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MÁRIO LAGINHA

Mário Laginha was born in Lisbon, in 1960. He studied at the National Conservatory where his teachers included Jorge Moyano and Carla Seixas. He finished his studies with the highest possible grades. He then received the Bach Award and, shortly afterwards (in 1986) the Teresa Vieira Award.
Jazz is his main love. With the Lisbon Sextet he has played in many music festivals across Portugal and internationally, including Edinburgh International Jazz Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival, The Maltings Proms, Festival de Jazz de Macau, Bienal das Artes de Barcelona and Festival de Jazz de Cascais.
In 1987 after critics acclaimed him as Portugal's premiere jazz musician, he formed the group Decateto Mário Laginha, and participated at the festival Jazz em Agosto at the Gulbenkian Foundation, playing his own compositions. In 1989 he was selected for the Martial Solal International Piano Competition.
He has also won awards for best composition, best performer and best group (Quartet Mário Laginha) at the Jazz and Improvised Music Competition run by the Portuguese government.
Mário Laginha has also played with such Jazz luminaries as Trilok Gurtu, Christof Lauer, Howard Johnson, Julian and Steve Argueles, Lou Donaldson, Al Grey and Laureen Newton and Pedro Burmester (a dear friend of Mario's and a renowned classical pianist). In 1993 Laginha performed a concert with Burmester at the Centro Cultural de Belém that was recorded and later released as the Duetos record.
As a composer and musician he has been strongly linked to Maria João's career: in 1991 he joined Maria's group Cal Viva in the recording of its debut album, Sol, and in 1994 he played all the piano parts for Maria's first solo effort, Danças.
In 1994 he recorded his first and only solo record to date, Hoje. The album features the musicians Julian Argueles, Sérgio Pelágio, Bernardo Moreira and Alexandre Frazão.
Two years later he joined Maria João again for her album Fábula also featuring Dino Saluzzi and Ralph Towner.
In 1998 Mário and Maria João started a virtuoso duo and recorded the album Cor inspired by Mozambique and India. This album featured Trilok Gurtu and Wolfang Muthspiel as special guests.
In the following year they released the album Lobos, Raposas e Coiotes with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra of Hanover, considered by many to be their best record.
Mário Laginha is, without doubt, Maria João's most important musical partner.

IN: http://www.atlanticwaves.org.uk/2001/Mario_Laghinha.htm

Links:

Maria João & Mário Laginha: http://www.bremme-hohensee.de/joao-laginha_e.htm