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JP Simões sings José Mário Branco” is a tribute album to José Mário Branco, one of the personalities who most influenced Portuguese music since the 1960s, as a singer, author, composer, arranger and music producer, and who left us in 2019 .

With the precious contribution of Nuno Ferreira (guitar and vocals), Pedro Pinto (double bass), Ruca Rebordão (percussion) and Márcio Pinto (marimba and electronics), the album was released by Omnichord Records on February 23, 2024 , the year in which the 50th anniversary of April 25, 1974 is celebrated.

Like a blood transfusion, I believe I started to feel closer and closer to José Mário Branco's music as I played and sang it, whenever the opportunity arose. As if the ethical and poetic thickness of his songs was progressively occupying and strengthening a place where there was previously insecurity and uncertainty, as I sang them and sang them and believed more and more in what I sang.

After a very considerable number of concerts focused on his work, which refined this closeness, an invitation came up, why not? make a record that was entirely dedicated to him. Is J osé Mário Branco’s voice now timely and necessary? Is it poignant and brimming with beauty and courage? Undoubtedly. And here we are. And the most intriguing thing for me is releasing an album where for the first time I am exclusively interpreting someone else's songs and feeling that it is perhaps the most intimate album I have ever produced. I must thank the author for this privilege of feeling more complete and less alone, here in the house he built for everyone.”