Amor e Saudade; Love and Longing

ROSEDALE UNITED 2020-21 CONCERT SERIES CONCLUDES ON FEBRUARY 7TH WITH “AMOR E SAUDADE/LOVE AND LONGING” FADO CONCERT FEATURING JESSICA LLOYD AND LOUIS SIMAOTORONTO, ONTARIOJANUARY 16TH, 2020

Inscribed in 2011 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Fado is best known as the urban popular song of Lisbon, Portugal. But, like any art form, it has varied influences and it continues to evolve. 

Raízes e Ramos (Roots and Branches) was formed in Toronto in 2011 with the desire to bring this rich genre of music to a wider audience.  Join vocalist Jessica Lloyd, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Louis Simão, guitarist Wagner Petrilli, and cellist Paul McCulloch as they take you on a journey through the ages and landscapes that together weave the musical threads of Fado. 

With the combined forces of these four eclectic but complimentary musicians, you will experience the traditional sounds of the famed Lisbon Fado houses before you are whisked away to the future of Fado on the shores of Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola and Canada.

From concert hall to opera stage, from studio sessions to club gigs, Jessica Lloyd’s genre-crossing vocal abilities never fail to impress. She has been afforded multiple opportunities to work with such ensembles as Tapestry New Opera Works, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and The Canadian Opera Company. She was also a founding member of the a cappella trio, wayward sister. When she is not on stage, Jessica is the Head of Music at Havergal College.

Award-winning Toronto-based musician Louis Simão has been composing, performing and recording as a multi-instrumentalist in a variety of genres for over twenty years. Simão has performed and/or recorded with Nelly Furtado, Kiran Ahluwalia and Dominic Mancuso (2010 JUNO winner) among others. In November of 2017, he was named World Solo Artist of the Year by the Canadian Folk Music Awards for his first solo release, “A Luz” (The Light), and in April of 2018, Louis was nominated by the Independent Music Awards for 2018 World Beat Artist of the Year.

Louis and Jessica are joined by Brazilian-born Wagner Petrilli on Brazilian guitar and cellist Paul McCulloch.

This performance concludes the highly successful premiere concert season of Rosedale Concerts, which was launched in December with the World Premiere of RH Thomson’s version of Dickens’ Christmas Carol. This concert will be presented in the glorious acoustics of the Rosedale United Church Sanctuary. The concert will run 80 minutes with a very brief intermission. A reception will follow. 

Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite and through Rosedale United Church. $35 advance, $40 at the door.