The idea was initially conceived by Tempura, Bernardo Addario, in 2018, when the musician was looking for organic electronic sounds, with Portuguese roots, without much success. It was during this search that the desire and need to create something based on the sound of Berlin downtempo, but with roots in the Portuguese folklore of Beira Baixa, emerged. In 2019, after finding the bases of Cinco Sentidos, Bernardo invites Edgar Valente to provide his vocals, keyboards and adufe. To their surprise, they discover that both have roots in the region, and the need to deepen this collaboration and produce a love letter to their lands became obvious.
Influenced by pagan and Moorish traditions, Beira Baixa is a central region of Portugal, steeped in ancient culture and with a history of hyper-regional folk music. “Bandua is a reinterpretation of traditional Portuguese songs from the region, bringing them to the modern world”, explains Addario, “we wanted to create something new, without forgetting our roots”.
The debut album is released by the Dutch/Brazilian label Frente Bolivarista, thanks to a connection established through the Portuguese DJ and producer Pedro Martins, who also mixed most of the album. Directed by Brazilian producer Pigmalião (Daniel Lucas), the label aims to transcend borders and promote a wide variety of musical styles, from electronic to shamanic, with an ethos that goes hand in hand with this revisionist project of traditional styles and folk narratives.
Source: https://zedosbois.org/programa/bandua-galeria-zdb/