JAFUMEGA + MARTA REN & THE GROOVELVETS

JAFUMEGA is a band from Porto formed at a time when the home-grown music scene in the city was highly dynamic, especially in terms of Portuguese rock music. The group’s history dates back to 1978 when various Porto musicians from some of the most highly renowned bands of the time came together. Although very young, these musicians had a great deal of experience in a variety of areas that allowed them to spread their talent into different musical genres, which was crucial to shaping the band’s sound and which over the course of just three albums left their name indelibly marked on the history of modern Portuguese music. After recording their first album, “Estamos Aí”, in 1980, sung in English, Jafumega took the country by storm thanks to the success of “Ribeira”, a song which stood at number one for weeks. In their first album for Polygram, “Jafumega”, and which forms the basis of this concert, are songs of major impact, such as “Latin’América”, “Kasbah”and“Nó Cego”, that have led to the band being described as the “idols of Porto”.

MARTA REN & THE GROOVELVETS • Marta Ren is no ordinary woman. Her remarkable position within the national musical scene goes way back. Her talent was crucial in turning Sloppy Joe into a cult band, in making us yearn for Bombazines and in helping Dealema achieve a solid career by contributing heavily to one of their signature songs. And though she had plentiful opportunities to take easier and safer routes, she never stopped making the music she loves. Perhaps because of that, now that she’s making her debut under her own name, accompanied by Groovelvets, her incredible persona is not limited just to the Portuguese scene. She has signed to the renowned Italian label Record Kicks, one of the most prestigious European soul/funk labels, to record her first seven inch, “Summer’s gone / Two kinds of men”, and has immediately caught the attention of the international community dedicated to the genre. She was challenged to record an album and grabbed it with both hands. It was hard and demanding but “Stop, look, listen” is finally ready for release in March.