident musician in Brazil.
Jesper Hedegaard has performed internationally and collaborated with a wide range of Brazil’s most renowned musicians, including Miúcha, Zezé Motta, and members of bands associated with Djavan and Ivan Lins. In 1987, he was awarded the Troféu Caymmi in Salvador, Bahia, in recognition of his work.
His performances are characterized by intensity, musicality, and a strong connection with the audience. With a repertoire spanning bossa nova, samba, choro, and baião, he builds a bridge between tradition and the present, creating a vibrant live experience.
Career Highlights
A lifelong immersion in Brazilian music has shaped Jesper Hedegaard as a pianist, composer, bandleader, and producer.
In 1987, he was awarded the prestigious Troféu Caymmi in Salvador, Bahia, in recognition of his artistic work.
For more than five decades, Jesper has performed Brazilian music alongside many of Brazil’s leading musicians across Brazil, Portugal, and Denmark. He spent 12 years living in Brazil, working as a performing pianist, and has collaborated with a wide range of renowned artists, including Miúcha, Zezé Motta, and musicians associated with Djavan and Ivan Lins.
Since 1976, Jesper Hedegaard has led an extensive cultural exchange initiative, bringing more than 100 Brazilian musicians and artists to Denmark. He has also produced major events such as Festival Brasil in 1994 and 2001 and organized more than ten national tours in Denmark.
His international career has taken him to stages in Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the United States. He has performed at prominent events including the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and the European Festival in Coimbra, Portugal.
In addition to performing, Jesper has taught Brazilian music at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC) and MGK in Denmark, as well as at university and jazz school in Lisbon.
In 2012, he released the album Time to Change with the Jesper Hedegaard Trio, which received an outstanding review from Jens Lohmann in Jazz Special.
In April 2025, he released Frutos do Nagé in collaboration with Dominique. The album was met with highly positive reviews, reaffirming the artistic maturity, contemporary relevance, and lasting significance of his work.
The band
Jesper Hedegaard (DK) – pianist, composer, and producer – has devoted his life to the Brazilian music tradition. For five decades, he has performed Brazilian music with leading Brazilian musicians in Brazil, Portugal, and Denmark. He lived and performed in Brazil for 12 years, where he received the Troféu Caymmi award in 1987. There, he collaborated with artists such as Miúcha, Zezé Motta, Sizão Machado (Djavan), Marcelo Martins (Djavan, João Bosco), Renato Massa (Azymuth), Rodrigo Villa (Família Jobim, Mart’nália), and Diogo Gomes (Ivan Lins).
In 2012, he released the CD Time to Change, which received excellent reviews in Jazz Special. His new album Frutos do Nagé was released in April 2025 to critical acclaim.
Mats Andersson (SE) – guitar – graduated from the Malmö Academy of Music in 1998 and has been a lecturer there since 2001. He plays a prominent role in Sweden within the Brazilian music tradition, both as a performer and educator. Through numerous trips to Brazil, he has developed a deep understanding of the music alongside some of the country’s leading musicians.
He has performed internationally in Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, England, Finland, Italy, Japan, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Germany, the USA, and throughout Sweden. He has collaborated with artists such as Miriam Aida, Joyce Moreno, Mimi Terris, Vitor Casagrande, Luis Barcelos, Marco Pereira, Magnus Lindgren, and Rosalia de Souza.
Yasser Pino (CUB) – bass – born in Havana in 1976 and now based in Copenhagen. He graduated as a classical guitarist and teacher from the Amadeo Roldán Conservatory in Havana in 1995, and later as a double bassist from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen in 2006.
In Cuba, he worked with artists such as Gerardo Alfonso, Raul Torres, Polito Ibáñez, Chucho Valdés Jr., Roberto Fonseca, and many others. An in-demand musician, he collaborates widely and has worked with artists including Morten Grønvad, Jonas Johansen, Jakob Dinesen, Calixto Oviedo, and members of groups such as Afro-Cuban All Stars and Cubanismo. He is also an active educator.
Pedrinho Augusto (BRA) – drums & percussion – from Brasília, with more than 10 years of international experience as a performer, educator, and session musician. He holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and the University of Louisville.
He has worked with artists such as Gilberto Gil, Dominguinhos, Victor Wooten, Jovino Santos Neto, and Michael League. He has performed and taught in Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, the USA, Cape Verde, the UK, Portugal, Spain, and France, and has appeared at festivals including Formentera Jazz Festival, Jazz à Juan, and Havana Jazz Plaza Festival.
Photos
Click on the image to see it in high resolution and right click to download.
Videos
O Que é O Amor by Arlindo Cruz
Frutos do Nagé by Jesper Hedegaard
Cadê a Marreca by Arismar do Espírito Santo
Dominique talks about the tour
Music
I wrote the samba Fruits of Nagé when I lived on Nagé Street in 1983 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. My composition is a tribute to Samba de Roda (Samba in a Ring), which UNESCO declared part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage in 2005.
Review: Album Frutos do Nagé “Exquisite arrangements and compositions with a distinctly Brazilian flavor, combined with impeccable execution. The album stands out for its rich harmony and natural swing, while violin, viola, and harmonica add finesse and sensitivity to every track.” – Cesar Machado, Brazilian drummer, arranger & educator
Tech Spec
Get in touch
For bookings or general enquiries get in touch using the form or direct email
mail(@)jesperhedegaard.dk