Azymuth

Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth , their new album Marca Passo proves that the band's alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honours the profound legacy of their departed founders.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full- length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamao" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist Jose Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band's musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums.

Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra's" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s--a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global infuences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound.