Azymuth

Formed in Rio de Janeiro in 1973, Azymuth has developed since its beginnings a distinctive fusion of jazz, samba, funk and urban Brazilian music, which the group itself summed up with the term “samba doido.” The original core comprised José Roberto Bertrami, Alex Malheiros and Ivan Conti, in a trio format where supple bass lines, highly melodic keyboards and a precise rhythmic approach created a sound that is both fluid, danceable and firmly rooted in improvisation. After their first album, Azimüth, released in 1975, Azymuth followed with several landmark records, including Light as a Feather (1979), Outubro (1980), Telecommunication (1982) and Spectrum (1985), moving between the jazz scene, funk and club circuits. From the mid-1990s the band continued its path with Far Out Recordings and remained active between Brazil and Europe, with albums such as Woodland Warrior (1998), Brazilian Soul (2004), Aurora (2011) and Fênix (2016). Following the passing of Bertrami in 2012 and Ivan Conti in 2023, Azymuth continues around Alex Malheiros, notably accompanied by Kiko Continentino and Renato Calmon.