By IANSlife
New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANSlife): The most recent work by Sofia Hoffmann -- 'Rebirth', gathers jazz, Indian classical music and some of the most beautiful songs of the Lusophone songbook.
Sofia Hoffmann's voice flows from one genre to the other seamlessly. Producing and performing at Sofia's side is the veteran Grammy- winning arranger and pianist John Beasley, who also wrote the arrangements and played piano and keyboards. The international sitar player, Arjun Verma, son of the late Acharya Roop Verma and disciple of Ali Akbar Khan, is a key element in the original musical identity of this album, with the unique sound of his sitar and with the arrangements of the Indian Classical Music pieces.
Rebirth was conceived during the pandemic -- a time of so much uncertainty -- which was a reminder to seed new art, nurture diversity, and surrender to expression, even more, to reunite the east with the west.
The hand-picked repertoire to feature Sophia's voice includes the material of great singer-songwriters, some familiar Broadway and Portuguese songs, and gems from Indian cinema. The 11 songs album includes Baubles, Bangles and Beads, All Blues, Both Sides Now and Nature Boy, Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera (by the celebrated composer A.R. Rahman), two pearls of the Lusophone songbook Nunca Me Esqueci de Ti and Milagre, along with two original songs -- Esperarei and Rebirth -- Heart From the Truth.
Adding their signature sounds to Rebirth are guest artists Rui Veloso, a singer-songwriter known as "the father of Portuguese rock", flutist Rao Kyao and Indian sitarist and Grammy nominee Pandit Gaurav Mazumdar.
REBIRTH Concert
7.30 PM | Friday, January 6, 2023 | Stein Auditorium at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
(English/Portuguese/Hindi/Sanskrit - 105 minutes)
An evening of Western jazz standards and Portuguese songs, blended with Indian classical instruments and Ragas. Performed by Sofia Hoffmann -- Portuguese singer and songwriter, and sitarist Arjun Verma, son of Acharya Roop Verma and disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.