From Salvador, Bahia, a distinctive voice in the living tradition of Brazilian music

Brazilian singer Dominique joins pianist, composer, and bandleader Jesper Hedegaard and an international ensemble to explore the richness of MPB, from samba and samba-canção to baião and original compositions, bringing tradition and modernity together.

Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia – the cradle of samba – Dominique is a distinctive voice in contemporary Brazilian music. 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 embodies a compelling meeting of Brazilian musical tradition and fresh, contemporary expression.

Jesper Hedegaard has been immersed in Brazilian music for more than five decades. He lived and worked as a pianist in Salvador for ten years during the 1980s and 1990s, developing a deep personal and musical connection to the city and its rich traditions. Those years were a formative chapter in his life and remain among his most meaningful. In 1987, he received the prestigious Troféu Caymmi in Salvador.

Together with Pedrinho Augusto on drums and percussion, Yasser Pino on bass, and Mats Andersson on guitar, Dominique and Jesper create an ensemble that brings together musicians from different backgrounds in a shared exploration of Brazilian music.

The concert brings voice and instrumental performance together in a vibrant musical dialogue, rich in presence, virtuosity, and improvisation. The repertoire includes works by some of Brazil’s great composers, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, and Arismar do Espírito Santo, alongside original compositions by Jesper Hedegaard and Dominique.

The music moves through samba, choro, baião, and samba-canção, embracing the diversity and expressive depth of Brazil’s musical traditions. The album Frutos do Nagé features its title track, a samba composed by Jesper during his years in Salvador. It pays tribute to Samba de Roda, recognised by UNESCO in 2005 as an element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

An international ensemble

Dominique & BrasilExperience brings together musicians from Brazil, Sweden, Cuba, and Denmark. The lineup may vary from concert to concert, depending on location and logistical considerations, while maintaining the same musical spirit and commitment to Brazilian music.

Line-up

Dominique (BRA) – Vocals
Jesper Hedegaard (DK) – Piano
Mats Andersson (SE) – Guitar
Yasser Pino (CU) – Bass
Pedrinho Augusto (BRA) – Drums and percussion

BIO – A life devoted to Brazilian Music

Jesper Hedegaard is a Danish pianist, composer, producer, and bandleader who has devoted more than five decades to Brazilian music. His deep connection with Música Instrumental Brasileira (MIB) has grown through a lifetime of musical exploration, collaboration, and first-hand experience of Brazil’s rich musical traditions.

At the age of 24, Jesper travelled to Brazil, where he spent 12 years living and working as a performing pianist. Ten of those years were spent in Salvador, Bahia, during the 1980s and 1990s. The city’s music, culture, and people became a deeply meaningful part of his life, shaping both his musical expression and his personal connection to Brazilian culture.

Throughout his career, Jesper has performed alongside many respected Brazilian musicians, including Miúcha and Zezé Motta, as well as musicians associated with Djavan and Ivan Lins. In 1987, he received the Troféu Caymmi in Salvador, Bahia, in recognition of his artistic work.

Since 1976, Jesper has also played an important role in cultural exchange between Brazil and Denmark, bringing more than 100 Brazilian musicians and artists to Denmark. Through concerts, festivals, national tours, and educational work, he has helped introduce Brazilian music to audiences and musicians across Denmark and beyond.

His international career has taken him to stages in Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the United States. He has performed at events including the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and the European Festival in Coimbra, Portugal, and has taught Brazilian music at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory and MGK in Denmark, as well as at a university and music school in Lisbon.

His recordings reflect an ongoing commitment to Brazilian musical traditions. In 2012, he released Time to Change with the Jesper Hedegaard Trio, which received an excellent review in Jazz Special.

In April 2025, he released Frutos do Nagé in collaboration with Dominique. The album received good reviews, continuing his exploration of Brazilian musical traditions through original compositions and artistic collaboration.

Today, through BrasilExperience, Jesper continues to share Música Instrumental Brasileira with audiences in Europe and beyond, bringing together decades of experience, a deep respect for Brazilian musical traditions, and a personal musical voice shaped by a lifetime of cultural exchange.

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 received good reviews, continuing his exploration of Brazilian musical traditions through original compositions and artistic collaboration.

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

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

Listen to the entire album

Tech Spec

Get in touch

For bookings or general enquiries get in touch using the form or direct email

mail(@)jesperhedegaard.dk